Southampton Airport welcomed some VIP visitors recently (18 February) as guide dog puppies descended for dedicated training to experience the sights, sounds and smells of a working airport.
It was the first time that these guide dog puppies and their volunteer puppy raisers have visited the airport, part of the pups’ preparation to become future guide dogs.
Seven puppies, aged from six months to just over a year old, embarked on an airside tour of the airport, navigating departure lounges, shops, cafes, lifts and baggage reclaim areas. They even got to practice boarding a Loganair aircraft and settling on the floor of the cabin.
Pups were rewarded with treats and praise for behaving calmly and ignoring distractions such as passengers coming and going, loud noises and interesting smells in these unfamiliar settings.
With many guide dog owners in Southampton and surrounds, visits such as this are an important part of early training for guide dog puppies, helping them to feel comfortable and confident in the type of places that a guide dog owner might choose to go to.
Leanne Kelly, a Puppy Development Advisor for Guide Dogs in Southampton, said: “Our puppies are looked after in the homes of our amazing volunteer puppy raisers for 12-16 months until the pups are ready to start their formal training to be guide dogs.
“A big part of this is socialisation and getting the puppies used to different environments, so visiting Southampton Airport was great experience for them. All the puppies did brilliantly, helping them build positive associations with airports that they’ll remember if they visit as working guide dogs.
“Thank you so much to everyone at the airport for welcoming us so warmly on our first visit – all the staff we met couldn’t have been more helpful.”
Maurice Boyle, Operations Director at Southampton Airport added: “We were delighted to welcome Guide Dogs to the terminal and their volunteer puppy raisers.
“We understand how important the airport visit was for the dog’s familiarisation training as the airport would be an unusual environment for them.
“It was our pleasure to help and interact with the puppies once the training session had finished.”
For more information on volunteering opportunities in and around Southampton, visit www.guidedogs.org.uk/volunteering.