by - guidedogs.ca by Side Fall Winter 2016.pdf · Manager, Dylan Grant, with guide dog in training...

www.guidedogs.ca

Canadian Guide Dogs for the BlindFounding Member of The International Guide Dog Federation

Member of Assistance Dogs International, Inc.Member of Canadian Association of Guide & Assistance Dog Schools

Registered Charity No. 10684 6819 RR0001. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

byFall/Winter 2016 Volume 31, Number 2. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Side by Side, Fall/Winter 2016, Volume 31, Number 22

Canadian Guide Dogs for theBlind Board of Directors

Heather E. Skuce ChairEdward K. Mann Vice-ChairRonald Burns SecretaryWilliam Wolfenden TreasurerMary Jane Binks DirectorMarilyn Guty DirectorJane E. Thornton Director

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Front cover photo: Katie HessionDogs on cover: Hyla & Georgia

Design & layout: Les Stuart Graphic Design and Communications

Printing: The Printing House Limited

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Puppy WalkingandBreeding ProgramThe following litters wereborn from March 1, 2016 toAugust 31, 2016:Vanilla II (YLB) bred to Bart II (YLM)Parade (YLB) bred to Quartz (YLM)Gabby II (YLB) bred to Bart II (YLM)Harlow (GRxBLB) bred to Rufus III (YLM)Zambi (BLB) bred to Rocky II (BLM)

YLB – yellow Labrador, bitchYLM – yellow Labrador, male GRxBLB – golden retriever x black Labrador, bitchBLB – black Labrador, bitch

A sincere thank you to puppy walkerswhose dogs have completed the PuppyWalking Program and breeding stockholders and boarders whose dogs havebeen used for breeding, from March 1, 2016to August 31, 2016:

Shirley Alves, Karen Bailey, BrendaBelanger, June Booth, Pauline Crowder,Cathryn Davidson, Leslie Ferguson, Linda Foxhall, Donna Grimard, BeverleyHamblin, Ian Harvie, Helena Ingr, JulieJolicoeur, Michael Leber, Sue Mackey,Thomas MacKinnon, Debbie McLeod, Pam Middleton, Linda O’Meara, VickieReynolds, Cecile Ritchie, Livvie Scott,Marlene Shepheard, Cheryl Silis, KimSogge, Lucia Taggart, Jessie Thornton,Janet Tobio, Heebong Um. �

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A special thank you to the following businesses which have donated goodsor services to Canadian Guide Dogs for the Blind:American Airlines “Puppies in Flight” ProgramAventix Animal Health CorporationBayer Healthcare Animal HealthBoehringer Ingelheim (Canada) Ltd.Canada Summer Jobs 2016Elanco Animal Health CanadaMerck CanadaNestlé Purina PetCare Canada

Canadian Guide Dogs for the Blind would like tothank the many Ontario stores that havesupported us through the sale of Nevada ticketsin the past year, including:

Big Bee Convenience HamiltonCity Convenience HamiltonCorvette Smoke & Gift ScarboroughDairy Way Convenience OshawaHappy Variety KitchenerHilltop Variety EloraI & A Convenience TecumsehInternational News Etobicoke & HamiltonMac’s Convenience Store Peterborough, Brampton, Hamilton, Kingston, Ottawa,

Windsor, Whitby, Barrie, Oakville, Beaverton, London,Grand Valley, Trenton, Smiths Falls

Malton Variety MississaugaMrs. Coopers Convenience LondonPete’s Subs & Burgers PeterboroughPiggly Wiggly NewscastleStop Variety TorontoSunrise Convenience CambridgeUltramar Caledon

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Canadian Guide Dogs for the Blind Gift Shop

1. Christmas Cards 2016All cards come in packages of 10, cards as shown in photo, 10 envelopes included. $12 x ______= $ ___________

2. Custom ID Pet Tag – Dog’s name/engraving: _________________Phone #: _______________________________

Quantity: Blue _____ Black _____ Red _____ Pink _____ $6 x ______= $ ___________Orders with this form will include your dog’s name and your phone number. If you wish to have a longer engraving of up tofour lines, order by phone (613) 692-7777 or online www.guidedogs.ca.

3. Duffle Bag (collapsible) $20 x ______= $ ___________

4. T-shirt –“2 pups” – sand colour Quantity: S _____ M _____ L _____ XL _____ XXL _____ $20 x ______= $ ___________

5. Nordic Toque – red $20 x ______= $ ___________

6. WestJet “Gift of Flight” raffle ticket (see ad on page 2 with details) $20 x ______= $ ___________Please note there is no shipping and handling charge on raffle tickets.

Name: ________________________________________________________ Sub-Total: $ _________________

Address: ______________________________________________________ Add 15% Shipping

________________________________________________________and Handling: $ _________________

______________________________________________________ Total: $ _________________

Card #: ________________________________________________________

Expiry: mm/yy ________________________ Name on Card: ______________________________________________

Type of Card: Visa MC AMEX Telephone: ________________________________________________

Cheques payable to Canadian Guide Dogs for the Blind may be mailed to 4120 Rideau Valley Drive North, PO Box 280, Manotick, ON, K4M 1A3 or fax orders to (613) 692-0650. �

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* Items may not be exactly as shown; all prices include taxes.

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Side by Side, Fall/Winter 2016, Volume 31, Number 2 3 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Gift of Flight Raffle TicketsOntario Residents Only

Side by Side, Fall/Winter 2016, Volume 31, Number 2

Pet Pictures with SantaCanadian Guide Dogs for the Blind has received tremendous support fromPet Food ‘n More for many years. The chain, with seven stores in theLower Mainland (Vancouver area) of British Columbia, hosts Pet Pictureseach holiday season. In 2015, Pet Food ‘n More contributed an incredibleamount of $22,459.06 to Canadian Guide Dogs for the Blind. Check theirwebsite for updates on future Pet Pictures with Santa events atwww.petfoodnmore.com. Pictured is Pet Food ‘n More RegionalManager, Dylan Grant, with guide dog in training Hamish, presentingproceeds from last year’s event. �

Doors Open OttawaMore than 1,600 came through theNational Training Centre of CanadianGuide Dogs for the Blind on June 4, 2016.Our open house was promoted as part ofthe “Doors Open Ottawa” event, inwhich over 130 of Ottawa’s historically,culturally, and functionally significantbuildings opened to the public. CanadianGuide Dogs for the Blind isn’t open to thepublic for tours on a daily basis, so thisannual event enables us to show peopleour National Training Centre, includingour residential and kennel buildings. We also held guide dog trainingdemonstrations throughout the day andhad many of our guide dogs and guidedogs in training on-site. Doors OpenOttawa takes place every year on thefirst weekend of June. �

Show Us Your Heart at Global Pet FoodsFor a third consecutive year, the Global Pet Foodsstore at 3191 Strandherd Drive in Barrhaven (Ottawa,Ontario) selected Canadian Guide Dogs for the Blindas their charity of choice for the “Show Us Your Heart”Campaign. Global Pet Foods and a national dog foodcompany matched every $1 donation and held otherin-store contests, events and promotions. This is anational campaign by Global Pet Foods helping variousanimal shelters. The Barrhaven location receivedspecial permission from their head office to forgocollecting for a shelter, and instead collected funds forCanadian Guide Dogs for the Blind. Global Pet FoodsBarrhaven is located just 6-kms from the NationalTraining Centre of Canadian Guide Dogs for the Blind.Pictured are staff from Global Pet Foods: MatthewHiggs (left) and Shaylan Johnston (right); presentingproceeds to Canadian Guide Dogs for the Blindvolunteer, Diane Lyon (centre). The dogs are guidedogs in training Georgia (black) and Tesla (yellow). �

Merivale Optometric Centre“Trunk Show”

Merivale Optometric Centre in Ottawahosted their 4th annual “Trunk Show” on May 12, 2016. The evening featuredcomplimentary food and drink and a largeselection of men’s and women’s glasses atexclusive discounts, including many highend and fashion brands. A couple of ourpups were on hand too, including Tesla, asproceeds from the evening benefitedCanadian Guide Dogs for the Blind. �

Dining in the DarkDining in the Dark at Chances R Restaurantin Ottawa was as much fun as ever onMay 16, 2016. The 7th annual event soldout very quickly. The evening featureslive music and drinks on the patio beforebeing blindfolded and entering into theblacked-out restaurant for a four coursemeal in the dark. The Chances R staff alldonate their time for the evening and therestaurant has been kind enough tocontinue to support Canadian Guide Dogsfor the Blind through this amazing event.Sign up for the restaurant’s email blast tobe the first to know about the 2017 event;www.chancesr.ca. �

Canadian Guide Dogs for the Blind Events. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

CGDB Open Tour DayFor those who missed Doors Open Ottawain June, we offered a second opportunitythis summer to visit and tour our NationalTraining Centre on July 28, 2016. The dayprior, we had a visit from Sarah Freemarkand crew from CTV Morning Live topromote the event. Shown here is Sarah(left) with Laraine Locklin, CGDB GuideDog Mobility Instructor (centre), followingSarah’s blindfold walk with black LabAlbert. Well done Sarah! It was funhaving you. �

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Ottawa New Horizons Jazz ConcertIt was a fantastic night of jazz music on June 10, 2016. Under thedirection of Brian Asselin, Ottawa New Horizons Jazz Band hosted theirthird annual concert as a fundraiser for Canadian Guide Dogs for theBlind, at Orchard View Conference Centre in Ottawa. The amazing partis that every member of the band donates their time and talent to theevening. The event is organized by Manotick Veterinary Hospital, whichhas a close relationship with Canadian Guide Dogs for the Blind, andspecifically Tracy and Carol at the vet clinic. The band plays traditionalsongs and big band sounds, right up to current artists such as JustinTimberlake and Bruno Mars. Amazing! Pictured here is StevenDoucette, CGDB Events Coordinator, with pups Hyla and Tesla, and theOttawa New Horizons Jazz Band. �

Dollar$ for Dog$Our 32nd annual fundraising walk, Dollar$ for Dog$,took place on May 29, 2016. The event, always on thelast Sunday in May, is meant for everyone with a dogto come to Andrew Haydon Park in Ottawa for a dogsocial, 4-km walk, and bbq. Thanks to everyone whocame out to support us and join us for the greatmorning event, which raised $22,000 for CanadianGuide Dogs for the Blind. Special thanks to our majorsponsors: Smith Petrie Carr & Scott InsuranceBrokers Ltd.; Personal Touch Courier, StephenCampbell of M&M Food Markets Manotick; andJewel 98.5. Pictured are Jane Thornton, CanadianGuide Dogs for the Blind C.O.O. (left) with participantswho raised more than $1,000 each: (From left to right)Jean-Marc Chenier; Sheila Burvill; Lilo Volkmer; PamMiddleton; Anne Armitage. �

UK Day Garden Party & TeaIn the tradition of British high tea,Canadian Guide Dogs for the Blindhosted our annual UK Day GardenParty & Tea on Sunday, July 24, 2016.Scones, prepared by the Chef of theBritish High Commissioner toCanada, were served, along withimported English Double DevonCream, donated by Bakker’s GeneralStore, Manotick. The day also included Clarence & Cripps on-site, a Britishfoods and wares importer based in Hudson, Quebec. Live music wasprovided by KONTRAST the band. We even had a few British classicvehicles on display. Be sure to join us in 2017 for this annual event. �

Our dogs goeverywhereCanadian Guide Dogs for the Blind PuppyWalker Iain Main is pictured here withStanley, standing with three ceremonialguards at the entrance to Rideau Hall inApril 2016, before the preview screeningof Jean Daniel Lafond’s documentaryMichaëlle Jean, A Woman of Purpose.Since 1867, Rideau Hall has been theofficial residence and workplace of theGovernor General of Canada, and hasalso been described as “Canada’s house”. �

7-Eleven Canada supportsCanadian Guide Dogs for the BlindWednesday, April 27, 2016 was International Guide Dog Day. To help raise awarenessof guide and assistance dogs, 7-Eleven Canada joined forces with the CanadianAssociation of Guide & Assistance Dog Schools (CAGADS), of which Canadian GuideDogs for the Blind is a member. 7-Eleven Canada supported CAGADS throughoutApril by collecting customer coin box donations from all its stores across the country,and publicizing employee training and general awareness videos.

“Customer service is important to us and we’re always looking for ways to improve,”says Raj Kapoor, Vice President and General Manager, 7-Eleven Canada. “We see avalue in promoting awareness of guide and assistance dogs, both with ouremployees and the general public.”

Other components of the 7-Eleven Canada guide and assistance dogs campaignincluded in-store awareness posters, promoting CAGADS member fundraisinginitiatives via its social media channels and a media relations campaign.

To learn more about the Canadian Association of Guide & Assistance Dog Schoolsvisit www.cagads.com. �


Side by Side, Fall/Winter 2016, Volume 31, Number 26 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

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Duke III, a yellow Labrador retriever, wasborn in November 2014 and, shortlythereafter, was introduced to TheBernier Family. Tina Bernier, who marksten years of volunteering with CanadianGuide Dogs for the Blind in 2016, wasDuke’s puppy walker, responsible forraising him in her home, teaching basicobedience and socialization. “He isactually property of Canadian GuideDogs for the Blind. He was one of thepuppies in training, and lived with myfamily since he was nine weeks old”,says Tina.

When asked what it’s like being a puppywalker, Tina says, “It’s very rewarding.You get very attached because they’resuch a loveable breed. He has a reallybig heart. He’s a happy dog, and all hewants is some attention and to be ableto please you. He fit into our familyreally well. It’s a lot of work to do thetraining, but it’s really rewarding to see

them come so far. He had a workingjacket he wore when he went out.”

According to Tina, Duke knew when hewas working. “When his jacket was on,he knew there were differentexpectations. So, it was kind of funny tosee when he was in a situation with hisjacket on and people said, ‘He’s so calm,he’s just so down to earth and laid back’;and I said, ‘Yeah, wait until the jacket’soff and he’s at home because he’s kind ofa crazy, regular puppy’”.

Like fully-trained guide dogs, theyounger dogs in training are focused andignoring distractions while working. At home though, they are simply a dog.Obedience and good behaviour areexpected, but their life consists of bothworking, plus down time and play timeinside the home.

Tina says, “While walking on a leash, it’simportant for them to learn to have goodmanners. Walking on the road in theneighbourhood, he needed to be rightbeside me.” Guide dogs in trainingblossom from very young pups, gettinginto mischief, to mature adults ready tolead a person who is blind or visuallyimpaired safely from point A to point B.

Duke learned good behaviour and Tinatook him everywhere she went. Wearinghis jacket, which identified him as aguide dog in training, Duke went todoctor’s appointments, fitness classes,

and many other places Tina frequented.While she was occupied, Duke just hungaround and waited, showing tremendouspatience and calmness which most petdogs could not exhibit. “He knew thatwas his time to be near me”, says Tina.“He had to pay attention to me, which iswhy I asked people not to pet the dogwhen the jacket is on and take hisattention away.”

At times, during training, occasional andplanned distraction can be a good thingthough. Tina says, “He had to learn thatwhen the jacket is on there are going tobe distractions around him and he had toavoid that. He could certainly lookaround, but he could not try to pull andgo meet people.”

Tina met with the Puppy WalkingSupervisor from Canadian Guide Dogsfor the Blind approximately once permonth and did the homework she wasgiven. She and Duke also attendedweekly obedience classes provided bythe organization. “This really helps youdevelop your confidence as well as thedog’s confidence”, Tina says. “In the endyou are giving back to the community ina way that’s really tangible, and that, forme, was really important when my kidswere young. They were able to giveback, to learn how to be selfless in atangible way; like raising a dog, and thenpassing them on to do a job that theywere born to do.” �

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Side by Side, Fall/Winter 2016, Volume 31, Number 2 7

Client Profile – Darlene Wournell

Darlene Wournell was eight years old when she started losingsight in her left eye. At first, the doctor thought it was “lazyeye”. Her vision was totally gone in the left eye by age elevenwhen a tumor was discovered.

Darlene underwent surgery at age seventeen and the tumourwas removed. However, Darlene became quite sick after thesurgery and, incredibly, another tumor was found on her rightoptic nerve at the age of nineteen. It was a Meningiomatumor. These are rare benign tumors of the optic nerve, morecommon in adults, but rarely seen in children. The doctorthought he could salvage some vision by it, but Darleneremembers the date of January 10, 1995 as the day she had novision at all. This was in her final year of high school.

All of this sounds like a lot for a teenager to have to deal with.However, Darlene says, “I could feel sorry for myself or moveon with life and make something of it”. Darlene has a positiveattitude and was also a keen learner. Having fallen behind inschool due to her circumstances, she focused on learning newthings such as Braille, using computers with speaking andvoice recognition capabilities, and walking with a White Cane.Darlene didn’t know anyone else who was blind at that time,so it was a challenge learning all of this. Her positive attitudewas a great motivator.

Darlene says, “I didn’t want to be depressed. I didn’t wantanyone else to be depressed about it either, so I had toencourage others to ‘get over it’.” She continued hereducation at a school for the blind. She was able to pursueher formal education there while, at the same time, learnthings such as daily and independent living skills to adapt toher visual impairment. She was able to return to graduate ather public school by age twenty-one.

Shortly thereafter, Darlene started training with her first guidedog. She applied to Canadian Guide Dogs for the Blind (CGDB)based on a friend’s experience with her dog. Darlene waspetrified at the idea of leaving her home and traveling to theNational Training Centre of CGDB for training. Her fear turnedto comfort after arriving. Darlene says, “The staff was verywelcoming and accommodating. I felt very comfortable”. Shewas one of eight to graduate from her class before headinghome to Halifax with her new guide dog “Annie”. Annieprovided Darlene with more independence. “I could go outwithout relying on someone. I could just go on my own”, saysDarlene. “I could travel most places where and when I wantedto. Annie would navigate malls, crowds, obstacles, and couldtravel on buses and airplanes”. Darlene also had oneexperience with Annie that she still remembers vividly. Shewas ready to cross a four-way intersection when Anniestopped and put her two front paws on Darlene’s chestknocking her back. A car had sped through the intersectionwithout stopping. Darlene says, “Annie saved my life”. Inreality, Annie saved two lives that day, as Darlene waspregnant with her son at that time, on the way to a doctor’sappointment.

Upon Annie’s retirement, Darlene would return to CanadianGuide Dogs for the Blind for another guide dog. Her seconddog was “Orwell”. Darlene was much less stressed headingback to the Training Centre. She knew what to expect and thefear of the unknown was no longer prevalent. In 2011, Darlenereceived “Oreo”, her third guide dog. During that trainingsession, Darlene commented, “It’s like coming back home”.This is a far cry from the fear preceding her first time severalyears prior. But, like everything else in life, Darlene’s ability toadapt comes forward and her positive attitude shines throughlike a beautiful sunset on a red sand beach on Prince EdwardIsland. Darlene moved from Halifax and now resides in a smalltown on Prince Edward Island with her fourth guide dog,Jacques, whom she received in July 2016. �

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Children 12 and younger can print our colouringcontest sheet from our website at www.guidedogs.ca.Send it to us for the chance to win a terrific prize. Prizes are awarded every three months.

Some children continue to select Canadian GuideDogs for the Blind for “Project Give Back”.

Founded in 1915, ElmwoodSchool is an independent dayschool for girls, located inRockcliffe Park in Ottawa,Elmwood students are dividedinto four Houses, each namedafter a prominent andinspirational woman in history.2016 marks the 23rd consecutiveyear that Keller House haschosen Canadian Guide Dogsfor the Blind as the beneficiaryof their annual fundraiser. This year’s “Keller Cookout”occurred on May 4, 2016. EmilyWright,head of Keller House,organized the event (photo, left,on the left), pictured here withher pet dog and ElmwoodHeadmistress, Cheryl Boughton(photo, left, on the right). �

My name is Talia and I

am a grade four student

at Associated Hebrew

School. I was assigned

a project to teach my

class about a charity

that has touched my

heart … I believe when

I get older I should raise

more money. Learning

about your charity was

a great opportunity.

I learned so much.

Thank you. �

My name is Greg. I am a grade fivestudent. I havelearned that dogs canhelp the world andmake it a better placefor blind people. Thank you for givingblind people a chanceto live the proper lifewith a very helpfulguide dog. �

Stacy Bleeks an

d his

guide dog Luna p

aid a visit

to A Gym Tale in t

he

Ottawa neighbo

urhood of

Barrhaven durin

g their 2016

spring break pro

gram to

educate children

about

Canadian Guide

Dogs for

the Blind. �

Kudos to Andrew Coxall, a student at St. Francis Xavier High School in Ottawa.In lieu of birthday gifts, Andrew collectedmoney for his birthday, which he donatedto Canadian Guide Dogs for the Blind. It was the second year he did this and hehas raised $600 to date, which has beenused to purchase dog crates. To show ourappreciation, Christine Duport-Switzer andher guide dog Erie paid a visit to Andrewand his grade seven religion class in June 2016. Pictured are Andrew’s teacher,Miss Milosek (left), Christine (centre) withErie, and Andrew. Thank you Andrew! �

Dear Canadian Guide Dogs for the Blind:

Obituaries andGuide Dog Memorial TributesObituaries and Guide Dog Memorial Tributes may be submitted to Canadian Guide Dogs for the Blind, 4120 Rideau Valley DriveNorth, PO Box 280, Manotick, ON, K4M 1A3; or by email to [email protected]. Only submitted tributes are published.

Adele DubrofskyAdele was a wonderful lady with a terrific spirit. Adele was a long-time client of Canadian Guide Dogs for the Blind. Her last guidedog was a spunky black Labrador retriever named Nina. We offer our condolences to Saul, Adele’s husband of forty-four years, andher entire family.Deborah McLarenDeb found peace from her Multiple Sclerosis on April 27, 2016 with her husband of 40 years at her side. Deb was very grateful tohave her assistance dog Pippa from Canadian Guide Dogs for the Blind. We offer our condolences to Wayne and family.Georgie McCuaigIt is with great sadness that we notify you our dear friend Georgie McCuaig passed away peacefully on April 6, 2016, at age 99.Georgie lived life to its fullest until the end. Georgie was one of the first volunteers for Canadian Guide Dogs for the Blind, raisingpuppies in the formative stages of the organization. Georgie was also a past Board Member of Canadian Guide Dogs for the Blind.

KellyI am deeply saddened that my first guide dog Kelly passed away at the age of 15. Smart and funny, strong and loyal, cute as abutton but stubborn as a mule, you will be deeply missed by many. You were my very first guide dog and will always hold a veryspecial place in my heart. Thank you for giving me wonderful memories and for being a great part of my life.Love always, your master Daniel, your grand-parents Denise & Henri and the rest of your familyUrekaUreka passed away in September 2016 after a very long and happy life. Ureka was the retired guide dog of the late Joyce Patterson(my Mom), and I had the chance to enjoy her for a few years as my dog upon her retirement. She will be greatly missed. Diana Noriel

“Fall Flashback”…..In honour of Georgie McCuaig, we flashback to an article published in the Ottawa Citizen on December 1, 1986,written by Marjorie Gillies, Ottawa Citizen Staff Writer:Don’t expect to contact Georgie McCuaig by phone after 9 in the morning or before 7 at night. She’s too busytramping the fields surrounding her Manotick Station home with a couple of frisky pups.Retired from a long career with the communications branch of the National Research Council, McCuaig is one of25 puppy walkers participating in a special Canadian Guide Dogs for the Blind program. And she loves it. “I hatebeing cooped up in a house,” says the sprightly 70-year-old McCuaig. To ensure that seniors participating in the program aren’t put to any extra expense, Canadian Guide Dogs suppliesall the food the puppies eat and pays all the veterinary bills.Only freezing rain keeps McCuaig and her puppies indoors. And even then she’ll don extra warm clothes and taketime to exercise and play with the pups in her sheltered carport to make sure they are in prime condition whenthey leave for the student centre in Gloucester where blind residents and adult dogs are teamed up for a 28-daytraining period.

A lifelong dog lover, McCuaig has her own techniques for training puppies while still keeping to the rules about schooling potential guidedogs to walk slightly in front of and to the left of the handler with a slight tension on the leash. She’s successfully housebroken everydog she’s trained within two weeks, some within five days.Voice control is the secret. “Dogs really don’t understand language,” she says. “They understand tone of voice and associate behaviourwith soft and angry sounding words. Quality and sincerity are essential ingredients in voice control.” She also prevents the pups fromdeveloping bad habits. They don’t fight with other dogs, chase squirrels, birds or cars. “You’re never off duty,” McCuaig says. “But intime you can learn dog psychology and can figure out exactly what they’re thinking.”“Saying goodbye to a 14-month-old dog you’ve spent hours of love and care on is not an easy process,” says McCuaig, who comparesthe experience to the way foster parents must feel when a child they have brought up leaves their home. “But as long as a person wantsto be part of the program, there’s always a new puppy to replace the loss and find a way into your heart.”

Editor’s note:At the time this article was published in 1986, Canadian Guide Dogs for the Blind had trained twenty guide dog teams from three provinces. We now have more than 800 graduates and dogs working in all ten provinces and one Canadian territory. The organization had 33 puppy walkers inDecember 1986. At the time of this publication, that number is now at 75. Canadian Guide Dogs for the Blind has grown substantially since its’founding. Canadian Guide Dogs for the Blind started in Gloucester, Ontario, in the south end of Ottawa, in 1984. It was in 1988, when the NationalTraining Centre opened in Manotick, Ontario (also in Ottawa), a building which still serves as the home of Canadian Guide Dogs for the Blind.Many things in the Puppy Walking Program have changed, but the premise stays the same. The idea is to raise a puppy, teaching basic obedienceand socialization, so that the dog can later return to Canadian Guide Dogs for the Blind ready to enter into formal guide dog training. Georgie McCuaigwas one of our first puppy walkers, answering an ad calling for local volunteers. She was a true ambassador for Canadian Guide Dogs for the Blinduntil she passed away in her one-hundredth year. �

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The Newsletter of Canadian Guide Dogs for the Blind4120 Rideau Valley Drive NorthP.O. Box 280Manotick, Ontario K4M 1A3Tel: (613) 692-7777Fax: (613) 692-0650

To:

Electronic version available online.Registered Charity # 10684 6819 RR0001E-Mail: [email protected] Site: www.guidedogs.ca

Christmas Cards

The inscription reads:Season’s GreetingsMeilleurs voeux

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by - guidedogs.ca by Side Fall Winter 2016.pdf · Manager, Dylan Grant, with guide dog in training...

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