Ace is a yellow lab currently in training to be a guide dog who recently, he met the character dog, Pluto, at Disneyland. Thais naturally led to a cute and excited reaction. A short video of the event was uploaded to the Internet and has since gone viral on various social media networks.
Ace was walking around the theme park with his trainer as a social exercise to get him used to crowds and to help him stay focused in the presence of many distractions. Upon seeing Pluto, Ace walked up and sniffed the character’s face and licked his nose – then assumed a submissive position on his belly.
The trainer said he was too far away to initially correct Ace’s behavior, but the dog responded appropriately to the verbal commands of “down” and “stay” and added that Ace did very well, considering he began his course of training only three weeks ago.
Ace will continue to receive instruction for another year with various professionals before graduating as a certified guide dog. The biggest challenge with young dogs is their impulsive behavior, which is slowly controlled through repetitive exercises and consistent commands. Ace will eventually become a live-in companion to a visually impaired person.