Puppy Coats

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	Service dogs in training are required to be clearly identified. Guide Dog puppies are identified by the green coats they wear when in public. The puppy coats, together with official I.D. cards, grant puppies in training access to public places that pet dogs may not enter. Puppies in coats represent Guide Dogs for the Blind, their graduates, and the puppy raising community, as well as service dogs in general. The impression we make with our puppies can be a lasting one and have an impact on the welcome working service dogs will receive in public. As ambassadors for the blind community, it is our job to portray a positive image, educate the public, and be responsible dog handlers. There are many places to socialize a puppy where the welcome is warm and friendly. Regardless of the access laws, puppy raisers should calmly accept denial of access, politely thank the business owners for their consideration, and leave without a fuss if asked. Puppy coats must never be put on pet dogs, even for a minute. Puppy raisers must never dress up a pet dog--even a career change dog--in a puppy coat and try to pass it off as a Guide Puppy to gain access to public places. This abuse of privilege could lead to denial of access for all puppy raisers in the community, and worse, have negative ramifications for blind Guide Dog users!
IMPORTANT INFO ABOUT THE NEW PUPPY COATS Appearance and Fit: Do not add any additional patches, name tags or other adornments to the new coats. Their abbreviated style does not offer room for these and they could become cluttered. As these coats need to be easily transferred between raisers, please do not write names on them. When the belly strap is adjusted to fit the puppy, there will most likely be extra strap material left over. Please DO NOT cut the extra part of the strap. Just thread the extra strap back through the slider. Upon a dog's recall please turn in the coat to your club leader. It will be returned to your club's inventory. Return damaged coats to your club leader. They can be returned to GDB for repairs. Washing Instructions: Machine wash with regular color load Machine dry low heat or line dry. No dry-cleaning, ironing or bleaching. The new coats are made of durable cordura. Cordura is a high quality material that will wear well if cared for properly. Regularly wash your puppy coat to keep it clean. Have a clean and well-groomed puppy. If you coat becomes tattered, contact your leader for a replacement coat. Guidelines for Relieving a Puppy when it is wearing a Puppy Coat: Remember to take off the coat before giving the "do your business" command If the dog starts to relieve while in coat, do not make a big deal about it. Next time, however, watch more closely so you can take off the coat before he gets to the point where he can't wait any longer. Do not attempt to remove the coat or otherwise interrupt the puppy while he is relieving. Graduates often touch their dogs so they can verify that the dog is actually relieving. The training department will work on this procedure when your dog is in formal training. Your responsibility is to teach your puppy to relieve comfortably on command on all surfaces. PREVENTING LOST PUPPY COATS A lost puppy coat is pretty serious business! Besides the cost of replacement, you are, in effect, giving some stranger the opportunity to take his pet dog into public places and pass it off as a puppy in training. That can cause problems for all of us, including folks with working guides. Here are some simple things you can do to prevent lost coats: Have a designated place in the house or car where you always store your puppy coat. On longer outings or travel, have a "keeper of the coat." When the pup's not wearing his coat, it's their job to keep track of the coat at all times. On trips, or if you're puppy sitting, keep the coat in the puppy's overnight bag when not in use. When you take the coat off to relieve your puppy, hang it on your shoulder until you need it again. That way you're not tempted to set the coat down where it might be forgotten. Don't take the coat off the dog until you're back in the car. That way it will stay in the car and not get left on the hood when you pull out. Don't take the coat off until you're back in the house. That way you're sure your coat will get home with you. If you do lose a puppy coat, make every effort to retrace your steps and find it again. If the coat is really gone, call your leader right away to report the loss and arrange for a replacement.

The Evolution of the Puppy Coat: 1991-Today

1991-1993: Adult coats sported the guide dog logo in the middle and the 4-H clover. Design of the coat was up to the individual club. The Colorado association of clubs provided the screening for these coats, which were purchased at puppy raiser's expense. The coats had two chest-straps that threaded through a plastic ring and fastened with velcro, one side of which had a pocket. This complicated chest closure made it easier to slip the coat over the pup's head rather than open the front straps. Since they were only available in size medium and large, puppy raisers had to devise their own coats if they wanted one small enough to fit a new puppy.
Abolene Hand-made coat with embroidered "Guide Dog in Training," held together with safety pins!	Tandy	Salsa and Tandy Coat front with plastic ring closure

1993-1995. Guide Dogs for the Blind brings continuity to the myriad of coat designs by issuing puppy coats. The design had block lettering: "4-H Guide Dog Puppy in Training", and included the 4-H logo but not the Guide Dog logo. Outside pockets made it easy to keep I.D. and clean-up kits handy. But the material was flimsy and the long straps of the one-size-fits-most concept made it difficult to get a nice-looking fit. Front closure with two straps joined by a plastic buckle make it difficult to get the coat over the dog's head. Far too big for most very young puppies, clubs still resorted to hand-made baby coats. Have Paws Will Travel hand screened "Guide Dog Puppy In Training" and assembled small coats for our raisers.
Prosper	Tandy	Annie Hand screened HPWT baby puppy coat. Prosper Professionally screened baby coat. HPWT supplied all arriving puppies with these coats in March 1994.

1995-1997. These coats were made of sturdier fabric and came in three sizes. They included both the 4-H and Guide Dog logos. Front velcro straps allow "Guide Dog Puppy" screened across the chest. White binding finishes the coats. Pockets for I.D. are on the inside, eliminating the distracting white lines on the shoulders for the previous coat. Three sizes of coats were available, but the littlest puppies still "swam" even in the size small!
Samurai	Jethro	Gaston

1997-1999. With the expansion of Guide Dogs to two campuses, 4-H was no longer able to supply all the puppy raisers needed for the increased number of puppies. With many new non-4-H affiliated clubs, the 4-H logo was dropped from this coat. Lettering was moved from center back to the sides, allowing for readily identifiable puppies. The dark green binding was less distracting, and the cut of the coat was more fitted, allowing for a neat, professional appearance. Pockets on the outside of the velcro chest straps allowed easy access to I.D's and clean-up kits. Three sizes of coat fit most puppies no matter their age or build.
Gaston	Debut	Gaston

2002-2004: With the advent of a new Guide Dog Corporate Logo, GDB recalled all the old coats and issued coats with the new logo. Belly straps of nylon with an easy-release buckle and velcro at the chest made the coats easy to get on and off the puppies. A pocket on one inside chest strap help clean-up kits and I.D.'s. These coats were of lighter fabric that seemed to wrinkle easily and were more difficult to keep looking neat than the previous generation, but the new logo, lettering and website information made it easy to identify our puppies as Guide Dogs in training. Three sizes allowed puppies of every age to dress up, but the coats are not issued until a baby puppy is deemed ready to socialize by club leaders.
Akira	Emmett	Texan

June 2004-present. Guide Dogs creates a task force including puppy raising volunteers to redesign its puppy coats. In a complete departure from coats that cover the dog's entire back, a vest style was chosen, with nylon straps at chest and belly. The sturdy green nylon material promises to wear well and fit nicely. The coats come in four sizes from small to extra large. All other coats were recalled by GDB. Cost of the coats was underwritten by Science Diet, and the coats sport the Science Diet Partners in Nutrition Logo center back, Guide Dog logo on sides. The appliqué logo patches give the vests a neat, professional air. The only drawback: no pockets for I.D. and clean-up kits!
	Emmett

	Sherwood

2005 - Present - An enterprizing club in California introduces a chest band that can be purchased by individual puppy raisers, and slipped over the front strap of the puppy coat. They have become quite popular, because they allow the puppy to be identifyable to the public from the front.
Venus	Clemens	Valet