Hold onto your hearts, Umeko’s pack has arrived!
Woof! Hi Friend! I am super excited to meet you!
My name is Umeko, and I’m one of four girls in our pack of eight little Labrador puppies. My sisters Ulyssa, Una, Ula and I, along with our brothers Unagi, Uganda, Udin and Ular make a pretty special team.
Out of the 200+ pups born at Seeing Eye Dogs HQ this year, we have been picked as your new sponsored pack – so you’ll be hearing a lot more from us. Yay!
Umeko - all ears, eyes, and heart as she begins her training.
I was chosen to be the ‘spokes puppy’ and leader of the pack which means I am the puppy that will write to you and share our training journey as we progress towards becoming Seeing Eye Dogs. Our litter will be named after me and be called ‘Umeko's Pack’. How cool is that?
We were born on February 3, 2025. Our mum Keitha, looked after us during our first eight weeks, in the Seeing Eye Dog puppy centre. During our time at the centre we were observed and assessed, while exposed to new activities and situations, our friends at Seeing Eye Dogs took notes on everything about us.
At four weeks, we entered the puppy socialisation program. We learned how to wear a collar, what is ok to chew, and how to properly introduce ourselves to other pups and people.
At around five weeks, we took on the puppy confidence course which shows how good our problem-solving skills are, as well as our ability to navigate different surfaces.
The humans at the centre were like puppy detectives, closely monitoring how we reacted to sudden movements and sounds. They checked for sensitivities, like how we felt about our ears or paws being touched.
Una and Umeko, have started on their journey to become Seeing Eye Dogs.
We’ve now settled into puppy caring homes that are perfect for us. We’re living with very special volunteers who will help us learn basic obedience and how to be calm and confident in public places, giving us our best shot at graduating as Seeing Eye Dogs. And when we’re out and about we wear an official puppy training coat with “L” plates on it, which allows us to go almost everywhere our puppy carers go.
Thank you for sponsoring our pack and coming on this journey with us. You are now part of the pack and part of our Seeing Eye Dogs family too!
Umeko’s Pack having fun at Seeing Eye Dogs HQ!
Woof! Come check us out - we’re having a blast at Seeing Eye Dogs HQ! My siblings and I are on an amazing adventure to become Seeing Eye Dogs. We’re learning, playing, and growing every day so that one day, we can help Australians who are blind or have low vision live more independent lives.
Staying focused in a busy world
I’m still working hard with my carers, learning to stay focused and controlled in busy environments - like ignoring food on the ground, staying calm around other dogs, and walking confidently on stairs. Soon, I’ll be assessed for formal training - like going to uni for pups!
Watch the audio described version of ‘Challenging training environments.’
Relive the journey of Umeko’s Pack
First Update (8 weeks old)
We're leaving Seeing Eye Dogs HQ and heading off with our puppy carers!
DownloadYour sponsorship changes the life of people like Linda!
Linda has lived with vision loss since she was seven.
But when she lost her sight completely 15 years ago suddenly, getting around became much more difficult. Linda knew she couldn’t rely on others including her children, to guide her.
That’s when Kevy came into her life.
“The moment I was matched with magnificent Kevy, he made me feel safe and reassured. He felt like a big teddy bear who would love and protect me.” Linda says.
With Kevy by her side, Linda has regained the confidence and independence she longed for.
For Linda, Kevy is more than just a Seeing Eye Dog - he’s her companion, and best friend.
“Kevy is everything to me. I want the amazing people who give to Seeing Eye Dogs to know they really are changing lives.”
That’s all for now!
Thanks to you, my siblings and I are getting all the love, care, and training we need to grow into life-changing Seeing Eye Dogs. Keep following our journey, celebrating our milestones, and cheering us on as we learn everything we need to know to help someone who needs us.
That’s it for this update, but don’t worry - I’ll be back soon with more news and adorable photos of our adventures! Woof!
Until next time… big tail wags and puppy kisses!
Umeko xoxo
