dogs in training

NSD Maverick

Maverick is currently with her puppy raiser. She is being taught a foundation of house manners and cues, for becoming a well-socialized part of the community.

Woof! Woof!

(Hello!)

Breed: Lab x Golden Retriever

Gender: Female

Date of Birth: April 26, 2023

Sire: SSD Tico

Dam: NSD Luna

Litter: M Litter

Puppy Sponsor: Trigger Industries

Volunteer Team: Dave Clarke, Karen Ravenscroft

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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.

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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.

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Maverick's Updates

July 2023

Maverick is a fearless and feisty puppy with a lot of confidence and picks up new skills very quickly but does tend to want to be distracted easily in class by the other friends. A great milestone for Maverick is that she is good with her bathroom skills and with the cue “hurry up”. She has been accident free for 5 straight days. Maverick has her bedtime routine solid so after her final potty break she heads straight upstairs to her crate where she there is a handful of kibble. She sleeps through the night and doesn’t cry or bark in her crate. Currently working on not chewing my slippers particularly while I am wearing them! Also if she jumps up we are turning our backs on her and then reward if she stops and sits.

October 2023

Maverick is very attentive and quick to learn. Her loose leash walking is excellent when we walk in the neighbourhood or when I take her to Walmart or similar outings. She is working hard on trying to keep focus while near her classmates. Her bathroom habits are great and there are has been no accidents for over a month. She is wonderful on car journeys and happily settles in her crate, always doing great overnight. Maverick did very well on Halloween when meeting trick or treaters from behind a gate. We are continuing to try and work on improving her excitable moments during meet and greets, as well as her demand vocalization.

January 2024

Maverick continues to pick up new skills very quickly and has recently mastered ‘Under’, ‘Chin’ and ‘Step’. She is great travelling in the car even on our drives to Sudbury and is well behaved when we leave her outside the crate with open access as she mostly choses to stay in her kennel. She is extremely tolerant of all the attention given to her by our 6 year old granddaughter. During public outings Maverick is well behaved for the most part but is still working on not barking when I am at the checkout. She is very confident and nothing really phases her but her excitability around her classmates, although improving, continues to be worked on with additional settling practice!

April 2024

Maverick has matured a lot in the last month and has been working really hard on remaining calm during her meet and greets and she is very tolerant of the enthusiastic attention from my 7 year old granddaughter when she visits. Once she has her gentle leader and jacket on she automatically goes in to work mode and is well behaved in public whether it be in the grocery store, Tim Horton’s, Costco or Home Depot. Maverick is a very confident and curious dog and never seems to be fazed by new challenges. Recently when we went to a hockey arena and she was not scared by the Zamboni or the sound of the pucks hitting the boards and also had no issue with metal bridges or bikes whizzing by on walks along the Grand River.

Everything You Need to Know

Training

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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.

future NSD companions

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