Winter 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 our prospective future guide dogs! Previous Pupdates can be found at this link.

This past winter has been an eventful one – and 2023 is already shaping up to be even bigger! The Canine Campus continues to be a hive of activity, with dogs arriving regularly from across the country to progress to their next stage of training. But that’s not all. The first phase of planned improvements to the indoor training facility is scheduled to be completed later this year.

The Canine Campus “Indoor City”

CNIB’s Canine Campus in Carleton Place, Ontario is a state-of-the-art guide dog training centre where our dogs learn the skills they need to become partners in mobility for individuals who are blind. It also serves as a fully accessible headquarters and workplace for trainers, volunteers, and other CNIB Guide Dogs team members.

We are tremendously proud of the life-changing work that happens at our Canine Campus and are continuing to expand this facility to meet the current and future need for guide dogs across Canada.

Pictured above: An artistic rendering of the future “indoor city” at CNIB’s Canine Campus.

Part of this expansion includes the creation of an “indoor city” where dogs will learn the fundamentals of day-to-day safe travel with their handler.

The Canine Campus is home to a vacant arena space that we are in the process of transforming into a functional multi-purpose training environment, including an obedience ring and an innovative “indoor city” space that simulates real world environments.

In January, we received a very special new addition to our space: a decommissioned city bus from OC Transpo in Ottawa!

Pictured above: CNIB Guide Dogs staff stand with OC Transpo staff in front of the decommissioned bus.

We are grateful to be able to provide a new home – and a new purpose – for this decommissioned OC Transpo city bus!

Training Update – Familiar faces and new recruits!

Name: Panda
Entered program: May 2022
Sex: Male
Breed: Labrador retriever

Panda, who is living with his Volunteer Puppy Raiser in Winnipeg, is maturing into a very sweet dog. He is a laid-back pup, always happy to tag along on outings. Panda is food motivated, which helps keep him eager to work, and he picks up on training games quite quickly. 

Panda is currently in the adolescent developmental period, which we also informally refer to as the “teenage phase”! During this period, it is not uncommon to see a bit of regression with some behaviours. To help keep Panda successful and motivated, his trainer has implemented shorter training sessions. Panda has taken well to this training adjustment and continues to be excited to work. 

His loose leash walking has progressed over the past few months, and dog distraction continues to be a work in progress. His trainer and Puppy Raiser have utilized games to help him stay focused during dog distraction training sessions and there has been noticeable improvement! Panda continues to be a good candidate to become a future working dog.

Name: Amigo
Entered program: May 2022
Sex: Male
Breed: Labrador retriever

Amigo has grown almost to his full adult size now, but he is still a puppy at heart. He is a bit excitable, which is normal for his age, but is starting to show improved self-control which is promising.

His Puppy Raiser has been working hard on his training cues over the past few months since he was a little behind in that area. He now responds much quicker and seems to have a better understanding of basic verbal training cues, like “sit,” “stay,” or “under.”

With the arrival of winter in Calgary, Amigo had to learn to wear booties! His Puppy Raiser is a very active and social person and Amigo travels with her everywhere. He regularly rides the bus and the LRT with her to the local trade school where she teaches during the week, and he always joins his Puppy Raiser in restaurants and at other social gatherings.

Amigo recently visited an art gallery in a busier part of town, which had a big set of open glass stairs. At first, Amigo was a little hesitant, but with some encouragement, he walked right up! It is so rewarding to witness him overcome these small challenges, as this will help him build his confidence.

Name: Scout
Entered program: March 2021
Sex: Female
Breed: Golden retriever

Scout is such a sweet and relaxed dog. She has a funny quirk: she loves to sleep with her head elevated or pressed against something. Whether it’s a wall or a bed, she’s our little contortionist. 

Unfortunately, Scout's allergies have progressed, and due to their unpredictability, she is no longer able to qualify as a guide dog; an unpredictable illness would put the safety of a handler at risk.

Scout has moved off Campus and has been staying with a boarder for the past month. She has wonderful home behaviours and has been enjoying walks with her boarder. She also loves spending time with her boarder's grandchildren. Scout is a delight around children; she is very gentle and loves the attention. Scout has the potential to become a working buddy or ambassador dog and we are working to help her achieve this goal!

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

While Jamie was showing potential for guide work, he is unfortunately no longer considered a suitable candidate to become a guide dog. One of the ways guide dogs keep their handlers safe is by being able to perform guiding tasks consistently in a variety of settings, while also being able to focus on their handlers and the task at hand. Jamie, being a very curious boy, sometimes lacks the necessary concentration needed to keep a handler safe. For example, small changes in his environment, such as a squirrel running across his path or someone pushing a loud shopping trolley, can cause him to stop, stare, or bark.

While being a guide dog is no longer in Jamie’s future, we are pleased to see he is well mannered in the home and enjoys interacting with children. Jamie is strong, but he is also cuddly with kids and instigates play with them. Jamie is now being assessed for a career as a buddy dog – but first, we will have to see if we can improve his distraction. To become a buddy dog, Jamie will need to be able to safely walk on lead with a child or youth who is blind or has low vision. We are working with him to hopefully achieve this goal!

Name: Tofu
Entered program: November 2021
Sex: Female
Breed: Golden retriever

Tofu is one of our newest arrivals at the Canine Campus! Joining us from Halifax, Tofu’s Puppy Raiser says Tofu is a delight. While living with her Puppy Raiser, she absolutely loved to get together with her fellow future guide dogs for playdates at the Halifax Service Dog Park.

Tofu also accompanied her Puppy Raiser to various environments like cafes, restaurants, and stores. They took the bus regularly, and Tofu even accompanied her Puppy Raiser to work on a university campus! Tofu was definitely quite popular in the office, but she knew it was time to rest and relax when her Puppy Raiser was working.

Now at the Canine Campus, Tofu is spending her time bonding with her trainer to make the transition easier and to build trust.

Your monthly gift is allowing us to serve even more Canadians with sight loss. Each month, your gift is supporting CNIB Guide Dogs and other growing programs, helping ensure we can be there for Canadians who are blind or partially sighted when they need us the most. Thank you!

Warmly,

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