Meet Otis - the life-saving support puppy
YesTax is donating £1,000 a month for two years to fund the purchase and training of a puppy we have named Otis. Otis will provide life-saving support for a child with autism, epilepsy and other physical disabilities.
Now that he has started his training, here is a little update from his trainer, Emily and socialiser, Fiona.
“Otis is a lively fun loving character who was full of beans when he first moved to his socialiser and still is! After causing havoc he would then crash and sleep in some very peculiar places (ie curled up in a hoover cord... round the legs of a chair...) Otis is a very smart pup and is picking all his training up very quickly which is a good thing but as he's getting older we are going to have to be a step ahead of him to make sure he doesn't get bored. As a typical red he can be vocal at times especially when playing with his dog brother Merlin.
As Otis's puppy socialiser has done this before he is doing very well in puppy class although sometimes the distraction of his pretty friend Ruby can be abit much!
Otis is confident with his sits and downs, he can do a good wait for food and has been working on his settles. Otis is still working on his loose lead walking but the big wide world is very exciting and sometimes we just need to sniff everything and explore! Otis has learnt how to do a nose nudge which didn't take him very long at all.
Overall he's a happy confident puppy who has a bright future.”
Emily, Otis’ Trainer
"Otis is a really happy and friendly puppy, he loves being with people and is very affectionate. He enjoys playing fetch and tug and loves running free with his socialisers dog when they go for walks in the field.
He adores the two children he lives with and is very patient and gentle with them, he is the star attraction when he accompanies them on their walks to school and everyone we meet stops to ask about him.
He is a typical Labrador and loves his food, he’s not picky about what he eats but does particularly love chicken and cheese, this is really helpful with his training as he is willing to work hard for his food rewards.
He is really very clever and learns new things very quickly. He learned to “nudge” with his nose in a five minute session which is the foundation work for some of the tasks he could complete when he’s older. He knows his basic commands such as sit and down well, walks nicely on the lead and has started to visit quieter restricted areas as part of his training.
He really is quite the character and makes us laugh a lot with his antics, particularly when we find him sleeping in strange positions and snoring loudly!
He is a super puppy with a brilliant personality - you just can’t help but love him, he’s going to make an amazing support dog for someone in the future.”
Fiona, Otis’ socialiser
Thanks to Support Dogs for all the invaluable work they do to save lives and make them easier for vulnerable children.
YesTax. Positively Better.