B.C. & Alberta Guide Dogs said it is severely short of volunteer puppy raisers, as more than a dozen pups took part in unusual training exercises in Vancouver on Tuesday. The organization brought Labrador Retrievers from its puppy-raising program for a horse-drawn carriage ride through Stanley Park. The outing is designed to help the puppies build social skills and get used to new scents and experiences they might encounter as working guide dogs. “They go everywhere with the humans, and we don’t know what that’s going to look like,” said Matthias Lenz, director of puppy development. “They might encounter horses; they might go on a horse carriage ride.” This is the second year the organization has teamed up with Stanley Park Horse Drawn Tours to train the dogs. “You almost get to do something that is very unusual,” said operator Gerry O’Neil. “It’s a good refresher for the horses too.” BC & Alberta Guide Dogs says it takes about two years and upwards of $35,000 to produce a certified guide dog, which is provided free of charge to recipients. But money isn’t the only challenge. The organization says volunteer puppy raisers are an essential part of getting the dogs through their training, and ultimately into their roles as guide dogs.
