Spring 2023 Pupdate

Waabi, a fluffy golden retriever puppy wearing her yellow CNIB Future Guide Dog vest, sits smiling with her tongue out. She is completely surrounded by little white wildflowers.

Read the latest on our pups’ journeys!

Friend,

As a monthly supporter of our program, you’re receiving this inside look at the journeys of four prospective future guide dogs! Previous Pupdates can be found at this link.

Spring has been busy for the CNIB Guide Dogs team. Our fourth annual Pup Crawl raised $125,000 in support of the guide dog program across Canada; we celebrated the graduation of the Class of 2023; and throughout this time, new puppies joined our program while others moved on to the next phase of their training at the Canine Campus. Your gift helped make this, and so much more, possible. Thank you!

Exciting News!

We’ve been enthusiastically following Scout’s progress since she first joined our program in March 2021. Because of her allergies and dog distraction, Scout was not able to qualify as a working guide dog and moved into our buddy dog training stream in January 2023. Learn about the career options for our dogs at this link.

Since that time, Scout and her trainer have worked very hard to greatly improve her focus. Her buddy dog training also focused on:

Scout, a tiny, fluffy golden retriever puppy, smiles widely in her yellow CNIB Guide Dogs future guide dog vest.

Improving her recall – or responding when called by name – by playing games like hide-and-seek.
Adjusting to the use of a gentle leader. This head halter used on dogs makes it possible to handle a large, strong animal in a gentle way. You can learn more about gentle leaders and buddy dogs here.

Scout, a fluffy golden retriever, smiles widely in her yellow CNIB Guide Dogs future guide dog vest.

Getting accustomed to having a white cane move from side to side in front of her, and
Learning to bark for help on cue in the event of a child requiring assistance from their parents. It took her some time to learn how to bark on cue, which involves a hand signal and the verbal cue “Help!” – but she did it!

We’re absolutely thrilled to announce that Scout has successfully passed her buddy dog training and has been matched with Emmett in Atlantic Canada!

Emmett, age 11, hugs Scout, his fluffy golden retriever CNIB buddy dog, tightly with a huge smile on his face. Scout also has a huge smile on her face.

Emmett, a bright 11-year-old boy born with congenital glaucoma, quickly connected with Scout. As a young child, Emmett also had a foster family before he was adopted and found his forever home. He immediately understood the transition period that Scout needed to adjust to life in her new forever home. Emmett lives in a very serene rural setting surrounded by nature trails on the East Coast. We knew this would be a perfect setting for Scout, who can find busy urban environments overstimulating.

Emmett, age 11, crouches next to Scout, his fluffy golden retriever CNIB buddy dog in front of a scenic ocean view. They are both smiling after completing the CNIB PupCrawl.

Before meeting Scout, Emmett’s younger sister, who is also adopted and low vision, was apprehensive and afraid of most dogs. Those of us following Scout’s journey already know how tough it is to resist Scout’s charms, so it won’t surprise you to learn that Emmett’s sister has now overcome her fear and has asked her parents to apply for a buddy dog of her own!

We’ll be celebrating this partnership at next year’s graduation, but we couldn’t wait to share this exciting update with you. We’re all so proud of Scout and wishing the very best for her and Emmett. Thank you for making their beautiful partnership – and so many others like it – possible.

If you'd like to share words of celebration with the CNIB Guide Dogs team, including Scout's trainers, simply reply to this email, monthly.giving@cnib.ca, and we will direct your feedback!

Emmett, age 11, crouches next to Scout, his fluffy golden retriever CNIB buddy dog in front of a scenic ocean view. He is holding his white cane upright and Scout has a serious expression on her face.

Emmett, age 11, is cuddling Scout, his fluffy golden retriever CNIB buddy dog, while they both nap peacefully.

Emmett, age 11, is participating in the CNIB PupCrawl with Scout, Scout, his fluffy golden retriever CNIB buddy dog, and his parent.

Pictured directly above: Emmett, age 11, poses next to Scout, his fluffy golden retriever CNIB buddy dog; Emmett cuddles Scout while they both nap peacefully; Emmet, Scout and parent participate in the CNIB PupCrawl.

Training Update

Jamie, a fluffy golden retriever in a yellow CNIB Buddy Dogs vest, stands proudly.

Name: Jamie
Entered program: March 2021
Sex: Male
Breed: Golden retriever

Jamie is continuing to train for a possible buddy dog role. He’s keeping healthy and is in the good care of a local volunteer Boarder.

There are still some concerns with his level of dog distraction, but the group obedience class he’s in with other CNIB dogs-in-training is a perfect place to address this! Jamie’s trainer is also working with him individually to improve his reactivity towards other dogs, as well as working on his leash manners and overall obedience.

Jamie is well-mannered in the home and loves interacting with children. He is strong, but he is also cuddly with kids and initiates play with them. Jamie is a delightful dog to work with and is full of character. We hope that, with continued training, he will reach the standards necessary to become a buddy dog.

Meet our newest cohort!

New puppies regularly enter the CNIB Guide Dogs program across Canada. Here are some of the newest pups to join the team:

Delores, a black Labrador retriever puppy, smiles with her tongue out.

Delores, a black Labrador retriever puppy, is wearing her yellow CNIB Guide Dogs puppy vest with a serious expression on her face.

Name: Delores
Entered program: February 2023
Sex: Female
Breed: Labrador retriever

Upon arrival with her Puppy Raising family, Delores had some tummy troubles. Thankfully, she’s recovered now and has quickly settled in and mastered house training and crate training.

Her socialization journey started a bit slowly due to her early digestive issues, but her confident and bold personality has not let that be a setback. She’s now well on her way to experiencing a variety of environments and activities. Most recently, Delores had her first subway ride, and she was completely unfazed by the loud noises, smells, and heavy people traffic. Delores also accompanies her Puppy Raiser each morning with school drop-off and walks to the bus stop at the end of the day. She works hard to stay calm around all the children!

Delores is a great student and has quickly learned obedience cues like ‘sit,’ ‘down,’ ‘stand,’ ‘give,’ ‘under,’ and ‘wait,’ and she is making progress with maintaining a loose leash on walks. She’s a smart, fun, and spunky puppy, and we’re excited to watch her growth and progress over the next year.

Roselle, a black Labrador retriever puppy, is wearing her yellow CNIB Guide Dogs puppy vest on a snowy day.

Roselle, a black Labrador retriever puppy, sits in front of a pile of snow and stares directly into the camera.

Name: Roselle
Entered program: February 2023
Sex: Female
Breed: Labrador retriever

Roselle is smart, quiet, calm, and somewhat reserved. Make no mistake though, she loves to play and is very rough-and-tumble with her puppy pals!

House training and crate training were a breeze for Roselle, and she’s developed great house manners, entertaining herself with her toys or relaxing on her bed while her Puppy Raiser is occupied. Roselle is a quick learner and remains very focused on task. She responds well to obedience cues and she walks nicely with a loose leash.

Roselle regularly rides public transportation, goes grocery shopping, tags along for lunch and coffee dates, attends orchestral and dance performances, and has even been a guest at a public school, teaching young students about guide dogs!

Roselle’s biggest hurdle so far has been her hesitation with the unfamiliar. She’s not anxious or fearful – she just likes to think things through before diving headfirst into the unknown. She’s already overcome her hesitation with changes in flooring, and we expect she’ll only continue to grow her confidence and progress over the next year.

Howard, a yellow Labrador retriever puppy, stands in some spring flowers while wearing his yellow CNIB Guide Dogs puppy vest.

Howard, a yellow Labrador retriever puppy, wears his yellow CNIB Guide Dogs puppy vest and has a serious expression on his face.

Name: Howard
Entered program: March 2023
Sex: Male
Breed: Labrador retriever

Howard is a high drive pup that loves learning. He picks things up quickly but also has a very sweet, affectionate side. On walks, he can’t explore new areas fast enough. He has a quick pace and if you aren’t keeping him engaged, he will look for other ways to occupy himself.

He loves everyone and other animals. He has good social behaviour with other dogs and is often the one to start the chase game! Howard is an attentive dog who is fast to respond to obedience cues in any environment. Over the past three months, he has been exposed to public transit and downtown urban areas. He has been working on settling, dog distraction, and not sniffing on walks.

Waabi, a fluffy golden retriever puppy in a yellow CNIB Future Guide Dog vest, smiles with her tongue out, in front of a bright red Japanese maple tree.

Waabi, a fluffy golden retriever puppy in a yellow CNIB Future Guide Dog vest, is reacting to bubbles floating in the air. She has her tongue out.

Name: Waabi (pronounced 'wah-BAY')
Entered program: April 2023
Sex: Female
Breed: Golden retriever

Waabi is one of the newest members of our program! Her name is the Ojibwe word for ‘vision.’ She is a loving dog who is quite sensitive.

Waabi is a great traveler and is able to settle in the crate during work. She’s picking up obedience cues and starting to become more focused. On walks, she has a fast pace, and her Puppy Raiser is working to slow her down so she can focus. She loves people (and prefers people over dogs!), often looking to say ‘hi’ wherever she is. Right now, she is working on loose leash walking and getting comfortable in busier public locations.

It takes a village to make these life-changing partnerships a reality, and none of it would be possible without you. Thank you for your continued generosity and for your commitment to changing what it is to be blind in Canada.

Warmly,

Andrea Critch Program Lead, Puppy Raising Supervisor holding CNIB future Guide Dog Graham and smiling

Andrea Critch
Program Lead, Puppy Development

P.S. Looking for previous Pupdates? You can read them at this link !

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