Seeing Eye co-founder Morris Frank with Buddy, the first Seeing Eye dog. Frank and his German shepherd are shown crossing a busy street in New York city while onlookers marvel.
The Seeing Eye, Inc. is a registered United States nonprofit under IRS section 501(c)(3) with tax ID number 22-1539721.
I started my business career in 1983 selling 'Car Phones' for NYNEX Mobile on 18 Bank Street in Morristown, New Jersey. At the time, there were 9 (nine) Cell Towers in the entire CGSA (Cellular Geographic Service Area) of the United States. Car Phones were EXPENSIVE, and had to be installed into the vehicle. And it cost around $29 per month PLUS around $0.50 per minute to make or receive a domestic phone call from the car. Service was very spotty.
Think about the people that you would meet -
who they were -
what they did for a living - that they needed to make $0.50 per minute phone calls from the car in 1983.
Plus taxes and fees. It was during this time that I first learned of The Seeing Eye, Inc. Almost every day I would watch with amazement guide dogs being trained on 'the green' in Morristown, New Jersey. To the untrained eye (see what I did there?) watching a guide dog navigate traffic, stop at crosswalks, and master the sighted world was mesmerizing.
"The Best Place to get a Guide Dog." Since 1929, people who are blind have been discovering the exhilarating experience of working with a Seeing Eye® dog. The Seeing Eye is a philanthropic organization whose mission is to enhance the independence, dignity, and self-confidence of blind people through the use of Seeing Eye® dogs.
I write this Sunday Blog in April of 2025, more than 40 years after first learning of The Seeing Eye, or of the raising of Seeing Eye puppies.
Puppy Raising Program
When Seeing Eye puppies reach the age of seven or eight weeks, they are delivered to the homes of volunteer puppy raisers (like me). Puppy raisers are foster families, from all walks of life, who nurture and care for their charges until they are about 13- to 16-months-old. They teach the puppies house manners, basic obedience, and socialize them to a variety of social situations.
Training Process
When Seeing Eye puppies are between 13 and 19 months old, they return to The Seeing Eye. Initially, they undergo health screenings, are neutered or spayed, and receive a dental cleaning.
Each dog is assigned to a Seeing Eye instructor for four months of training. Basic training begins on The Seeing Eye campus before moving to the streets of Morristown. Dogs are trained in rural, suburban, and urban environments, including the ultimate urban environment: New York City.
Seeing Eye dogs are trained to guide their handlers around obstacles, whether on the ground or overhead. They alert their handler to changes in elevation, tripping hazards and stairs. Most importantly, they learn to navigate street crossings and are taught “intelligent disobedience.” This is the principle that separates guide dog training from other types of dog training. Seeing Eye dogs are taught to ignore a command that would jeopardize the safety of the team, such as crossing against oncoming traffic or a command to step off a vacant subway platform.
The bond between Seeing Eye dogs and their instructors forms quickly and is strong. Repetition and praise are the cornerstone of the training program. Instructors evaluate the dogs’ abilities by taking blindfolded walks halfway through and at the end of the training cycle.
Instructors train approximately eight to ten dogs from start to finish. After the four-month training cycle, instructors train the dogs with their new partners for 25 days (or 18 days for returning handlers). This bonding period is crucial for the effectiveness and safety of the Seeing Eye dog and handler.
Now in the year 2025, my 'day job' is running the Distance Learning Association. Teaching, training, coaching, mentoring - via technology. Delivering knowledge, technology and talent to all those who need it, all around the world. "We are democratizing education on a global basis via disruptive technology."
Tell me more about The Seeing Eye Puppy Raising Program
When Seeing Eye puppies reach the age of seven or eight weeks, they are delivered to the homes of volunteer puppy raisers who live in New Jersey, eastern Pennsylvania, and certain counties of Maryland, Delaware, and New York.
Puppy raisers are foster families from all walks of life who nurture and care for their charges until they are about 13—to 16 months old. They
teach the puppies house manners and basic obedience and socialize them to a variety of experiences that range from shopping and car trips to visiting airports and boarding airplanes. Trips to dog parks, public parks, even baseball parks.
When I learned that The Seeing Eye needed Puppy Raisers - I knew this was for me. But it was only recently that I realized the (now obvious) connection for training. Teaching, training, coaching, mentoring. Helping people to THRIVE in the world.
With dogs. Lives made better....because of.....with the help of... dogs.
The Seeing Eye is now the official charity of the GlobalDLA.org and MyTeachingPartners.com
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