The Sky is the Limit!
Tuesday May 20, 2025
One of the foundational goals of Guide Dogs for the Blind's puppy raising program is for our volunteer puppy raisers to help rear confident, well-socialized puppies that have been exposed to a wide variety of real-world experiences that the pups may encounter if they become guide dogs. One important scenario is being familiar with air travel. Whether that's the hustle and bustle of an airport terminal; the procedures of passing through a TSA checkpoint; or settling nicely in the cabin of an aircraft, giving guide dog puppies these types of encounters when they are young can help set them up for success in their future careers. This past month, many of our puppy raisers and pups have been able to participate in specially designed airport outings to give them this type of socialization experience.
Portland, OR
The first excursion took place at Portland International Airport where local raisers walked with their pups through the departure hall and passed through the security gates. Oregon's Fox 12 News shared a segment on the outing that you can watch below.
San Luis Obispo, CA
Next, we teamed up with our longtime partner, Alaska Airlines, for an activity at the San Luis Obispo County Airport. Raisers and pups from throughout California's Central Coast had the opportunity to not only make their way through security and the terminal, but board an empty airplane as well. Pups learned to navigate the plane's aisle and settle in the footwell of the seats, all while taking in the sights and sounds of a mock take-off. We are so grateful to Alaska Airlines and their commitment to supporting our mission by providing these types of experiences for our raisers and pups when possible. Click here to watch a tv news segment by KSBY San Luis Obispo.
Seattle, WA
Completing the airport outing trifecta this month was an excursion to Seattle's Paine Field where the airport's TSA staff held a mutually-beneficial training session for its staff and approximately two dozen regional GDB puppy raisers and puppies.
During this experience, pups got exposure to a moving baggage carousel and had the opportunity to pass through the TSA screening area. In addition, GDB client Chelsie Bowden, with her guide dog Harry, gave a short presentation about access and etiquette for people traveling with guide dogs. In addition to being an invaluable socialization experience for the raisers and pups, it was a unique opportunity for the TSA staff as well by giving them hands-on training with screening service dogs and learning how best to support travelers who are visually impaired. A TV news segment from Fox 13 Seattle covered the event in the video below.
We are so thankful to our dedicated volunteer puppy raisers who generously donate their time, and often travel long distances to participate in airport socialization outings, all in service of preparing our puppies for greatness. If you're interested in becoming a volunteer puppy raiser, please check out guidedogs.com/puppy to learn more.
