Bruce listening to Nancy’s talk

Nancy Klinger is not an ordinary dog owner—she takes her dog to movies, shopping centres, and on buses.  She makes sure that Bruce gets as much human interaction as he can and is comfortable in just about any situation so that he can do his job well when the time comes to go to work.

You may have seen them out and about because they live in Craig Bay.

Bruce is a guide dog in training.  He’ll have about 15 months with Nancy and then he’ll go for intense training with BC Guide Dog Services before he is adopted by a blind or autistic individual.

Nancy Klinger

Through Nancy’s slides and stories at the April meeting, members learned of the rigorous education that service dogs undergo – first with their “puppy-raisers” (like Nancy) and then with Guide Dog Mobility Instructors after about the age of 15 months.

The black Labrador retriever gave a very convincing demonstration of how well his education is going. Despite the fact that over 50 people were milling around the room, Bruce was unfazed.  Neither new faces nor strange voices bothered him – he even took a short nap.

Thanks to Nancy and Bruce, those present now have an appreciation for the hard work and dedication they each give to their respective jobs.  The reward for both is love.