Puppy Raising
Name a Puppy
Name a Seeing Eye Puppy
People often wonder how Seeing Eye® puppies are named. The Seeing Eye Puppy Development Manager has the honor of generating and bestowing the names on our puppies when they’re two weeks old.
Some names come from individuals, civic groups or corporations who donate $5,000 or more to The Seeing Eye. These supporters often give names in honor of loved ones, both human and canine.
Our puppy development department comes up with many of the names (can you think of eight names that begin with the letter “Z”?!), but some names come from individuals, civic groups or corporations who donate $5,000 or more to The Seeing Eye. These supporters often give names in honor of loved ones, both human and canine.
“Words can’t express how moved I was to receive your letter and the picture of Fritz. After wiping the tears away I stared at the picture remembering every puppy I’ve raised (three as a kid and five Golden Retrievers as an adult). I sincerely hope that Fritz makes the cut and is place with a person in need of his guidance and companionship.”
– Seeing Eye supporter
When you name a puppy, you’ll receive periodic updates about his or her progress in our program, including:
- A photo of your actual puppy along with a certificate including the pup’s birth date.
- A vesting certificate when your puppy has completed the crucial vesting test at approximately six months of age (in order to earn a Seeing Eye vest, all puppies must perform specific commands and behaviors and meet certain criteria).
- A photo when your puppy returns to The Seeing Eye from his or her puppy raising family to begin official guide training.
- A graduation photo when your puppy has been matched with a graduate, or, a career-change photo if the dog doesn’t quite make the cut as a guide (career-change dogs take on new challenges including everything from airport security to being loving pets).
All the puppies in a litter are given a name that starts with the same letter. The litters are named alphabetically. We start with A on October 1st, the beginning of our fiscal year. Then each puppy in the next litter gets a name that begins with B, and all the way through to the “Z” litter, when we start over again.
We typically have about 500 puppies born a year, and depending on how many puppies are born in a litter, can go through the alphabet two, three, or even four times in a fiscal year! That’s a lot of names to come up with – especially when you have to remember not to re-use any names given to puppies who are currently in the puppy raising program.
If you or your group is interested in naming a puppy, donate at least $5,000 online or by calling (973) 539-4425. If you make the donation online, we will contact you to find out what name you’d like to choose.