Guide Dogs-In-Training Practice Screenings At BWI Marshall

LINTHICUM, MD — Guide dogs have an incredibly important job to do, protecting the very life of their owners. They must be prepared to navigate bustling sidewalks, know when to proceed in potentially dangerous crosswalks and endure security screenings at airports.

The TSA advises passengers accompanied by guide dogs to be prepared for their dog to engage in a pat-down by an officer. They will never be separated and will not have to remove the guide dog's harness or vest, the TSA advises.

Walking through a TSA security checkpoint can be stressful enough for humans, let alone dogs. Future guide dogs were given the chance to practice going through a Transportation Security Administration checkpoint at Baltimore-Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport (BWI) July 15 so that they would become more familiar with the checkpoint screening process when they do need to catch a flight.

TSA officials screened 27 puppies and their trainers from the Guiding Eyes for the Blind’s puppy-raising regions of Baltimore, Bay, Catoctin, Delmarva and Montgomery. TSA officials said that the checkpoint orientation session will result in a smoother checkpoint experience when the puppies graduate into certified guide dogs and return to take a flight with their master.