# Argos the Aspergers SDIT



## curedba (Mar 31, 2013)

A few pictures of Argos wit our little one tracing him sit stay


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## curedba (Mar 31, 2013)

*First outing as a working service dog GREAT JOB!*

So we took the kids to toys r us yesterday inside the big mall and Argos did great for his first time  and only being 13 weeks old . He patiently waited for them in a down stay while they picked out a boat to bring to the river. 

A kid came running up to him and he just maintained his down stay I was so proud of him. Then we quickly went inside the mall to get ice cream for the kids and Argos did very well in there as well ignoring all the people pointing and talking about how cute he was. 

As a reward for his good job we took him down to the dog park for a run in the river so he could play with the kids  he will make a great SD im sure we look forward to bringing him with us Monday for a short appointment at the children's hospital.

It just boggles my mind how smart these dogs are I will make sure to take pictures and video of our next outing.


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## Mary Beth (Apr 17, 2010)

Yes, your Agros was born to be a service dog. Great job!


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## carmspack (Feb 2, 2011)

well that is the passive part , just being able to be normal in public ---- the "working" service part requires a great deal more , and training, and proofing .


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## curedba (Mar 31, 2013)

Oh yes a great deal more of work but he did will for his first day out and in the house has redirected my daughters attention as she was spiraling into a meltdown because her clothes were too tight he did so by applying pressure to her leg making her forget about her clothes and focus on petting him which was an "ahhh" moment for us because her meltdowns can sometimes last a few hours.

I totally understand he is just in the "training" stage and will be there for at least another 1 - 2 years but it already has made such a difference in such a small amount of time I cannot express my gratitude for his presence in our house as a family member, friend and service animal he is a miracle worker and I hope to catch him in the action of calming her whenever it may happen so others can see what a difference he makes in her life.



carmspack said:


> well that is the passive part , just being able to be normal in public ---- the "working" service part requires a great deal more , and training, and proofing .


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## Kaimeju (Feb 2, 2013)

Glad the training is going so well! My cousin's son is autistic and their service dog has helped him so much. It is amazing how well dogs can "read" a situation and fantastic that he is already reacting appropriately.


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## Lin (Jul 3, 2007)

I'm glad things went well, but at that age he isn't a service dog, and isn't yet a service dog in training. He would be considered a service dog candidate. I'm not familiar with the specific laws for your area, here service dog candidates don't go into public where pet dogs are not allowed.


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## curedba (Mar 31, 2013)

Thanks for your insight Lin I always love reading what you have to say as far as I know as long as he is well behaved and serving a purpose and has his vest on he is aloud to accompany her anywhere we go although he cannot be certified through the ADI so if I am asked to leave I would have to leave without a fuss because e is not trained through the organization but if that shall happen I am not too worried he will still be an awesome family dog and be able to help her at home at least so no matter what becomes of him service animal or just family companion he will be loved none the less and we will be proud of him either way

Thanks again Lin you are probably one of the few people I look up to on this Forum and I truly appreciate all you say and offer to the situation  



Lin said:


> I'm glad things went well, but at that age he isn't a service dog, and isn't yet a service dog in training. He would be considered a service dog candidate. I'm not familiar with the specific laws for your area, here service dog candidates don't go into public where pet dogs are not allowed.


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## Gretchen (Jan 20, 2011)

I'm glad your dog is being well behaved. Many puppies would jump up to the the toy your daughter is holding above her head.


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## Neko (Dec 13, 2012)

Love him!


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## Cheyanna (Aug 18, 2012)

Sounds like Fiona when she was younger. I took her out and about the same age and she was so calm and good. I got many compliments on how well behaved she was for being a puppy. I took her to a restaurant and she just laid down and went to sleep. I knew then that she would be an excellent SD.


Sent from Petguide.com Free App


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## KYH (Apr 15, 2013)

We are going to be training our dog to be an autism service dog as well, although we are in the US. Our trainer told us that once the dog has completed a good portion of training, we can call the stores and ask if our service dog in training is allowed in. Right now our dog is only 12 weeks and hasn't even started a training program, so like Lin said, he is just a candidate at this point. 

I would be extremely hesitant to bring such a young puppy into a store around children without any formal training. I don't even mean service dog training - just training in general. The dog is still new to everyone and doesn't have a very firm grip on how he should act in certain situations. We practice by taking our dog to the pet stores here and to public parks, but I wouldn't take him to a store (especially a toy store) until he has completed a good bit of training. 

Bringing a service dog in public also represents other service dogs, so just remember that when bringing a pup out in public. He doesn't have the skills and training necessary to perform any type of job at this point and probably doesn't have the training to know how to react to certain outside situations. I'm happy so far its gone well, but I would just be cautious at this point. There are some great youtube videos about service dog etiquette that might show you how a dog should act before it can go in public. 

I wish you all the best and I hope your training goes well!


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## curedba (Mar 31, 2013)

Thanks for your input however we have family members that have trained service dogs fog BC/ Alberta Guide dogs and Argos has finished his beginner obedience and is constantly updating his training we have a trainer who works with us one on one and in a group setting.

Argos is constantly being socialized at dog parks, pet stores, our house, others homes, on walks etc... I am not worried about exposing him to children we don't know in the toy store as we have 4 of our own children of our own.

As for him being a good example of a service dog I am my too worried about t at this time as we are only taking him in stores for short periods of time to do some proof work he is very well behaved and like I said we had family members that are co training Argos with us that are experienced in this field. 

I am not going to push Argos at this time so am only taking him with us 1 time a week for a max of 20 minutes in the store. However he has been offered to join us when our son gets bi weekly blood transfusions at the hospital to come with as a training exercise but they take 4-5 hours and at this time that is too long for him. 

I really appreciate all your input and look forward to hearing more good luck with your puppy and god bless your child with Autism



KYH said:


> We are going to be training our dog to be an autism service dog as well, although we are in the US. Our trainer told us that once the dog has completed a good portion of training, we can call the stores and ask if our service dog in training is allowed in. Right now our dog is only 12 weeks and hasn't even started a training program, so like Lin said, he is just a candidate at this point.
> 
> I would be extremely hesitant to bring such a young puppy into a store around children without any formal training. I don't even mean service dog training - just training in general. The dog is still new to everyone and doesn't have a very firm grip on how he should act in certain situations. We practice by taking our dog to the pet stores here and to public parks, but I wouldn't take him to a store (especially a toy store) until he has completed a good bit of training.
> 
> ...


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