For other questions related to behavioral or training issues, please contact your Seeing Eye Area Coordinator or The Seeing Eye. Thank you.
Required Basic Commands
Q:How many commands are required to train the Seeing Eye puppy you raise and what are they? A: There are 9 basic commands that your pup must obey. You say the name of your pup first to get his/her attention and then the command. When your pup completes the request, it's imperative that you shower them with praise. There are no treats used in training - they must be rewarded by praise and affection only.
Park - We use this command when your pup needs to defecate. It's extremely important that your pup "parks" in the same location every day.
Sit - This command is used just before you feed your pup; before you open the door to let a guest in and other situations as necessary.
Down - When your pup is next to you during meals and other times where it's necessary for your pup to be still and out of the way.
Come - He must respond immediately whether they are on leash or not.
Rest - your pup must stay in place, whether sitting or standing until you call
Halt - used when you come to a street to be crossed or whenever necessary.
Forward - used when you want your pup to move forward after a "halt" command
Hup, up - to get your pup to speed up during a walk
Easy - when your pup is pulling so hard you are almost jogging, a quick tug on his leash with this command - don't forget to praise your pup when he/she walks at a reasonable pace, but is still pulling.
What can we feed our pup?
Q: What brand puppy food do we feed our pup and can we give him/her table scraps as treats? A: Seeing Eye currently requires that you feed your pup food recommended by The Seeing Eye. The pups are NEVER to be fed any human food at any time. When they are only fed dry dog food, your pup will never beg people food which is critical to the pups success in his future mission as a guide.
What does Seeing Eye provide for our puppy?
_Q: What does Seeing Eye provide when our 8 week old puppy arrives on our doorstep? A: Seeing Eye provides the following, along with the precious little fur ball, of course:
Manual of instruction with information and forms required for vet visits
Bag of puppy food
Collar
Leash
Seeing Eye bandana for pup to use on outings till he's "vested"
Placed with Tick/Flea and Heartguard treatments for the duration of fostering the puppy
Green Seeing Eye Lanyard with ID pouch (for you)
_What items to be pack upon return?
_Q: What are we required to pack up with our puppy the day he returns to Seeing Eye? A: As a puppy raiser, the following items must be returned :
Completed Medical Form that the vet has filled out during visits
Seeing Eye Dog Tag
Vest
Bed tether is to be returned if you are not raising another pup.
You keep everything else including collar, leash, food and puppy toys.
What is vesting?
Q: What does it mean for a pup to become "vested" and what are the requirements? A: When the pup is at least 6 months of age and the raiser has completed the pup's 6 month progress report, and if your pup obeys all the basic commands, he/she will be tested to see how well the pup responds to the following:
Come
Sit
Come & Sit
Sit & Rest for a minute
Rest
Halt
Forward
Looks for reactions to people and or traffic
How the dog deals with distractions
Much of it's dependent upon location and representative testing the pup
If he/she responds quickly and obeys these commands, the coordinator will give you a green vest with the Seeing Eye patch on the sides. It is to be worn at all outings from then on.
What happens when the puppy returns to The Seeing Eye in Morristown, NJ
Q: When the puppy is returned to Seeing Eye, what happens to him/her? A: When the puppy leaves your home, he will come to The Seeing Eye to pass some physical exams and then enter a four month training program. Toward the end of the training period, if the dog passes all his tests, you will receive a letter from The Seeing Eye, inviting you to Morristown to watch the dog and his instructor in action (called the Town Walk). Once the walk is completed, you will have the opportunity to spend some time with the instructor to discuss the puppy's progress.