FB: Let’s help give this pup a name!
We’ve teamed up with one of our favorite sites, PEOPLE Pets, to bring you and your four-legged friends even more cute photos, celeb pet news, funny videos and must-see stories. Check back every week for new furry fun!
The Today Show rolled out the red carpet – and fire hydrants! – on Wednesday, in honor of a special new cohost.
Image via PEOPLE Pets
Guiding Eyes for the Blind has temporarily given the morning show a 10-week-old yellow Labrador retriever puppy to train as a guide dog.
“This is a really great experience both for Guiding Eyes and for the puppy,” said Saxon Eastman, a trainer for the non-profit organization, who gives guide dogs free of charge to individuals who are blind or visually impaired.
Image via todayshow Instagram
“This is going to be an awesome socialization experience for him. That’s really what we’re looking for, to put him on the right track to being a guide dog someday.”
When he’s not on set, the pup, who the show is calling a Puppy with a Purpose, will live with Eastman in Westchester County, New York, next door to the Guiding Eyes for the Blind training school.
Image via PEOPLE Pets
This will be a learning experience for both canine and Today. Eastman has laid out specific rules for this guide-dog-in-training, like, don’t let the dog jump up on you – or the couch!
“The person he might eventually go to is not going to be able to see him necessarily, so we wouldn’t want him to jump up on him or her and hurt them,” she said. Also, giving the pooch any food from the floor, that’s a no-no (Heads up Hoda Kotb, we know your cockapoo Blake is a fan of that!).
Image via todayshow Instagram
But the first order of business on Wednesday was giving the pooch a name. Viewers can help choose it from a list of four, all beginning with W. Does Wrangler, Waldo, Wes, or William suit this cutie best? Click here to cast your vote!
Anxious to know more about your favorite pet celebs? View the hottest stories at PEOPLE Pets: 9 Un-FUR-gettable Stars of Puppy Bowl XI, Four Dogs Who Have No Idea What’s Going On, and Dog Eats $23,000 Worth of Wedding Rings. It’s plain to see why they’re one of our favorites!