Members from The Seeing Eye program visited the Wasp-class amphibious assault ship USS Bataan (LHD 5) during Fleet Week New York (FWNY), May 26.

Based in Morristown, New Jersey, the group toured Bataan with three dogs as part of its integration and familiarization training.

"We get a puppy when it's about seven or eight weeks old, take it home and teach it basic obedience, housebreaking and desensitize it to a lot of distractions," said Bud Liptak of The Seeing Eye Puppy Training program. "Touring the ship and coming to the city gets the puppies used to different types of circumstances -- going upstairs, traffic, the ferry, buses and a lot of noise."

Established in 1929, The Seeing Eye is the oldest existing guide dog school in the world and breeds more than 500 dogs a year.

"About 270-280 dogs are matched a year," said Liptak. "If the dog doesn't pass the training, it automatically goes back to the breeder, adoption or other working dog groups like Homeland Security."

Bataan proved to be an ideal training platform for the puppies as well as time for reminiscing for Liptak. As a prior Navy Sailor stationed aboard an amphibious assault ship in the 1960s, Liptak noted some changes, but was still familiar with the ship.

Bataan joins four U.S. Navy ships, four U.S. Naval Academy Yard Patrol boats, two U.S. Coast Guard cutters, and three Royal Canadian Navy ships visiting the city for FWNY.

FWNY, held nearly every year since 1984, is the city's celebration of the sea services. The weeklong event provides an opportunity for the citizens of New York City and the surrounding tri-state area to meet Sailors, Marines and Coast Guardsmen, and showcase sea service personnel, technology, and capabilities.

For up-to-date information on all FWNY events, visit the official FWNY website at http://www.fleetweeknewyork.com/, "Like" FleetWeekNewYork on Facebook, or "Follow" @FleetWeekNYC on Twitter. FWNY photos can be viewed on Flickr at http://www.flickr.com/photos/fwnypao/ and Instagram at http://www.instagram.com/fleetweeknyc/. Join the conversation on social media by using #FleetWeekNYC.

For more information, visit http://www.navy.mil/, http://www.facebook.com/usnavy/, or http://www.twitter.com/usnavy/.

For more news from Commander, Navy Region Mid Atlantic, visit http://www.navy.mil/.