On the afternoon of Oct. 24, a dozen puppies in varying stages of training padded through the Eugene Airport, weaving between travelers and airport staff as volunteers guided them through a simulation of travel most travelers take for granted.
Practical exposure for future working dogs
The event was the first collaboration between the Eugene Airport and Guide Dogs for the Blind, part of a training regimen that gives prospective guide dogs exposure to the sights, sounds and routines a blind or visually impaired traveler might encounter. For close to a year, the puppies and their volunteer raisers are intentionally exposed to the types of environments their future handlers navigate, and an airport is a key stop on that circuit.
Volunteers took the dogs through a sequence of tasks designed to mirror a typical journey: check-in, security, boarding, the tarmac and baggage claim. Organizers said the controlled but realistic setting helps puppies build confidence around noise, crowds and the bustle of travel.
| Training element | Purpose |
|---|---|
| Check-in | Familiarize with counters and queues |
| Security | Desensitize to loudspeakers and screening areas |
| Boarding | Practice confined spaces and stepped movement |
| Tarmac | Acclimate to aircraft noise and vehicle activity |
| Baggage claim | Navigate fast-moving belts and crowds |
Volunteers, treats and calm reinforcement
A key to the exercise was positive reinforcement. Rachelle Szilagyi, a puppy raising field manager for Guide Dogs for the Blind, told volunteer raisers she brought a variety of high-value treats — “sardines, beef liver” among them — to reward good behavior if a dog became overwhelmed. Volunteers also used praise and quiet verbal encouragements to redirect anxious puppies.
“I have tons of [treats]. I’m talking sardines, beef liver, I got the stuff, OK?”
Among the participants was Fergus, an 8-month-old black Labrador, accompanied by his volunteer raiser, Alex Freemerman of Eugene. Freemerman said Fergus is motivated by food but generally is a low-energy dog; he noted the training is valuable because some guide dogs’ first journeys after graduation may be by airplane.
Local impact and accessibility
The event highlights how local infrastructure can support disability access beyond services and policy. For Guide Dogs for the Blind trainees, the airport test run is not merely a novelty: it prepares dogs and raisers for real-world variability, reducing the chance that a dog will freeze or flee when exposed to unfamiliar, noisy environments.
The partnership also allowed airport staff and travelers to observe how service-animal teams work in a travel context and may increase awareness of accommodations and etiquette around working guide dogs. Volunteers navigated their puppies through simulated steps of airport travel while maintaining public safety and minimizing disruption.
- Participants: Guide Dogs for the Blind volunteers and a dozen puppies.
- Location and date: Eugene Airport, Saturday, Oct. 24, 2026.
- Purpose: Exposure to airport environments to prepare guide dogs for future travel with handlers.
As the Eugene Airport and Guide Dogs for the Blind explore further collaboration, the practical benefits could include smoother travel experiences for future handlers and greater community familiarity with guide-dog etiquette. For volunteers like Freemerman and pups like Fergus, the airport visit was another step in a months-long program aimed at producing steady, reliable working dogs for people who are blind or have low vision.
For now, the scene of wagging tails and occasional chewy treats among security lines served as a reminder that accessibility training can be both methodical and heartening for local residents who witnessed the exercise.
