Doreen Smith of Wayne heads up the Eye See For You Puppy Club, an affiliate of the Passaic County 4-H program. She takes puppies from The Seeing Eye in Morristown, the oldest existing dog guide school in the world, and places them with local families for tender loving care during their formative months.

“We don’t consider ourselves trainers,” said Smith, who’s been raising Seeing Eye dogs for almost 12 years. She likes to think of herself and her adoptive families as “puppy raisers.”

“Once they go back to The Seeing Eye they get training,” Smith explained. The job she and other foster parents do is love, housebreak and instill basic obedience in the young dogs from the time they are about 8 weeks old.

“Our biggest thing is to socialize the puppies,” she said. Smith looks for active households that provide daylong social outlets for the dogs, who are mostly Labs, Golden Retrievers, Lab/Golden cross breads, or German Shepherds. Puppy raisers are expected to leash and walk the dogs regularly.

Smith checks in with adoptive families on a bimonthly basis. At 15 to 19 months of age, the dogs are returned to Morristown from locations all across the United States and Canada.

“It is hard once you raise a puppy; you get attached to it,” Smith said of the farewell process.
The dogs receive extensive training over a three-week period from a professional trainer once they return to The Seeing Eye.

Sometimes the trainer will send a note to the former family describing the dog’s progress. At the completion of training, the family is allowed one last look at their canine friend. The dogs are taken on what is referred to as a “formal walk,” when the puppy raiser can watch their dog work as a Seeing Eye dog from one and a half blocks away. They must be careful that the dog doesn’t see them, however.

“It’s confusing for the dog,” Smith explained. When a dog is placed with its blind companion, the raisers are told vague details about the new situation.

There is a lesson to be learned from this often joyful and equally painful experience. Smith has observed over the years that many families who agree to foster the puppies are doing so in order to teach their human children the value of sacrifice and generosity to others. Imagine that your entire world is dark, they tell their kids. This dog will bring light into your life by showing you where to go.

“We do have retired people because they feel that maybe they don’t want to commit to a lifelong dog,” Smith noted of her other likely adopters.

The Jan. 22 meeting of the Eye See For You Puppy Club was held at the Pompton Reformed Church in Pompton Lakes. Eleven future guide dogs attended with their raisers, many of whom are local teenagers. The raisers were honored with certificates commemorating the number of years they’ve been working with the 4-H program and the Eye See For You Club.

Mitchell Zahner, 12, of Butler, brought his 15-month old Golden Retriever Harry, who looked right at home asleep with his head in Zahner’s lap. Of his bond with Harry, Zahner said, “You love them, but you see them as a work dog.”

Seven teenagers received certificates honoring four years with the program. Zahner, who is in his second year as a puppy raiser, had previously raised a German Shepherd but had asked his parents for a Golden Retriever for round two.

“My best friend had one and it was just a beautiful, loving dog,” he said. Harry embodies the same spirit with his blond, wavy hair and soft, sweet demeanor.

Unfortunately, for Zahner, the 4-H program had forgotten to create a certificate for him. “That’s okay,” he said shrugging. “This is my badge right here,” he added of Harry, who he hugged reassuringly.

The event in Pompton Lakes was a potluck affair. Members came bearing snacks and cookies. They appeared to know and respect each other, offering support, wisdom and comfort through the emotional process of caring for and releasing their work dogs. Here, the dogs were able to move and socialize with other dogs and additional human friends.

“This is the best way to do it,” said Smith. “We put them in homes with activity.”
Since 1929, The Seeing Eye has trained about 14,000 dogs for almost 8,000 blind men and women who wish to enhance their independence through fellowship with a Seeing Eye dog. “Seeing Eye” is a trademark of this institution. Additional help is always needed for this benevolent effort.

For more information or to foster a puppy, visit www.seeingeye.org, or call Doreen Smith, Passaic County’s leader of the Eye See For You Club, at 973-706-8356.