LAWRENCE: Giving a seeing eye dog its puppy training

Molly Granahan and Wren were practically inseparable for a whole year.

By Lea Kahn, Staff Writer
   Molly Granahan and Wren were practically inseparable for a whole year.
   They went to the mall, they went to the movies, they went to New York City, they rode the Staten Island ferry and they went to Newark Airport — but like many good things, it had to come to an end.
   Wren left a couple of weeks ago — to go back to The Seeing Eye Inc., which is the Morristown-based nonprofit group that matches guide dogs with the blind and the visually impaired. Wren is a Labrador retriever/golden cross.
   Molly, who is an 8th-grader at Lawrence Middle School, was introduced to The Seeing Eye through a neighbor whose children had raised Seeing Eye puppies. Molly and her friend, Angela Roberts, have a dog-walking business and they walk that neighbor’s dogs.
   Intrigued by The Seeing Eye, Molly and her family applied to raise a puppy for the organization. Once they were accepted, they waited about six months for a puppy. They brought home Wren, who was an eight-week-old fluffy ball of fur.
   For the next 12 months, the Granahan family took Wren everywhere with them. They traveled to New York City and Washington, D.C. They took the puppy on a bus trip, to school and even to the bowling alley.
   The goal is to get the puppies accustomed to the things they will likely experience as guide dogs for a blind or visually impaired person. The dogs cannot be afraid of stairs, and they learn how to maneuver in the tight quarters of an airplane.
   The puppy raisers also work to socialize the dog, exposing the puppy to other dogs. There is even a club — the Miracle Eyes of Mercer County — where they bring the dogs to play with each other and where they can share their own experiences as puppy raisers.
   Molly is the only young person in the club. Most of the puppy raisers are adults, she said. That’s because “other kids my age” don’t think it’s fun to work with a dog, especially getting up in the middle of the night to walk the dog, she said.
   ”I think it’s worth it,” Molly said.
   While it is expensive to raise a dog, The Seeing Eye reimburses the puppy raiser for the veterinarian fees, dog food and other expenses. The puppies need periodic check-ups at the veterinarian’s office, as well as vaccinations.
   Looking back on her experiences, Molly said Wren was a “really sweet” dog. Wren was one of the best puppies one could have. She never became really excited, and she was always “great” in public, Molly said. And while she misses Wren, the Granahan family may take on the task of raising another puppy in the fall.
   ”At first, I wanted a puppy because I always wanted a dog,” Molly said. “I love puppies, but (now) it’s not just having a puppy. It has become a mission. It’s one more dog that is helping a blind person. It’s a really cool thing that they can do that.”