Follow the journeys of our new pups!
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Spring/Summer 2021 Pupdate
Follow the journeys of our new pups!
Friend,
As a monthly supporter of our program, you’re receiving this inside look at the journeys of four of our newest future guide dogs: Jamie, Calah, Graham, and Scout!
These four pups are in the earliest days of their training. In these first few months, puppies are placed with their volunteer Puppy Raisers who help them learn things like house and crate training; basic obedience skills like "sit", "down", and "stand"; socialization in low-stress environments; routines that involve whistle feeding; training sessions with positive reinforcement, and learning to walk on leash.
These fundamentals lay the important groundwork for future advanced training.
Training Update
Name: Scout
Began training: March 2021
Sex: Female
Breed: Golden retriever
A scout is usually someone who acts as a lookout for others, and Scout is well on her way! She is a petite female golden retriever who loves her Puppy Raiser family. According to her Puppy Raiser, she’s confident and likes to boss people around. She enjoys napping and plays enthusiastically with other dogs…maybe a little too enthusiastically!
Scout isn’t bothered by loud sounds or traffic, and as a brand-new future guide dog she’s working on building her confidence in new environments and learning basic obedience.
Name: Jamie
Began training: March 2021
Sex: Male
Breed: Golden retriever
Jamie was named in honour of a CNIB Foundation staff member’s late brother who loved dogs. He is a medium-sized golden retriever and he’s responding well to training (especially when it involves treats!). He doesn’t mind sounds or traffic, which is important for the safety of his future handler, and adapts well to new handlers.
Still new to the program, he’s getting comfortable walking on a leash and experiencing new environments like local stores.
Name: Calah
Began training: February 2021
Sex: Female
Breed: Labrador retriever
Calah (pronounced “KAY-la”) is lively and confident! She was named by a Puppy Raiser in honour of their granddaughter who passed away at 18 months following health issues. Calah loves training and always wants to explore new things. When she first started learning to walk on a leash, she occasionally pulled and chewed on it, as puppies do. Her Puppy Raiser was able to introduce collar cues and Calah is getting the hang of it.
Once she masters her collar cues, it will help her to self-correct and ignore potential distractions. Right now, Calah’s learning to the "down" and "stay" commands, as well as learning to not bark when stationary.
Name: Graham
Began training: February 2021
Sex: Male
Breed: Labrador retriever
Graham is CNIB Guide Dogs' 100th puppy! He was named in honour of a CNIB Foundation staff member's late stepfather. He’s only been in training for a short while, but he’s displayed great focus so far. Graham is a large pup, and he doesn’t like to waste time napping when he could be exploring instead! (Although, when he’s tired, he does love to cuddle).
Since beginning leash training, Graham has already started self-correcting when he pulls on the leash. That means that if he notices that he is without enough slack on his leash, he’ll slow down without needing to be being told. This is impressive for a dog in this early stage of training. Graham is friendly and advancing quickly in his obedience training. We can’t wait to see what he achieves next!
Your gift is bringing mobility, safety, and freedom to Canadians with sight loss, helping to raise, train and match much-needed guide dogs in our program all across Canada. Scout, Jamie, Calah, and Graham are just four of the many pups (and people) impacted by your generosity.
With gratitude,
Andrea Critch
Program Lead, Puppy Raising Supervisor
