Photo: Bristol Airport
Guide dog puppies touched down at Bristol Airport recently for dedicated training to work in an airport environment.
In total, five puppies and their volunteer puppy raisers visited the airport as part of their training to become future guide dogs.
Phil Sherwood, Airport Duty Manager at Bristol Airport, welcomed the five guide dog puppies and their volunteer puppy raisers. “We were delighted to play a part in their familiarisation training, as we recognise that airports are unusual environments for dogs,” he said.
“It was wonderful to see all staff and customers interacting so positively with them. It was our pleasure to help, and we look forward to working with Guide Dogs again in the near future.”
The puppies were able to experience a working airport environment, including the sights, sounds and smells of an air transport hub during the busy holiday season. A tour of landside areas of the terminal saw the puppies exploring the arrivals hall, coffee shops and check-in desks. They were rewarded for behaving calmly and ignoring distractions such as suitcases, loud noises and interesting smells.
Photo: Bristol Airport
Commenting on the visit, Lisa Gibson, a puppy development for guide dogs in Bristol said: “Our amazing volunteer puppy raisers look after our puppies in their own homes until the pups are past their first birthday and ready to start their formal training.
“A big part of this is socialisation and getting the puppies used to different environments, so visiting Bristol Airport was a great experience for them.”
