Healthy Communities • Y Stories • YMCA Health and Fitness
How the Y is raising the next generation of dog guides
25 April 2018 - by Nicole Meredith
One of my latest assignments for “work” was to hang out with adorable 3-month-old puppy Thea, and learn how the Scarborough YMCA community is helping prepare her for her future as a dog guide (talk about #joblove!).
As I followed Thea and her foster mom (and Scarborough Y staff team member), Bev, around the Y during their usual weekly training routine, I quickly learned about the important job Thea will have when she grows up. In a year or so, she’ll start her extensive formal training with Canada Guide Dogs, who will decide whether she’s best suited to provide support for someone who is visually impaired or hard of hearing, or someone living with autism, epilepsy, or diabetes. So, this pup has some important responsibilities to fulfill in her near future, and she’s relying on Bev and the rest of the Scarborough Y family to help her get there.
The Y’s role in Thea’s training routine
It’s easy to see why the Y is the perfect place for Thea’s early training. The spacious facilities give her plenty of practice walking calmly and gently, and she’s diligently trying to get the hang of the many stairs in this building. (I’m told the typical puppy practice of bounding down the last steps two at a time is a big no-no.) And with a bustling front desk, music playing in the workout studios, and parents ushering their kids to and from lessons, Thea’s certainly becoming well-versed in following commands amidst a bit of noisy chaos.
Most importantly, though, being at the Y helps this puppy-in-training with her social skills. Hundreds of people pass through our doors every day, and it’s immediately clear to me that no two engage with Thea in the same way. That means she has plenty of opportunities to learn how to interact with people in a huge variety of social situations. One minute she’s rushing around the conditioning room, tugging on her leash in excitement as she encounters one grinning treadmill runner after another, and the next, a new member is asking Bev all kinds of questions that Thea needs to patiently let her answer. It’s worth the wait, though: after she “helps” Bev set the new member up to observe an AquaFit class, Thea’s rewarded with a treat for her assistance with another successful consultation.
Bev’s impressive track record
Thea’s foster mom, Bev, has worked at the Y for 32 years now. In addition to her role as the Scarborough YMCA’s Aquatics Health Educator, Bev has several years of volunteering under her belt. Thea’s not even the first puppy-in-training she’s fostered: “Between my family and my coworkers here at the Scarborough YMCA, we’ve raised two dog guides and are now on our third,” she tells me.
These dog guides make all kinds of contributions to thousands of people, but as an aquatics staff, Bev has some insider knowledge into a few examples of the incredible difference they make. “Some kids have dog guides who help them go swimming at the Y,” she explains. “Purely because they have their dog guides, these kids with disabilities can come in to the pool area, go swimming, and then get changed afterwards all by themselves. It may not sound like a big deal, but for someone who needs their parent or guardian with them at all times, the sense of independence a dog guide can provide is huge.”
One of Bev’s earlier foster puppies, Easton, is now serving as a dog guide for someone who’s visually impaired. He’s living in B.C., so Bev doesn’t know his “forever person,” but through her connections with Canada Guide Dogs and other foster parents, she’s heard countless stories about the ways these dogs make a difference. “One woman said people used to see her cane and jump out of the way. But once she got her dog guide, people would start talking to her about how beautiful and well-behaved he was. And because this woman relies on her hearing a good deal, she said these conversations totally opened up her world — her social life grew so much.”
Bev says she was originally a bit hesitant about fostering, only because she knew she’d have to give each puppy up eventually. “But it wasn’t as hard as I thought it would be,” she reflects. “You get to see them with their forever person, and you see how special all of this is. You come to understand how big of an effect these dog guides have on people’s lives — how much of a change they’re making. And to know that I had even a small part in that is just so rewarding.”
Thea’s very first contribution to her community
Even though she’s still in training, Thea was eager to start helping others right away. Last month, she joined forces with hundreds of Megathon champs to raise money that helps kids, youth, and families access the YMCA’s health-promoting programs. Because she’s still learning her behaviour basics — including how to walk calmly and gently while following commands — Thea spent Megathon diligently practicing on the treadmill. It was her very first act of community service in what promises to be a lifetime of helping others.
As I followed Thea and her foster mom (and Scarborough Y staff team member), Bev, around the Y during their usual weekly training routine, I quickly learned about the important job Thea will have when she grows up. In a year or so, she’ll start her extensive formal training with Canada Guide Dogs, who will decide whether she’s best suited to provide support for someone who is visually impaired or hard of hearing, or someone living with autism, epilepsy, or diabetes. So, this pup has some important responsibilities to fulfill in her near future, and she’s relying on Bev and the rest of the Scarborough Y family to help her get there.
The Y’s role in Thea’s training routine
It’s easy to see why the Y is the perfect place for Thea’s early training. The spacious facilities give her plenty of practice walking calmly and gently, and she’s diligently trying to get the hang of the many stairs in this building. (I’m told the typical puppy practice of bounding down the last steps two at a time is a big no-no.) And with a bustling front desk, music playing in the workout studios, and parents ushering their kids to and from lessons, Thea’s certainly becoming well-versed in following commands amidst a bit of noisy chaos.
Most importantly, though, being at the Y helps this puppy-in-training with her social skills. Hundreds of people pass through our doors every day, and it’s immediately clear to me that no two engage with Thea in the same way. That means she has plenty of opportunities to learn how to interact with people in a huge variety of social situations. One minute she’s rushing around the conditioning room, tugging on her leash in excitement as she encounters one grinning treadmill runner after another, and the next, a new member is asking Bev all kinds of questions that Thea needs to patiently let her answer. It’s worth the wait, though: after she “helps” Bev set the new member up to observe an AquaFit class, Thea’s rewarded with a treat for her assistance with another successful consultation.
Bev’s impressive track record
Thea’s foster mom, Bev, has worked at the Y for 32 years now. In addition to her role as the Scarborough YMCA’s Aquatics Health Educator, Bev has several years of volunteering under her belt. Thea’s not even the first puppy-in-training she’s fostered: “Between my family and my coworkers here at the Scarborough YMCA, we’ve raised two dog guides and are now on our third,” she tells me.
These dog guides make all kinds of contributions to thousands of people, but as an aquatics staff, Bev has some insider knowledge into a few examples of the incredible difference they make. “Some kids have dog guides who help them go swimming at the Y,” she explains. “Purely because they have their dog guides, these kids with disabilities can come in to the pool area, go swimming, and then get changed afterwards all by themselves. It may not sound like a big deal, but for someone who needs their parent or guardian with them at all times, the sense of independence a dog guide can provide is huge.”
One of Bev’s earlier foster puppies, Easton, is now serving as a dog guide for someone who’s visually impaired. He’s living in B.C., so Bev doesn’t know his “forever person,” but through her connections with Canada Guide Dogs and other foster parents, she’s heard countless stories about the ways these dogs make a difference. “One woman said people used to see her cane and jump out of the way. But once she got her dog guide, people would start talking to her about how beautiful and well-behaved he was. And because this woman relies on her hearing a good deal, she said these conversations totally opened up her world — her social life grew so much.”
Bev says she was originally a bit hesitant about fostering, only because she knew she’d have to give each puppy up eventually. “But it wasn’t as hard as I thought it would be,” she reflects. “You get to see them with their forever person, and you see how special all of this is. You come to understand how big of an effect these dog guides have on people’s lives — how much of a change they’re making. And to know that I had even a small part in that is just so rewarding.”
Thea’s very first contribution to her community
Even though she’s still in training, Thea was eager to start helping others right away. Last month, she joined forces with hundreds of Megathon champs to raise money that helps kids, youth, and families access the YMCA’s health-promoting programs. Because she’s still learning her behaviour basics — including how to walk calmly and gently while following commands — Thea spent Megathon diligently practicing on the treadmill. It was her very first act of community service in what promises to be a lifetime of helping others.
