Seeing Eye, Inc.

<p>Before conception even occurs, throughout training, and until the end of its working career, a Seeing Eye&#174; dog has been directed to its special destiny with the benefit of science.&nbsp; Today, The Seeing Eye leads the way in its research in canine genetics, breeding, disease control, and behavior.</p> <p>Much of our research is driven by the fact there is no &#8220;perfect Seeing Eye&#174; dog.&#8221;&nbsp; Variations in temperament, size, strength, stride, and energy are characteristics that must be closely matched to create a successful partnership.&nbsp; From developing a computer information system that calculates the suitability of every dog in the colony to become a breeder, to funding cutting edge research in DNA sequencing, The Seeing Eye is the leader in building, if not the &#8220;perfect dog,&#8221; then certainly the most healthy, productive, predictable, and reliable dog guides possible.</p> <p>The Seeing Eye breeds German shepherds, Labrador retrievers, golden retrievers, and Lab/golden crosses.&nbsp; Our breeding station, dedicated in 2002, consists of interconnected geometric pavilions, designed so that dogs can see each other and see people enter the kennel, so barking &#8211;not to mention stress &#8211; are greatly reduced.&nbsp; The goal was to provide a facility most conducive to a positive early childhood experience for the puppies and to providing a healthy, active lifestyle for the adult dogs.</p> <p> </p> <p>The Seeing Eye breeds its own dogs for the program: German shepherds, Labrador retrievers and golden retrievers. Female dogs produce four litters and male dogs sire up to 15 litters before they are&nbsp;matched with a student or are adopted by a loving family. Here a mother rests with her new babies.</p>

Until a Seeing Eye dog is ready for training, it spends its time with a "foster family", a family that gives the dog love, gentle guidance, and consistent care.&nbsp; You and your family (children AND adults) can nurture a puppy to accomplish its special destiny. <p> </p> <p>In 1942 the school partnered with 4-h to organize and maintain puppy-raising clubs. Although many of our clubs still have a strong 4-h connection, there are also many clubs independent of 4-h. Clubs meet regularly to plan outings, provide socialization and share tips on teaching good puppy behavior.</p> <p>When it&#8217;s time for the puppy to begin formal training, the dog returns to The Seeing Eye to learn to assist a blind person in leading a more independent, fulfilling life.&nbsp; Be a part of the magic of The Seeing Eye!&nbsp; Volunteer to&nbsp;<a href="/raise/default.aspx?M_ID=425">raise a puppy</a> with a special destiny.</p>

<p>Twelve times each year, a group of up to 24 students arrives in Morristown from all over the United States and Canada to begin their instruction with Seeing Eye&#174; dogs. Every dog is specifically matched to meet the individual needs of each student.&nbsp; Matches are made based on handler/dog compatibility in strength, pace, temperament, and home environment.</p> <p>Students arrive on campus on Saturday and receive their dogs two days later.&nbsp; If receiving their first dog guides, they stay to train with the dogs for 27 days; for subsequent dogs, the instruction lasts about 20 days. Each student is assigned to work with one instructor, who has no more than four or five students in a class.&nbsp; </p> <p>Daily instructional routines may include traveling throughout the heavily trafficked streets of downtown Morristown, the quiet residential areas, country roads, shopping malls, train stations, bus routes, hotels, and even the nearby streets of New York City.&nbsp; When the newly formed teams leave The Seeing Eye, they have mastered the techniques they will need to navigate safely through daily life in their hometowns.</p> <p><strong>What Our Graduates Tell Us</strong> </p> <p>The difference The Seeing Eye makes in the lives of people who are blind can best be demonstrated by the graduates themselves &#8230; people who are living their lives &#8211; some ordinary and others not-so-ordinary &#8211; enhanced by their daily experiences with their dogs. We strive to make constant improvements to our program, listening closely to what all our students have to say during exit interviews at the end of class and in surveys that take place several months after they return home.</p> <p>Five years of survey results revealed the following:</p> <ul><li>93.4 percent said they are more mobile now than before they had a dog.</li><li>83 percent described their overall Seeing Eye experience as &#8220;excellent,&#8221; and 13 percent as &#8220;good.&#8221;</li><li>97.7 percent said they would recommend The Seeing Eye program to others. </li></ul>