The Facebook page Disney Dorks shared this sweet video of a service dog named Ace in training to become a volunteer guide dog for the blind for Guide Dogs of America. Although Ace was initially very excited to greet Pluto, his visit to Disneyland was for a “socialization experience,” as it is obviously very important for guide dogs not to be distracted.
Sandy Steinblums, the woman who has raised Ace since he was a puppy, writes in a Facebook comment that just after the 15 seconds of video was taken, Ace did settle into a down/stay position for a few minutes while Pluto attempted to “break his stay.”
My “job” as a volunteer was to socialize and provide him with obedience training. This was a training outing and I was too far back to correct him, but golly-be….he responded anyway. Yep! That is my boy and I am proud of him and love the Disney characters for being so kind and helpful! It will be 6-9 months of extensive training with licensed trainers before Ace has the opportunity to graduate as a guide dog and has the right match in a human partner.
Ace only started his training in late January, so it seems like he’s a fast learner. Can’t blame a dog over getting excited to meet a canine hero!
(Via UPI)