Raising assistance dogs. Building futures.
"What is Restart Dogs?"
Restart Dogs is a canine-assisted rehabilitation programme operating in prisons and young offenders institutions across England training prisoners and young people to raise assistance dogs for those who need them most.
The project delivers CPD-accredited vocational education, rehabilitation outcomes, and fully trained dogs that go on to support Armed Forces veterans and people with disabilities.
We've been doing this since 2019! We started with 15-18 year olds in a young offenders institution and proved it worked. We then adapted the model for a category B adult prison, and now operate at HMP Fosse Way, a Category C resettlement prison in Leicester opened in 2023.
We are actively seeking new sites so if you would like to know more about this, click the button below.
About
A team of qualified professionals
Our trainers are experienced, qualified dog training and behaviour professionals, not volunteers learning on the job. The quality of the people delivering this programme is what makes it work.
Animal welfare at the centre, not an afterthought
International best practice is clear: animal-assisted interventions only work when animal welfare is central to the programme and when qualified animal professionals are overseeing every aspect of the animals’ care, training, and wellbeing (IAHAIO White Paper, 2014/2018). Too many animal programmes in prisons are set up with good intentions but without the right expertise. When welfare problems follow, programmes get shut down and prisons are left managing a problem they didn’t sign up for.
At Restart Dogs, animal welfare is built into every decision. The programme is led and overseen by ABTC-accredited animal behaviourists. The dogs’ training, socialisation, health, and emotional wellbeing are monitored daily by people who are qualified to do it. That means prisons get the benefits of a canine-assisted programme without inheriting a welfare liability.
The staff foster model
Every evening and weekend, our dogs go home with prison staff who volunteer to foster. We cover all food and veterinary costs. The dogs grow up in a home, learning household routines and socialising with families. Staff engagement and morale improve. Relationships between staff and learners strengthen. No other prison dog programme in the UK does this.
Real qualifications
Our education programme is fully CPD UK accredited. Learners study canine behaviour and training up to Level 4, supported by the School of Canine Science as our education partner, gaining qualifications they can take forward on release.
Our charity partner — Bravehounds
Our dogs are trained for Bravehounds, a Scottish charity providing assistance dogs to Armed Forces veterans living with PTSD, depression, anxiety, and other mental health conditions. Bravehounds is a full member of both Assistance Dogs International and Assistance Dogs UK.
Five dogs trained through our programme are already partnered with veterans, and a further five are currently in training with Bravehounds and will be matched to veterans during 2026. We are also open to working with other assistance dog charities in the future.
Evidence-based, welfare-first methodology
Everything we do is grounded in evidence-based, positive reinforcement methods, from how the dogs are trained to how our learners are supported. Learners don’t just train dogs. They learn that effective leadership comes through patience, consistency, and kindness, not force or confrontation.
Helping an industry under pressure
The assistance dog sector is struggling to find puppy raisers. Fewer volunteer families can commit to raising puppies at home before returning them as adolescents. Waiting lists for assistance dogs stretch to years.
Restart Dogs offers a proven alternative. Assistance dog charities can place their dogs with us for training at no cost. Our dogs are raised in structured daytime programmes, socialised in real homes every evening through our foster model, and trained by handlers who work with them five days a week.
If you’re an assistance dog charity looking for a different approach to puppy raising, we’d be happy to talk.
“I think what makes the Restart Dogs project really stand out is the fact that it not only delivers evidenced benefit and qualifications to our learners, but also to our staff who are able to foster dogs into their families. It improves relationships between our staff and our prisoners and it gives prisoners an opportunity to do something that gives back to the community.”
— Rebecca, Serco Education, HMP Dovegate
How it Works...
Restart Dogs places puppies into custodial settings from 8 weeks old. Selected learners become their primary handlers, working with them five days a week across an 18-month programme.
During the week, the dogs are trained in a purpose-built classroom and outdoor area within the prison. Learners study canine behaviour theory alongside hands-on practical training, building skills in observation, communication, and errorless learning.
Every evening and weekend, the dogs go home with prison staff who foster them, so the dogs experience home life and the staff stay connected to the programme.
At the end of the training period, dogs are assessed and placed with assistance dog charities to be matched with the people who need them.
Get in Touch
Want Restart Dogs at your establishment? Looking to place dogs with us for training? Interested in joining the team?
Fill in the form below to get in touch!