October 26, 2023
Editing and photos by Jens Odegaard 

Emmie Starchvick and Erin Nemivant, both second-year veterinary students at the Carlson College of Veterinary Medicine are co-raising Newton, a black Labrador puppy, for Guide Dogs for the Blind. Starchvick and Nemivant are members of a GDB puppy raising club in Corvallis, Oregon. Newton will be raised by the pair for about a year as they teach him good basic manners and provide socialization opportunities. His formal training to become a guide dog will commence when he returns to one of the two GDB campuses. 

Newton accompanies the pair almost everywhere in their daily lives. Around the college, he goes to class with them and stays patiently in his crate in the dean’s office when Starchvick and Nemivant are in laboratory and hospital areas of the college where Newton can’t be. 

We sat down with Starchvick and Nemivant for a Q&A about raising Newton.

*Edited for clarity and length.

Why did you want to raise a puppy for Guide Dogs for the Blind? 

Starchvick:
Puppies! Hard to resist those sweet puppy pictures they post on Instagram! In all seriousness, it combines a lot of the things I am really passionate about: dogs, dog behavior and training. My dad is an optometrist, and I am interested in becoming a veterinary ophthalmologist, so eyes and dogs have always been a big part of my life! Having the capability and opportunity to help raise a puppy who will continue on to change lives is amazing.

Nemivant:
I always love to volunteer for my community, and I found an organization that I am passionate about here in Corvallis! I also have previous experience in training service dogs, and I really wanted to begin to puppy raise again. It is amazing to be given the opportunity to make a difference in people’s lives, empowering their independence and confidence! 

Why is raising service dogs important to you personally? 

Nemivant:
This may sound like such a cliché answer, but the start of my service dog training journey at just 14 years old inspired me to pursue a career as a veterinarian. This experience was full of celebrations of our victories, tears after finding my service dog a new home and a passion for helping others. A domino effect followed, and I volunteered at their puppy and breeding facilities, and I shadowed the veterinarians. Most experiences after that involved animals in one way or another. I grew so much from my first service dog in training to now, and I am so grateful that I am able to raise once again! Everything has come full circle in the best way!


Emmie Starchvick, Newton and Erin Nemivant between classes in Magruder Hall.

 

How is Guide Dogs for the Blind structured?

Starchvick:
Guide Dogs for the Blind is based in San Rafael, California with a second campus in Boring, Oregon. We have smaller clubs that are scattered throughout the western and southwestern states that consist of a leader and the puppy raisers and sitters in the area. In the puppy clubs, the puppy raisers help each other with training, take their puppies on outings and socialize together along with their puppies. We might practice taking puppies on public transportation, going to the movies or other public places to get the puppies comfortable in many different environments. 

What is the process for raising a Guide Dogs for the Blind puppy?

Starchvick:
The training really starts from day three after the puppies are born. The staff and volunteers in the breeding facility prepare them by exposing them to new surfaces, noises, smells, they practice body handling, and even begin kennel training, grooming and getting used to wearing their puppy jacket, all before they get sent to their puppy raisers. Puppy raisers will receive the puppy at around eight weeks old and have them for approximately a year. Over the year, our job is to teach the puppy good manners and provide socialization experiences. After all this, when the puppy is around 15-17 months old, they head back to one of the GDB campuses for their formal training (puppy raisers sometimes refer to it as “college”) where they learn everything about guide work! GDB does an amazing job with placing dogs in a career that they want to be in. Not every dog wants to be a guide and that’s OK! They might excel at other service work or the K9 Buddies program, or they might want to be a beloved pet. We call it a “career change” when this happens. GDB also conducts thorough medical testing on all dogs, and some get career changed due to medical reasons.

How does raising Newton play into the bigger Guide Dogs for the Blind picture?

Starchvick:
Currently we have three dogs total in our Corvallis club, Nexa (his sister) and Fiori are the other two, all three are black labs. We are in the process of hopefully creating an extension club in the vet school for extra support. In all of Guide Dogs for the Blind, they currently have over 700 puppies being raised by volunteer puppy raisers like us.

Nemivant:
At our club meetings, they get lots of practice with different handlers that aren’t currently raising and do not have a puppy. We did just have a few of our dogs go to their final training, and one of them is currently a working guide. His name is Boone, and our club is so proud of him!

What’s a day in the life of you and Newton look like?

Nemivant:
The first thing in our day is usually a walk! Not only does it get out his puppy energy, but it’s great practice with distractions, traffic and novel noises. During this, I’ll think of what practice I will do for the day. Usually, I’ll do a few days of sessions to learn specific behaviors. For example, when I work with him to stay, I’ll work on that for four to five days in a row to really solidify the concept. And of course, I’ll ensure that he can recall that behavior days and weeks later. Currently, I am a tutor, so when I’m working, Newton is usually sleeping or playing! Even though he may look poised in public, he is still such a puppy when the cape is off! For Newton, it’s sleep, play, eat AND train. Lastly, I’ll plan a few outings a week with Newton, where we do things like run errands, go to restaurants, sit in a coffee shop and the list goes on. It’s always a fun-filled day with Newton in it!

What’s the response to Newton been around the college?

Starchvick:
Newton is my first puppy I have raised so I wasn’t sure what to expect. The response to him has been amazing though! People have been very respectful. They know not to touch or distract him, and they love learning about the puppy raising process. I always leave a little extra time when going on outings with him because people love to ask about him and hear about the process, it is a great opportunity to share with them GDB’s mission.

Nemivant:
The support I have received from friends, classmates, the college and even my family has been unwavering. It makes me so happy that everyone is rooting for Newton’s success! Everyone that I have talked to has been so kind and willing to learn more about guide dogs in training.


Erin Nemivant and Newton in the atrium of Magruder Hall. 

 


Newton is a good boy! 


Emmie Starchvick and Newton on the second floor of Magruder Hall. 

What’s Newton’s disposition?

Starchvick:
I had Newton for the first two months. I picked him up from the Portland airport in June and he was the tiniest little thing! He slept the whole way home while I was freaking out because I just picked up this puppy and left. Like I suddenly had forgotten everything GDB taught me. Newton quickly earned himself the nickname “Mr. Barky Pants.” He loved to hear himself bark. And while he was small, his bark was not. As the weeks went by though, he taught me things, I taught him things, and he is turning into a lovely little dog who doesn’t bark at all anymore! He is a very sleepy boy; he appreciates nap time. He has very nice house manners and is already a pleasure to live with even at just five-and-a-half months old. His favorite toys are his Benebone fish and his jolly ball. He has always been such a confident and chill puppy out in public, not much phases him! He is incredibly smart and eager to please. GDB has an amazing breeding program; it is awesome seeing that firsthand just how big of a difference it makes working with well-bred dogs. I could not have asked for a better first puppy to raise, he has been truly wonderful, and I am so glad GDB matched us with him. 

Nemivant:
Newton is the happiest, kindest and smartest pup! He will wiggle his entire body when he is happy, and he is the biggest cuddler. And when it’s time to work, he knows that we need to focus and try our hardest to succeed! He truly is the sweetest boy, and he never fails to make me smile. I am very lucky to be on this puppy raising journey with a dog like him!

What’s your favorite thing about raising Newton?

Starchvick:
Watching him as he is learning anything new: when it finally clicks in his head what I want from him he is so excited that he figured it out! He is a really good worker, and when he is home and off duty, he is the snuggliest puppy. Having a puppy around is so much fun, and working towards such an amazing goal is so exciting! I think I have learned a lot about myself in the process as well. 

Nemivant:
It is amazing to see how quickly he improves with every single day. I can see the difference that our work with him makes. All of a sudden, we are walking with confidence in traffic or ignoring that person we pass in the store, and I could not be prouder of him! I’m so excited to see what his future holds as a potential guide dog, and I’ll be his biggest supporter through it all.

What do you want folks to know about service dogs in general?

Nemivant:
A piece of my heart will always be with service dogs. They are incredibly smart, have the sweetest personalities and love their jobs! Dogs are capable of the most amazing things: they can smell someone’s glucose levels and tell their person if they’re going high or low, they can safely guide a person who is blind from point A to point B, they can provide mobility assistance such as opening doors, turning on and off lights, and getting items out of the fridge, they can alert seizures or panic attacks, and they can provide comfort to those testifying in courtrooms. The list just goes on! I don’t think I’ll ever stop training service dogs.

Starchvick:
Raising a service dog is an experience like no other. These guide dogs help people lead more safe, independent and inclusive lives, and you can be a huge role in making that happen! 

What do you hope this inspires in others?

Nemivant:
It is imperative to educate about the importance of a service animal’s job to their owner. I would love to start a discussion around our college on how we all play a part in a service dog’s success during training! This would include things like not purposefully distracting or asking the handler if you can pet the dog. And being future vets, we will definitely run into service dogs in some points in our lives. Service dogs truly make an immense impact on people’s lives. They are heroes! 

Starchvick:
I really hope that seeing Newton around campus will inspire other people to join and start volunteering as well. It can seem intimidating joining a service dog raising organization, but I hope by seeing him and how much fun we have together that we can get more people to start raising.

What does Newton’s future hold?

Nemivant:
If Newton becomes a successful guide dog (fingers crossed!), he will be matched with an owner based on suitability! He’ll be matched with a person based on many things like walking speed, personalities, lifestyle and even the height and size of the owner and himself. However, if he is unable to become a guide in the future, both Emmie and I think that he would be a great K9 companion. 

Anything else you’d like folks to know about Newton or Guide Dogs for the Blind?

Starchvick:
Check out guidedogs.com/volunteering or on Instagram @gdb_official if you think you may be interested in becoming a volunteer puppy raiser or sitter! If raising a puppy seems like too much of a time commitment, there is also the option to co-raise like we are doing (we switch off every week) or be a puppy sitter. It can seem a little bit overwhelming joining, but I promise it is so worth it! Come to a few meetings and see what we are all about. There are so many amazing people and dogs you will get to meet. My pet dog and Newton share an Instagram @asideoftaters if you’re interested in following his journey.

Nemivant:
If anyone is interested in volunteering or has any questions, please don’t hesitate to reach out to either me or Emmie! We are rooting for Newton’s success this year and are so excited for more to come!