My first reaction, upon meeting this big, handsome, yellow Labrador Retriever, is to reach out and scratch him behind those velvety ears.
But, no, that would break rule No. 1 of guide dog etiquette -- Do not pet or feed a service animal when they have their vest on.
I have to practice this restraint when I meet Reynolds, the aforementioned handsome Lab, and his handler, Darren Stallnecht, who is blind.
Stallnecht and Reynolds work as a finely tuned team to guide Stallnecht wherever he needs to go safely.
"We instinctively know what each other is thinking and doing," said Stallnecht with a laugh.
"Reynolds is really laid back and such a gentle soul. I know people would just love to say hello to him and pat him, but when he's working he has to keep focus and not get distracted."
I'm meeting Stallnecht and Reynolds because September is Guide Dog Awareness Month.
We meet on the sidewalk on downtown Kelowna's Leon Avenue in front of the building were Stallnecht works at Vision Loss Rehabilitation Canada.
He's an assistive technology specialist, helping other blind people utilize adaptations to continue to use their smartphones, tablets and computers.
On the sidewalk, we go over the rules of what to do when you encounter a guide dog and their handler.
We've already mentioned rule No. 1 -- Do not pet, try to play with or feed a service animal when they have their vest on.
The vest is not just part of the harness set up, but a physical reminder that the dog is working and should not be distracted from his tasks.
Reynolds vest is leather and on the handle attached to it reads: Guide dogs for the blind.
If you have a dog, keep it on a leash and pass Reynolds and Stallnecht with no fuss.
"When I'm going somewhere and Reynolds is guiding me we don't 'meet and greet' other dogs because Reynolds has to hold focus and not be distracted," said Stallnecht.
"Most times people are really good and recognize that when I'm with Reynolds and his vest is on that means don't talk to him or try to pet him."
In fact, the rule is, always speak to the handler directly as if the dog wasn't even there.
Reynolds doesn't mind being ignored because he's busy anyway working.
But Reynolds does enjoy being just a regular dog sometimes.
While Stallnecht and I talk in his office later, Reynolds' vest comes off and he's officially off-duty for a bit.
Reynolds comes over for a nuzzle and pat and I can make eye contact with him and tell him what a good boy he is.
Sometimes, if they're at the park and someone asks him if they can pet his dog, Stallnecht will take Reynolds' vest off so he can get some love.
As part of Guide Dog Awareness Month, Uber is working with the Canadian National Institute for the Blind (CNIB), advocating accessibility and inclusivity for the blind and their guide dogs.
All Uber drivers have to watch an awareness video outlining that guide dogs and their handlers have the right to all kinds of transportation, just like everyone else.
In the 8 years he's had Reynolds, Stallnecht has only had a few times where cab drivers, bus drivers, stores or restaurants have told him dogs aren't allowed.
But, once he explains that he's blind and Reynolds is his guide dog, he has no problems.
He rarely has to pull out Reynold's guide dog certificate card or the business card that outlines access rights.
Stallnecht has also flown with Reynolds numerous times for work to Vancouver, Prince George, Prince Ruper, Smithers and Dawson Creek.
"You wouldn't think so, but Reynolds can curl up and fit under the airplane seat in front of me," he explained.
"He's a good flyer."
Stallnecht and Reynolds flew for the first time together from Portland 8 years ago when Stallnecht picked up the dog at Guide Dogs for the Blind.
Reynolds was a year-and-a-half old then, fully trained and ready to guide Stallnecht after the two had spent two weeks together getting to know each other.
"He's so well trained that we really only need a few commands like find-the-door, forward, left, right, easy, steady and halt," said Stallnecht.
"Otherwise, he knows not to chase squirrels, cats, other dogs or bikes and knows that to do when we come up to a curb or a street or an obstacle. We've only really had one close call when Reynolds stopped me right in the middle of an intersection in Rutland so a car making a left turn, that didn't see us, wouldn't hit us. That's where his training to disobey to keep me safe really came in handy."
At home with Stallnecht, Reynolds can often be off-duty to relax, wander the house and play in the backyard.
"We have a long-term special relationship," summed up Stallnecht.
"He's phenomenal."
