Public Access

Guide Dogs for the Blind (GDB) benefits greatly from public access into businesses, schools, workplaces, restaurants, and other sites that offer a wide range of experiences for program puppies.

Public Access
Regardless of permission granted by state laws, GDB puppies may only access places where they are granted willing admittance or inclusion. Puppy raisers do not demand, coerce, lobby, argue, litigate, or otherwise attempt to force issues of access for GDB puppies. Public access for working guide teams and other service dog teams can be damaged by a volunteer demanding access to a site where a puppy is not welcome.

It is good practice to contact the management of a place of business prior to visiting if you are unsure whether they will be welcoming. Whether they agree to permit entry or not, please thank them for their time.

Etiquette
When out in public with a GDB puppy, puppy raising volunteers are representing GDB programs, dogs, and clients, and will want to be aware of how their actions and behaviors can reflect on the organization.

• Be prepared to answer questions about puppy raising and GDB. Direct interested parties to our website, guidedogs.com/puppy to learn more!
• If someone asks to pet the puppy, you may choose to allow them to visit if the puppy can remain calm and relaxed or politely decline and thank them for asking.
  • Example: “Thanks for asking! My puppy is learning good manners and isn’t quite ready for a greeting right now. We’re working on it, so hopefully next time!”
• Always relieve puppies in appropriate areas, not on other people's property, and pick up after them.
• If a puppy does have an accident, clean it up promptly.
• Puppies representing GDB on public socialization outings must be clean and healthy.
• A GDB puppy causing a disturbance must exit as soon as possible.
• Puppies should be as unobtrusive as possible. They may not be placed in grocery carts, on restaurant benches/chairs, or on furniture.

Puppy’s Public “Uniform”
A guide dog puppy should wear the GDB puppy jacket whenever they are in a public place where dogs are not typically allowed. The jacket provides a visual explanation to the public as to why the puppy has been granted access to the location as part of their training. Puppy jackets are also incredible for building awareness of GDB, and many of the guidelines here are to ensure that the general public can seek more information about puppy raising, client services, donating, and more on our website if they wish to do so. The following puppy jacket guidelines apply:

• Puppy jackets should be kept clean and in good condition with no obvious wear and tear.
• The branded elements of the puppy jacket should never be covered. This includes the sides of the jacket (embroidery reads: “Guide Dogs for the Blind, Puppy in Training, guidedogs.com”), and the front chest sleeve (embroidery reads: “Guide Dog Puppy”). Puppy jackets should not be altered or embellished. 
• While wearing the puppy jacket, puppies should not wear costume-like items (hats, glasses, bandanas, etc.), unless otherwise approved by GDB. 
• Female puppies in season may wear solid colored in-season pants while wearing the puppy jacket.
• Be proactive about requesting a replacement puppy jacket as the puppy grows or if the jacket becomes faded or damaged. A replacement puppy jacket can be requested from your club leader or puppy raising field manager (PFM).
• Puppy jackets are for active GDB puppies only and should never be worn by a career change dog or any other pet.