New Member Meeting The Seeing Eye and Puppy

New Member Meeting

The Seeing Eye and Puppy Raising ● The Seeing Eye enhances the independence, dignity, and self-confidence of blind people through the use of Seeing Eye® dogs. ● The Seeing Eye is located in Morristown, NJ. ● TSE breeds and trains German Shepherds, Labrador Retrievers, Golden Retrievers, and Lab-Golden Crosses, and occasionally Poodles and Boxers. ● 12 times per year a group of up to 24 blind students train with their new Seeing Eye® dogs at the Morristown campus. It costs $150 for a person’s first Seeing Eye® dog and $50 for each dog thereafter.

Becoming an Active Member ● How do I become a puppy sitter? ○ Attend 2 meetings (1 club meeting, 1 NM meeting) ○ Complete, sign, and hand in a Certification Quiz ○ Handle a pup during Training Circle ○ Sign and hand in a Puppy Promise

Becoming an Active Member ● How do I become a puppy raiser? ○ Be in good academic and disciplinary standing ○ Formally apply through The Seeing Eye: see Kim ○ Accumulate 50+ hours of puppy sitting - including at least 1 overnight ○ Complete the Puppy Hunt ○ MUST have approved housing at school AND at home ■ DE, NJ, PA, MD (Carroll County), NY (Warwick County)

Puppy Hunt ● Go to udpuppyclub. com > “Resources” ● Make an album on Facebook ○ Take a photo displaying the hunt items, caption it (#, add description, name of puppy if featured, and point value) ○ Photos should demonstrate puppies behaving properly! ○ Consult an eboard member if you have any questions

Puppy Sitting ● The puppy raiser should give you a puppy kit and instructions, leash & training collar/martingale, food, tie down/crate (make sure you have these! – before the raiser leaves) ● Be on time picking up and returning a puppy ● Keep raisers updated! Always ask before doing something with a pup. Don’t just assume anything. ● You may only sit one puppy at a time! ● Make sure puppies are placed in crates if left alone, NEVER leave a puppy on a tie down

Puppy Sitting ● Understand that all puppies are different! What may be OK for one puppy, might not be for another. Respect the raisers wishes ● Ask for help if you need it!

Rules to Follow with Seeing Eye® Puppies ● NEVER let a puppy off leash in public or outside (unless in a fenced ● ● ● ● yard) NEVER feed a puppy people food NEVER take a puppy on an escalator or in a revolving door When leaving a puppy unattended he must be in his crate (take off ALL of his collars) Tie downs should be attached to the puppy’s flat collar Puppies should stay off furniture Always wear sneakers or closed toed shoes while handling puppies Our puppies go to the bathroom on command “Park Time” we do not let them eliminate en route NEVER hit a puppy!!

Appropriate toys and play YES: large balls, Nylabones, Kongs, hard rubber toys NO: Raw hides, soup bones, rope toys, anything smaller than the puppy’s mouth Please no tug-of-war, Fetch is OK (toys only please) Our puppies are NOT altered – no humping! We like Balanced Play!

In case of an emergency ● Call Puppy Raiser and Kim!!! ● All medical treatment that will cost more than $200 must be approved by The Seeing Eye. The attending vet (not the puppy raiser) must call and speak to a Seeing Eye veterinarian ● In case of extreme traumas: have pup stabilized and given essential treatment, but make sure a Seeing Eye vet is contacted as soon as possible ● Vet forms can be found online by puppy raisers

Things to always have with you ● Puppy Kit: ○ ○ ○ ○ Copy of TSE Health Card Copy of Rabies Certificate Emergency Contact Numbers (puppy raiser, Kim, vet) Seeing Eye ID Card POOP BAGS Clean Up Kit (paper towels, sanitation wipes, carpet cleaner, soapy water, etc. ) Bowl(s) Toys ● On puppy: ○ ○ Bandana or Vest Tags on flat collar - name & number, TSE tag, rabies Collar(s) - flat collar, martingale, training collar Leash

Socialization Approved: ● ● ● ● Retail Stores (with permission) Class (with prof. permission) All university buildings Approved housing on campus Sporting events And much more! **consult the puppy exposure guidelines and raiser before any new experience. NOT Approved: ● ● ● Dog Parks Zoos/Aquariums Dining Halls Inside grocery stores On Amusement park rides On escalators, moving sidewalks, or in revolving doors ● Lab classrooms where there could be harmful chemicals

If denied access… Say “Thank You” and go somewhere else. Remember our puppies DO NOT have the right to be there. It is the disabled person, who has the right to take their service dog (ADA).

General Outing Tips ● Relax!! Stress travels down the leash ● Puppy dragging you? STOP and SIT, change direction, or do a recall. Get the focus back on you, and praise him ● Puppy barking? Give a verbal “quiet, ” do simple obedience, get focus on you and praise. Ex. Whining in class ● Watch for alert ears! Give the verbal “quiet” before the sound comes out

General Outing Tips ● ● ● “Park” puppies before going into buildings and ALWAYS pick up (don’t throw poop away inside or near an entrance) Make sure your puppy is tucked and out of the way. Don’t stop and chat in front of doors. Know where his head is. “Three Second Rule” Yes, he can be petted. Make sure he is under control – all four paws on the floor or in a sit The puppy can greet other dogs, but ASK the handler first The pup should be on your LEFT side walking with a confident pull

Why We’re Different The puppies we are raising have a unique job ahead of them. Some fundamental parts of that job set it apart from most dog training. Our dogs need to be eager to pull out in front of their handlers and lead on the left side; they should not be content to follow! Our dogs must be confident enough to disobey a command that can lead to a dangerous situation. This is called intelligent disobedience. The basis of other types of training is “command obey” with guide dog training, the basis is “command obey if it’s OK. ” This is the difference between training a dog and educating a dog.

Getting Started 1. Sign in for today’s meeting; attend a New Member meeting 2. Get your housing approved a. Udpuppyclub. com > Resources b. Email jbruchey@udel. edu to set up a meeting 3. Get involved! Join our Facebook group, attend events, reach out to raisers : ) 4. Have FUN!! 5. Relax and enjoy the experience. Remember our puppies are learning and so are you, don’t expect perfection. Celebrate their spirit and… ASK FOR HELP IF YOU NEED IT!

Questions?