The Greater Rochester International Airport has recently experienced an influx of training personnel. Furry, fluffy, and on a mission, 16 puppies have been undergoing guide dog training, and are now learning to calmly navigate through airport security.

Airport

On this particular day, Vincent, a 10-month-old lab puppy, is learning the ropes of airport security. By his side is Alyssa Pogal, a member of a local group called Guiding Eyes for the Blind of Monroe County, where she and her husband work to train dogs like Vincent to fully assist blind members of the community.

This was Vincent’s first time at the airport.

“He’s been doing pretty good,” said Pogal, a Henrietta resident. “He’s gone to a lot of public places with us.”

But while Vincent might be good in most public places, the airport can be chaotic and difficult for a dog to master. Dogs must stay calm throughout the entire airport process, from checking in, to checkpoints, to boarding the airplane.

“The dog has a harness on and in the harness is metal,” explained John McCaffrey, Assistant Federal Security Director for TSA in Rochester area. “Even though they go through the metal detector, we do the same we do with a passenger. We have to pat down the dog.”

More than eight million people fly on an average day. With so many stimuli, it can be difficult for even the best of guide dogs to stay on track.

“They have to be solid, they have to know what to expect, the different sounds, the feelings, the people,” said Pamela Boy, Coordinator of Guiding Eyes for the Blind of Monroe County.

After two rounds of training through airport security, Vincent is exhausted and ready to go home. While the process is indeed exhausting for both pup and trainer, Pogal says it’s all ultimately worth it.

“It’s really rewarding to see how great he can be in public and how many lives he’s really touching already and he hasn’t even been matched with anybody yet,” Pogal said.