dogs in training
NSD Fenelon
Fenelon is currently with her adult raiser. She has started University and goes to NSD for training 5 days a week. When not at NSD, she learns how to settle, cuddle and continue to be a welcomed member of the community. This training will help prepare her to be matched with her client.
Woof! Woof!
(Hello!)
Breed: Labrador Retriever
Gender: Female
Date of Birth: July 19, 2022
Sire: NSD ReMax
Dam: NSD Jan
Litter: E Litter
Puppy Sponsor: Ann Jefferies and John Speller
Volunteer Team: Morgan Ellis & Julie MacCuish, Courtney Carne, Linda Zettel
Fund My TrainingSponser Future NSD Puppies
Help Our Service Dogs Change Lives
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At NSD, we do not receive any government funding to support our mission. Instead, we rely entirely on the generous support of individual donors, community partners, corporate sponsors, service clubs, and through annual fundraising events.
Help us empower people to achieve their full potential. Show your support and donate today.
Volunteer
NSD would not exist without the tireless efforts of our dedicated volunteers. Their commitment to our mission and the individuals we serve is truly inspiring, and we are honoured to have them as part of our family.
If you are interested in joining our outstanding team of volunteers, we encourage you to submit an application.
Fenelon's Updates
October 2022
Fenelon has settled into our home extremely well. She has a very strong desire to work and learn but is also a goofball at heart and will easily make you laugh or bring a smile to your face. She is very smart and picks up new skills fairly quickly. She has amazing impulse control, loose leash walking and focus even while in busy environments.
January 2023
Fenelon is so smart and loves to learn. She is progressing very well with her training and picks up new skills very fast. She has settled in very well to the routine of attending university classes with me everyday. She does amazing loose leash walking and keeping her focus on me in large crowds and is also great at settling during my university lectures.
April 2023
Fenelon has recently finished grade school and we are excited to attend her first high school class. Fenelon has had many adventures the past couple of months like hockey games, the airport and going to the movie theatre. We have been working on not getting excited when she sees other dogs and she has made great strides in the past few weeks. Can’t wait to see what the future hold for this amazing girl.
July 2023
Fenelon is celebrating her first birthday!!! She has come so far during her time with me and has matured into a very well behaved and even tempered dog. Nothing seems to faze this girl and she is rocking all of her public outings. She is also doing very well with all her new skills that she’s learning during high school classes like back up and stand. This little girl loves to learn and is always willing to give you 110%. She will soon be taking some big steps in her journey and moving on to her adult raiser so I am definitely soaking up every moment of the next couple months with her.
December 2023
Fenelon has been actively learning at University. They have been learning resiliency with their basic obedience; settling in the kennel, heeling, food refusal and dog distraction. They have also been working hard and learning expectations with handler transfers. The training team is excited to continue to build on these excellent foundation behaviours, by helping Fenelon transfer these skills into the community. Fenelon is a very enthusiastic learner. She excels at perch pot skills and can move her back end smoothly in both directions.
Everything You Need to Know
Training
Volunteer
Apply
The flow of dogs through NSD’s Programs takes 0-2 years as follows:
- Step 1: Breeding Program
- Step 2: Volunteer Raiser Programs
- Step 3: Behavioural Assessments
- Step 4: University/College
- Step 5: Placement
The tireless efforts of our clients, staff, and volunteers allow our dogs in training to succeed, with social workers and mental health professionals present to ensure our entire process stays people-centric. After about 2 years of training and assessment, our NSD graduates are successfully placed in a client’s home.
Become a Puppy Raiser
Help raise a puppy into a life-changing Service Dog by providing love, training, and socialization until they are 14-16 months old.
Become an Adult Raiser
Help facilitate training and care for a Service Dog until they find their forever family. Polish the dog’s current skills and manners and test their abilities with a new handler as they enter a new environment.
Become a Carpool Driver
Transport Service Dogs with your car to their weekday training sessions. This volunteer role involves picking up NSD University/College dogs from their Adult Raiser’s home and bringing them to training in Kitchener/Cambridge.
Several factors determine the cost of a Service Dog.
Over their eight to ten year working life, Service Dogs are valued up to $50,000. However, each dog is provided free of charge to approved clients. All food and veterinary costs are borne by the client once the dog has been placed.
NSD receives no government funding and relies entirely on donations from the general public, corporate sponsors, fundraising events, and community supporters. We also host third-party fundraisers in support of our working dog teams.
Applications are on a referral basis. Please visit our program pages for more information.