Our Puppies

Pacific Assistance Dogs couldn't change lives without starting with adorable little puppies. According to a survey done by Statistics Canada in 2001, over 1.6 million people living in Canada require and use assistive aids to help manage their disabilities. Of those, 30% are using some kind of aid but need more to make their lives easier. PADS believes that Assistance Dogs can be one of those critical aids.

Potential Assistance Dogs are chosen for their intelligence, health and willingness to work, then they require two years of nurturing and training before they can be placed with a client! To this end, PADS seeks out volunteers to be puppy-raisers & puppy-sitters, to provide love and guidance in the first year of their puppies' lives.

Socialization
Puppy-raisers keep their charges with them 24/7, all day, every day. Because there is no way of knowing exactly what kind of job the dog will eventually have, puppies must be exposed to as many different human situations as possible when they are young. They go to work with their puppy-raisers to learn the patience needed for human employment. They travel on every mode of transportation possible, to learn how to settle at a person's feet in a taxi, or a bus, or an airplane. They shop regularly with their raisers to learn that the meat counter in a grocery store, or the stuffies lined up so neatly in a toy aisle, are not provided for their personal enjoyment. They learn how to meet and greet people politely and with reserved interest, so that when they are eventually teamed with a client, they will know how to be steady and supportive at the client's side. At the same time, the puppies are grounded in basic obedience skills by their puppy-raisers. PADS staff supports raisers and their puppies, throughout this process.

Playtime
Amidst all the serious socialization and training are wonderful opportunities for exploring the world with the puppies. Romping in the snow, playtime with other puppies, learning how to swim, or meeting a kitten for the first time are all fun experiences to share. Puppy-raisers soon realize that having a pup who needs to experience what the world has to offer, is great motivation for going to the zoo or taking a day trip to the mountains for a gondola ride.

Advanced Training
Once the puppy has matured sufficiently, PADS puppies return to the PADS Burnaby Campus. They spend a couple of weeks going through intensive assessment for temperament, health and trainability. Once they pass this assessment they will be assigned to one of PADS' professional Instructors to learn their amazing skills.