Winnipeg Volunteers Train Puppies for CNIB Guide Dog Program

Volunteers in Winnipeg are playing a vital role in training puppies for the Canadian National Institute for the Blind (CNIB) guide dog program. Among them is Suzanne Ullyot, who is currently fostering her sixth puppy, a Labrador retriever named Fred. Ullyot began her volunteer work in 2018 and finds joy in helping these puppies develop into future guide dogs.

Fred is just eight weeks old and is already learning essential commands. “He’ll be six months old at the end of December, and he is lovely,” Ullyot shared. As a daily companion, Fred accompanies Ullyot on various outings, and she appreciates his growing ability to behave in public spaces. “It’s lovely to go someplace with them and know that you can trust them to behave,” she noted, highlighting the trust she has in her training.

The CNIB program places these puppies with volunteers like Ullyot, who are responsible for teaching house manners, toilet training, and obedience. After spending approximately 12 to 15 months with their foster families, the puppies will move to the CNIB canine campus in Ottawa for further training. According to Hannah Crawford, a puppy development trainer with CNIB, this additional training lasts about six to eight months before the dogs can be matched with clients across Canada who have sight loss.

Crawford emphasized the increasing demand for guide dogs, stating, “The more dogs we can raise in our puppy development programs across Canada, the more dogs we can get through to our canine campus and the more dogs that we can get out into the community.” Currently, there are approximately 25 to 30 volunteers in Winnipeg involved in this initiative.

One of the program’s success stories is Tracy Garbutt, who was matched with a brindle Labrador retriever named Marion in 2019. Garbutt now serves as the program lead for client relations in CNIB’s ambassador dog program. He underscored the importance of their bond, saying, “You’re putting your trust in her to make those decisions, and, you know, it’s not always 100 percent but nine times out of ten, she’s right.”

Garbutt also highlighted the ongoing need for more volunteers to support the guide dog program, which has successfully matched over 100 individuals across Canada since its inception in 2017. “They do such an amazing job, and we could not do it without them,” he stated.

Ullyot, reflecting on her experience, affirmed the value of volunteering despite knowing that Fred will eventually move on. “They make you laugh every day,” she said. “They try so hard to do the right thing, and I love watching them not being able to do something one week, and then two weeks later, all of a sudden, they get it.”

The commitment of volunteers like Ullyot and Garbutt is essential for the success of the CNIB guide dog program. As demand continues to rise, their efforts will help ensure that more individuals with sight loss can benefit from the companionship and assistance that guide dogs provide.