Patter of tiny paws as Aylesbury Vale charity welcomes six new assistance dogs into the world

These perfect puppies are the first litter to be born in an Aylesbury Vale charitiy's new breeding scheme.

Medical Detection Dogs, based in Great Horwood, launched its first ever breeding scheme last year, and mum Leia, gave birth to three bouncing boys and three gorgeous girls just before Christmas.

The six puppies don’t know it yet, but they're destined to save lives - four of them as super sniffers with Medical Detection Dogs and two with other assistance dog charities.

Medical Detection Dogs trains dogs to save lives using their amazing sense of smell.

Bio Detection Dogs learn to detect the odour of diseases such as cancer, Parkinson’s and malaria in the charity’s training room.

Medical Alert Assistance Dogs work with individuals with complex conditions such as Type 1 diabetes, PoTS and severe allergies, to warn them when a medical emergency is about to happen.

Recently, the charity has been training dogs to detect the odour of Covid-19 and they are now screening people in real-life settings as part of their training.

A spokesperson said it was Leia's health and temperament that made her perfect for the charity's first brood bitch.

"She is friendly, confident, eager to please and learn and takes everything in – the perfect combination for a potential Medical Alert Assistance Dog," they said.

Puppy supply and training manager Chris Allen said: “Sourcing puppies has been challenging during the pandemic.

"Starting our own breeding scheme will allow us to supplement our current dog supply routes.

"It won’t be our only source and we continue to gratefully accept donations and train dogs from rescue, but it will allow us to continue training a steady supply of dogs to save lives.

“The puppies are absolutely gorgeous and real characters already.

"We’ve got a confident one, a sensible one and a cheeky one – much like with all siblings.”

Find out more about the work of Medical Detection Dogs at www.medicaldetectiondogs.org.uk