About Tim

January 2011

Welcome to BC & Alberta Guide Dog Services Puppy Sponsorship Program!

We are very pleased to introduce you to our young Labrador Retriever X Golden Retriever puppy - Tim! We are certain you will enjoy supporting him through his training and final graduation – which should occur in the next 22 months or so. Your generous commitment is vital to providing blind or visually impaired persons improved availability of professionally trained guide dogs with increased levels of service and support from BC & Alberta Guide Dog Services.

Tim was born on the 21st of November 2010 along with his 1 brother, Zulu and I sister, Summer. Their parents are Gillie, a black Labrador Retriever and Tiller a Golden Retriever.

Tim has been placed in his carefully selected volunteer puppy raiser home in Qualicum Beach, BC where he will remain until he is about 16 months old. During this time, he will become familiar with crowds, elevators, escalators, construction, buses and sky trains and learn to stop and sit at every curb and stop light. Tim will learn to ring a bell that is hung at the back door to let the humans know he has to go outside. He will also be expected to wait for a whistle to be blown before he eats his dinner. This is all part of the early discipline training that is necessary for Tim to establish good habits from the start. Tim will wear a “BC Guide Dog Puppy in Training” jacket that allows him access to anywhere a human can go. As well, Tim will be required to attend obedience classes every two weeks where he will meet up with his siblings and the other puppies in training.

Tim has settled into his life with his new “human” family. His puppy raiser is a long time volunteer with BC Guide Dogs and Tim is her 6th dog. They own Qualicum Pet Food and Grooming so Tim is already having a number of new experiences and enjoying all the attention he is receiving from the customers.

We will keep you up to date with Tim’s progress by sending you regular updates. We hope your puppy; Tim will one day help a blind or visually impaired master or a family living with Autism meet life’s challenges. For your participation in this process - Thank You!

Sincerely,

Susan Robinson
Puppy Sponsorship Program