In For Formal Training: When It's Time To Say Goodbye

Sending a Puppy in for Formal Training

What Happens When the Puppy Gets to the Canine Campus

Celebrating the Final Days Together

  • Take photos
  • Visit your favourite places
  • Make a keepsake

Coping with the Transition

Words of Wisdom from Other Puppy Raisers

  • Meet someone with a working guide dog. Listening to them talk about how their life has changed really sticks with you.
  • Know that the puppy you raised will be helping someone in need. Have tissues ready, give lots of hugs and kisses and watch the puppy happily trot off with the CNIB staff.  Remember to send them off with “Go and be awesome!”
  • You'll miss the dog like crazy AND the work that you have done is and will be an irreplaceable gift no matter the outcome. All the little beings deserve love and to raise them with the patience and persistence that you have is priceless.
  • Take another puppy to fill the gap!
  • Try to keep in mind that the puppy is just on loan to you. I had the opportunity to meet some clients and witness how important their dogs were to them.
  • It’s very hard and emotional saying goodbye, but the pups are so pampered and loved at the Canine Campus. They will love being with the other dogs and they are ready to move forward on their journey to become a guide dog.
  • It is hard to say goodbye to a puppy you have raised, trained and loved for almost a year. Focus on how much you have given to the pup who will become a life changing companion for someone, whether a guide dog, a buddy dog or a loved family pet.
  • It's bitter sweet. It's like sending your child off to school- you've raised them to spread their wings, learn more and ultimately help others! And it's OK to feel sad & worried. Monthly Trainer updates help combat that. And seeing pics/ videos of them playing with their toys from their puppy home.
  • It's hard because you will become attached. It's natural when raising such competent puppies. However, it's important to remember that you're making a big difference and changing someone's life for the better. Remember that if it wasn't for you in this process, the puppy wouldn't be where it is today. Yes, it's hard to say goodbye, but know you are doing something remarkable.
  • It's okay to feel a bit sad and you'll miss the pup. But you'll get regular updates including photos and videos, and the dog will hopefully have a huge positive impact in someone's life as a guide or buddy dog. Even if they don't make it, you should be proud.

Continued Volunteer Engagement

The advanced training program is the next stage of education for the puppy. Dogs can start their advanced training at various ages dependent on several factors including their maturity, suitability/readiness for training, as well as availability of training staff. Dogs typically enter training between twelve and eighteen months of age, the Puppy Development Trainer will liaise with you as the puppy approaches twelve months to discuss a timeline for the puppy's transition.

When a dog enters training, they are assigned to a Guide Dog Trainer (GDT) or Guide Dog Mobility Instructor (GDMI) who will be responsible for the dog's training during this period. This staff member will be the primary handler for the dog during this period as well as your primary contact, providing you with regular updates on how the dog is progressing in training. You will be contacted within a day of the dog arriving for training to let you know how they have settled. Contact will remain in place on a monthly basis by phone or email. You will also receive a photo of the dog in harness once they have completed their first training session in a guide dog harness and a video of the dog working with a GDT/GDMI if they complete the training program.

The first few days of training are focused on settling the dog into pods at the CNIB Canine Campus. The pods are exceptionally modern and have been designed with the comfort and security of the dogs being our primary focus. Each dog will share a pod with up to three other dogs that have been selected and assessed for compatibility. The dogs in the CNIB Canine Campus are supervised between 6 a.m. and 10 p.m. by trained Dog Care and Welfare staff who ensure the dogs are happy, healthy, and secure. The dogs are regularly assessed for health and are groomed daily as well. There are cameras installed throughout the CNIB Canine Campus so that dogs may be observed overnight as well.

While most dogs in training will be housed at the Canine Campus, they are often boarded with staff members and volunteers for a short period to ensure their home behaviour is at an acceptable level. Other dogs may be homed with staff or volunteers on a more regular basis if they are not content staying at the campus.

The biggest difference between the puppy development and training programs are the allocation of responsibility. Puppies are taught to follow instruction as they learn what is considered appropriate behaviour for a guide dog. In contrast the training program passes some of the responsibility onto the dogs. They are still expected to be obedient and responsive to instruction, but they are now also asked to be decision makers and leaders.

They must be taught to:

  • Find the ideal path around obstacles
  • Stop for curbs without being prompted
  • Travel in a straight line (easier said than done!)
  • Locate objects without support
  • Ignore distractions without any input from their trainer
  • Ignore guiding instructions that would put their handler in jeopardy

The dogs are taught to accept this responsibility through an incremental approach. Early training involves bonding, consolidation of obedience responses and an extensive amount of impulse control exercises. A harness is introduced to the dogs approximately 1-3 weeks after they enter training. Their first walks in harness are completed in quiet areas with minimal distractions. The dogs perform the whole range of guiding skills from this first walk in harness. They are heavily supported during this early stage of training as their instructor will use physical and verbal prompts to guide them in each task. Instructors use food as well as other reinforcers to encourage the dogs to repeat desirable behaviours. Support levels are gradually withdrawn, and the dogs are rewarded for any initiative they show.

As the dog's knowledge increases, the areas they are trained in become more complex with a higher concentration of obstacles to avoid and more distractions to ignore. Each dog is treated as an individual, with the training program and schedule being adapted to each dog's needs. The dogs are constantly assessed for their suitability for the role as well as to determine their ideal handler. Staff perform several walks while blindfolded to gauge understanding and identify any areas that require further education. Dogs that are suited to life as a Guide Dog are matched with their Handlers six to eight months after entering training, at which point their training is tailored to match up with their future Handler's lifestyle and work requirements. The dogs typically begin training with Handlers eight months after starting the formal training program.

During training, some dogs may be identified as being better suited to the Buddy Dog or Ambassador Dog program. There are several reasons this decision may be made. Some dogs may not handle the responsibility level inherent to the guide dog role, others may be career changed for excessive distraction levels or scavenging while some may be career changed for inappropriate toileting, heightened body sensitivity levels, health reasons, lack of motivation or inappropriate home behaviour. While most dogs find the guiding role enjoyable, it is a role that comes with high standards. The safety of the Guide Dog Handler who has blindness or partial sight is paramount. Dogs that are qualified as guide dogs must demonstrate that they can perform at a high level on a consistent basis. Internationally, approximately fifty percent of dogs that start in guide dog programs graduate to become working guide dogs. CNIB's Buddy Dog and Ambassador Dog programs are a way for dogs deemed not suitable for guide work to contribute and enhance lives of Canadians living with sight loss.