Breeders
NSD Leia
Woof! Woof!
(Hello!)
Breed: Lab x Golden Retriever
Gender: Female
Date of Birth: May 23, 2021
Sire: WCC Guy
Dam: NSD Luna
Litter: T Litter
Breeder Sponsor: Glenn Reed and Theresa McKenzie
Volunteer Team: Dave Clarke, Heather Thompson, Emma Bluhm, Hope MacDougall & Jody Anderson, Sharnid Yao, Peggy & Warren Bennett, Larry & Daphne McNutt
Sponser Future NSD Puppies
Help Our Service Dogs Change Lives
Donate
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.
Leia's Updates
August 2021
Leia is very sweet and playful. She is working on paw handling, walking on leash, and learning her name! She loves learning and training and will do anything for food! She sleeps through the night now and loves to play with her stuffed toys when she’s up!
November 2021
Leia is a huge cuddle bug and has a spunky but super sweet personality! We are working hard on going out in public and exposing her to new things. Leia is making great progress on her “stay” command. We have now started to leave the room that she is “staying” in and she’s doing fantastic at that! She is an awesome pup to raise.
March 2022
Leia is very smart and picks up on training cues very easily. She is super cuddly and will take any chance she gets to cuddle with her humans. She is amazing with her two cat brothers and they have really become friends. Leia has an extremely sweet but spunky personality which makes her a really awesome and fun dog to raise! We have been really building on her “mat” skills as well as her “leave its” and she’s doing really well on those. We are also working hard on keeping calmer when people come through the door and ignoring them when outside. She is doing amazing in her jacket and at restaurants, she will hold her down stay the entire time and ignore everything around her!
May 2022
Leia is a year old! She is a very sweet girl who loves to work. She is working on perfecting all her skills and has learned a few new ones including back, touch and stand.
October 2022
We are pleased to welcome Leia into our breeding program!
December 2022
Leia welcomed the J litter on December 12th with NSD Ranger. There was 2 females and 1 male in the litter.
August 2023
Leia welcomed 5 healthy puppies on August 20th with DGC Calder. There are 2 boys and 3 girls in the litter. They will be the P litter.
Everything You Need to Know
Program
Health Clearances
Volunteer
Ensuring Access to Quality Dogs
Since 2019, NSD has been a member of the Assistance Dogs International Breeding Cooperative (IBC). As part of this partnership, NSD also utilizes and is a member of the International Working Dog Registry (IWDR).
All IBC members track their dog’s health, training and placement data through the database across the life of the dog. This data informs our breeding decisions by allowing us to review in depth background information on a potential breeder’s:
- Year over year health; including the health of their siblings, parents and offspring
- Temperament testing and training assessments; including the number of puppies produced to successful deployment by them, their parents, siblings and offspring
- Placement ratios by program type (i.e Autism, PTSD, Hearing, Facility etc)
- Possible mates: using Estimated Breeding Values (EBVs), we can match dogs online to see their estimated production values for hip and elbow health, eye health, and genetic disorders
Breeder Health Clearances
- Annual eye exams with a board certified ophthalmologist (including post-retirement)
- Penn Hip screening with a certified Penn Hip veterinarian
- OFA Elbow screening
- Echocardiogram with a board certified cardiologist
- Genetic screening
- Breeding soundness exam with a reproduction veterinarian
- Temperament screening with qualified NSD training and breeding team members
Become a Breeder Caretaker
Provide a loving environment for a breeding dog in between litters. As a Breeder Caretaker, you get to help the next generation of Service Dogs begin their journey. In this role, you welcome a breeding dog into your home and provide a safe and loving environment in between litters. You bring the dog to all of their appointments and care for them until retirement from the breeding program; females typically retire after 4-5 litters or at 6 years old. Preferably, Breeder Caretakers for female dogs also welcome litters of puppies! With support from staff and our whelping program, you would host the litter of puppies for about 7 weeks. This includes keeping the puppies’ area clean and stimulating for both mom and her puppies. The main goal at this stage is to care for and socialize the puppies until they are ready to start training with their Puppy Raisers. As a Breeder Caretaker, you are the first step in raising confident Service Dogs. A volunteer must:
- have a flexible schedule
- live within 45 minutes of NSD (1286 Cedar Creek Rd)
- have no children under the age of 5 living in the house
- have a maximum of 2 dogs in their home that are over one year of age