People with beards, mustaches, brightly colored mohawks, facial piercings and tattoos are being urged to come forward and help train future guide dogs.

Previous research has shown that nearly two-thirds of dogs show fear or confusion about attributes they have never been exposed to before.

Blindness charity Guide Dogs found that up to 1.2 million dogs in the UK react to human facial hair, including beards and mustaches, while 1.08 million dogs react to people with facial piercings and tattoos.

Additionally, 960,000 people show sensitivity to hairstyles such as the Mohawk.

To ensure that guide dogs that help disabled people are able to adapt to the different worlds they will encounter, blindness charities are launching a special appeal for people with unique characteristics.

They also hope volunteers will include cyclists, parents and dog owners, all of whom can expose the pups to aspects of daily life such as bikes and babies.

At a guide dog social event, nine Labrador golden retriever crosses and six black Labrador puppies (all eight weeks old) were introduced to people with some identified unique characteristics.

Puppies enjoy playing and cuddling to build positive bonds and prevent future fear.

Haley Andrews, Head of Puppy Raising at Guide Dogs, said: “The aim of any owner is to have a dog that feels comfortable and confident in all situations and this can be achieved by giving puppies early Puppies have plenty of calm, positive experiences to achieve.life and continue into adulthood.

“Instead of exposing puppies to everything and everyone all the time, people should focus on introducing puppies into situations at a comfortable pace and helping them practice calm, neutral responses.”

Puppy raisers prepare puppies for life as guide dogs by helping them complete basic training and socialization in a care home for 12 to 16 months.

The charity covers costs, including training, food and veterinary costs, and volunteers receive expert guidance throughout.