The Seeing Eye of Morristown is seeking people to raise puppies like these that will eventually be matched and work with blind individuals. The Seeing Eye dog guide school relies on volunteer families from New Jersey, Pennsylvania and Delaware to provide puppies with early training that gives them a head start in learning how to guide a blind person.
The Seeing Eye has a continuous need for volunteers to raise future Seeing Eye dogs for about the first 16 months of their lives. Monmouth, Middlesex, Ocean and Gloucester counties have their own Seeing Eye Puppy Clubs. Interested volunteers can contact The Seeing Eye, (973) 539-4425, ext. 1769, or visit www.seeingeye.org.
When puppies are about 7 to 8 weeks old they are placed with their new family. School starts right away, as families teach the puppy basic obedience and good manners. But there are also plenty of field trips. These excursions to various public places such as stores, libraries and museums expose the puppy to the kinds of situations it will encounter as a working dog. Puppy raisers also provide their puppies with a lot of love. This enables the dog to establish a bond with the blind person it ultimately will assist.
Volunteer puppy raisers also go to regular monthly meetings of their local Seeing Eye Puppy Club. Clubs are organized on the county level through the 4-H program.
One person in the family has primary responsibility for the pup’s daily care and routine. Children from age 9 and up can participate, and retirees also are frequent volunteers. The Seeing Eye pays veterinary bills and provides a monthly allowance to defray other puppy-raising costs.
After about 16 months, puppies return to The Seeing Eye to begin their formal training with a professional Seeing Eye instructor. At the end of a four-month training period, the dogs are matched with blind people and this new team trains together at The Seeing Eye for 20 to 27 days.
The Seeing Eye celebrates its 75th anniversary this year. The mission of The Seeing Eye is to enhance the independence, dignity and self-confidence of blind people through the use of specially bred and trained dog guides, according to a press release.