Read the latest on our pups’ journeys!
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Summer/Fall 2023 Pupdate
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.
A lot can happen in three months! As usual, summer was a busy time for our CNIB Guide Dogs team. Construction continues at our Canine Campus (read more about our plans in this past Pupdate), we hosted our second annual Buddy Dog Camp at CNIB Lake Joe in August, we ramped up our advocacy efforts in September, and as always, we continue to raise, train, and support future and working guide dogs across Canada. Thank you for making this important work possible!
“There are a lot of people who want a buddy dog, and I am so lucky to have my buddy dog, Scout.”
- Emmett, 11
Pictured: Emmett is planting a big kiss on his buddy dog Scout, a smiling golden retriever, as they attend Buddy Dog Camp this summer at CNIB Lake Joe.
We’re excited to share with you that the CNIB Guide Dogs team has collaborated with AMI and Halter Media on a new broadcast series that explores the remarkable partnership between guide dogs and their handlers.
Blind Trust: A Guide Dog’s Journey showcases the training process at CNIB Guide Dogs and the life-changing impact these incredible dogs have on their handlers. The series also offers a glimpse into the Buddy Dog and Ambassador Dog programs!
You may recall Jamie joining our program in March 2021 as a tiny ball of fluff (pictured above)! We’ve been following along with him as he progressed through our training program. While Jamie ultimately didn’t qualify to become a guide dog due to his high dog distraction, we’re thrilled to have an update on his progress for you today.
One thing became very clear during any time spent with Jamie: he loves children. We’re delighted to be able to share that Jamie has officially passed his buddy dog training and has been matched with Olivia in Quebec!
Olivia is a lively and curious 10-year-old with low vision. She loves to cuddle Jamie and couldn’t be happier to be matched with her new buddy dog.
Olivia’s mother, Blanca, says, “This program is great! It gives Olivia tasks to do that she is proud of. We remind her sometimes: ‘Did you play with him? Did you brush his coat?’ and she always does it because she knows it is important for Jamie.
“In the first 24 hours, both of our daughters fell in love with Jamie. He is such a lovable dog. We are very lucky to have him. He is so well-trained, and he is very good with Olivia and her sister.
"I believe that this will teach Olivia how to take care of a dog, so if one day she needs a guide dog, she will have a lot of skills already.
“It also helps with the emotional side. She tells him that she loves him and gives him kisses. That’s very important in her development. The other day, Olivia was very upset about something, and was crying. Jamie walked to her and put his head on her lap to comfort her. That helped calm her down a lot. We are very happy to see Jamie’s caring nature.”
We’ll be celebrating this partnership at the next graduation ceremony in April 2024, but couldn’t wait until then to share this wonderful news with you. Jamie is certainly a very good boy, and the whole CNIB team is so proud of him!
You can join us in celebrating Jamie's partnership with Olivia by replying to this email, monthly.giving@cnib.ca, with words of encouragement, and we’ll pass your messages on to the CNIB Guide Dogs team.
These transformative partnerships wouldn’t be possible without you. And we also know they don’t happen overnight! It takes a village to raise, train, and prepare these dogs for partnerships like this. From all of us, thank you for your dedication and continued support.
Training Update
Name: Roselle
Entered program: February 2023
Sex: Female
Breed: Labrador retriever
Roselle continues to progress well with her training and development in the puppy program. Like many puppies between the ages of six and nine months, Roselle experienced a brief adolescent period where we noticed increased levels of dog distraction, a bit of a backslide with responsiveness to obedience cues, and a stronger desire to be more independent.
While this was a challenging stage for her volunteer puppy raisers, Roselle has since come out of her shell and is showing more personality, which is great! A calm and quiet guide dog is important, but they also need to be confident and sure of themselves to take the lead and make decisions without handler input. We’re happy to see Roselle less reserved and hesitant these days.
She still struggles crossing some large metal grates and avoids manhole covers, so we’re trying to incorporate play on and around these obstacles to help change her mindset from fear to fun! Roselle continues to be a regular attendee of events across the city with her puppy raiser, and at home, she is happy to sleep late most mornings. She is now trustworthy out of her crate and comfortable being left alone for over an hour. We’re excited to see how Roselle matures over these next few months.
Name: Waabi (pronounced 'wah-BAY')
Entered program: April 2023
Sex: Female
Breed: Golden retriever
Waabi is a loving dog, but she has struggled to gain confidence. She is happy at home where it is quiet. Waabi has been a great traveler and is able to settle in the crate while her puppy raiser works during the day. She is understanding obedience cues and will do them in quiet stores. On walks, Waabi walks in a heel position and has slowed her pace. She loves people and will jump up on anyone, so we are working on calm greetings when Waabi meets new people.
She can be very nervous around traffic, so her puppy raiser and Puppy Development Trainer are working with her to build her confidence in this area, including public transit and regular traffic exposure. Waabi is also working on her alone time and calm greetings. To successfully progress, Waabi will need to continue to gain confidence and adapt better to busier environments. We’re hopeful that this sweet girl will grow her confidence more and more with each passing day.
Name: Delores
Entered program: February 2023
Sex: Female
Breed: Labrador retriever
Delores has lots of confidence and she enjoys experiencing new environments and settings. She does well in busy urban environments. One thing she is not fond of, though, is the rain. Despite arriving in the middle of winter, she is a fair-weather puppy!
Typical of many puppies her age, Delores is having a difficult adolescent stage at the moment, with an increase in dog distraction, prey drive, and scavenging behaviour. She finds controlling her impulses, especially with scavenging food and garbage on the sidewalks, quite a challenge. She understands the “leave it” cue, but she always acts first and thinks later, so we are working on some strategies to help Delores think first and act later.
Delores is full of personality and is always ready to go somewhere or do something, which is a great trait for a future guide dog but having the balance of an “off switch” and being able to settle is just as important. She has made great progress settling in the house, travelling in the car and on public transportation, and as long as there is no food or garbage on the ground, she can comfortably settle in public for short periods of time.
With more time to mature, we’re hopeful Delores will overcome her challenges and continue to progress in her training as a future guide dog.
Name: Howard
Entered program: March 2023
Sex: Male
Breed: Labrador retriever
Howard keeps you on your toes. He needs a job to do, or else he gets himself into trouble! On walks, he is pulling more and sniffing, so he needs to learn to focus on the handler again.
Howard is an early riser, so we are working on keeping him sleeping longer. He also recently discovered his voice and uses it to grab your attention. Over the last quarter, he has been exposed to public transit and downtown urban areas. With his puppy raiser, he has been working on settling quietly, calming his dog distraction, and not sniffing on walks. We need to see Howard strengthen his ability to regain focus in times of distraction and work on settling. We hope that, with time, consistency, and positive reinforcement, he will get there.
Name: Amigo
Entered program: May 2022
Sex: Male
Breed: Labrador retriever
Amigo is a funny, loving, and very willing pup. Now at the Canine Campus and working with his Guide Dog Trainer, he is good on walks and doesn’t pull – though sometimes his nose can get the best of him.
Amigo has good social behavior and enjoys going to new places, but he sometimes needs reminders to wait when he is laying down. He responds well to all obedience cues and loves to know when he is doing a great job. With his trainer, he has gone to very quiet places and both semi-busy and more lively locations, and does well in all these situations. Despite his rather serious ‘focused’ expression in the photo above, Amigo can be a very silly boy – especially when he gets to free run at the Canine Campus. Once inside the free run area, he runs absolutely wild!
Every month, your gift is making incredible things possible. We can’t thank you enough! Thank you for supporting CNIB’s vital programs and services. It’s a privilege to be able to share these successes, challenges, and wins with you.
Warmly,
Andrea Critch
Program Lead, Puppy Development
P.S. Did you know? November 28th is Giving Tuesday! Click here to learn how you can double your impact.
