A Superdog for Sebastian

What does a dog get when he finishes obedience school? His pet-degree.

Meowch! #areyoualright #comedyreels #catstagram #maincoon #labrador #asuperdogforsebastian #gooddogyellow #jagger

Only you on my mind #ifonlyyouknew #goldenretrieverlove #asuperdogforsebastian #gooddogthunder

Nothing like YouTube + a Good Dog to begin your day.

Who’s your favorite person? #BestFriend #servicedog #autism #servicedogteam #favorites #gooddogthunder #asuperdogforsebastian

A delicious celebration

Happy Birthday, Yellow! #birthdayboy #five #labradorretriever #retiredservicedog #gooddogyellow #asuperdogforsebastian

Oh, the drama. #livelaughlove #gamingvibes #popculture #cosplay #labrador #gooddogyellow #asuperdogforsebastian

Burnin’ it down #wildestdreams #benebone #servicedoglife #goldenretriever #asuperdogforsebastian #gooddogthunder

Last day of being 10 yrs old for this main character #gamerlife #alltheparts #tween

Not everyone is cut out for service dog work. #spillthetea #saywhat #meow #servicedog #comedy

What a Good Dog! #iunderstoodtheassignment #servicedog #autism #autismservicedog #gooddogservicecanines #asuperdogforsebastian #gooddogthunder

It’s finally Long Sleeve T-shirt weather!!!! As the weather turns cool - show your support with a retro long sleeve Good Dog! Service Canines Tee! https://www.gooddogservicecanines.org/good-dog-tees

Happy 4th Birthday, Yellow! This special guy changed our lives in ways we never would have imagined. Even though he’s happily retired from service dog work, he continues to care for his boy with unconditional love. And watching how Sebastian takes the initiative to look after his pup is awe inspiring. We love you, Yellow!!

"Thunder acts as a reminder to be kind. We’re truly honored to have connected Sebastian to his service dog with the help of Good Dog! Service Canines. Learn more at Good Dog Service Canines

I love these goobers beyond words.

Sebastian’s morning school routine includes bringing his pups to his zoom meeting to say good morning to his teacher’s dog, Jackson, and his classmates. His teacher told me this has become an important ritual for the entire class to start their day off right and everyone looks forward to it. Jackson has even learned a new command come to class. Lol Who knew his service dog’s social bridging tasks could go virtual? #asuperdogforsebastian #gooddogthunder #gooddogyellow #gooddogservicecanines

Check out Sebastian & Good Dog! Thunder in action in their commercial for True Chews and Good Dog Service Canines.

Important message from me and all the pups I’ve trained Standing up for ALL disabilities, visible or not I see these dogs training for HUNDREDS of hours t...o be their very best for their handler-to-be. I went to Bergin University of Canine Studies to understand dogs on a deeper level and learn how to train service dogs to HELP PEOPLE. To be apart of training dogs to bring independence to individuals. It’s not a play with puppies kind of career. We train these dogs for hours upon hours, our knuckles bleeding from the puppies who are still learning to take treats gently, dogs getting career changed after months of hard work and remediation with them, and also those moments when your dog finally figures out that advanced task you’ve been working on together for weeks. It can be VERY frustrating as a trainer to see those abusing the service dog system, but it’s ultimately about the real working dogs and their handlers that we often forget. Working dogs are their person’s other half. I’m sharing this because I think a lot of people are truly unaware of service dog etiquette, let alone what service dogs are really capable of and how much value and independence they bring to peoples lives. I’ve been approached by travelers with their pet dogs at the airport wanting their dog to play. I’ve had shoppers in clothing stores say excuse me to get around me and my dog, walking right into my dog (not only is this rude and invading people’s space, but this completely distracts the dog from his work). I’ve had parents let their children come up and pet my dog without asking. Individuals with service dogs are at the store to pick something up, just like me and you, they don’t necessarily care to hear all about your dog at home Just because someone isn’t in a wheelchair doesn’t mean any of these don’t apply to that dog and his handler. Many disabilities are invisible. Please don’t ask what the dog is for (unless you’re asking one of the two legal ADA questions for a valid reason: 1 is the dog a service animal required because of a disability 2 what work or task has the dog been trained to perform Please don’t distract the dog from his work. Don’t make eye contact, don’t say hi, don’t clap your hands, just acknowledge the dog is working and give them space. Please stop bringing your pets into Target and the grocery store (or any store). It only takes one bad encounter for a service dog to have lasting negative effects that could cause him to no longer be a working dog. Leave your pup at home so those with working dogs can confidently go out with their partner without worry Don’t say poor dog under your breathe as you walk past a working dog and his handler. Service dogs are not forced to do their job. Dogs get released as pets if they don’t want to be a working dog! Dogs that are working LOVE to work Please take this into consideration next time you see a working dog (or pup in-training)

Saturday Movie Night - Scooby Doo

Let’s talk about the word autistic for a moment. This post is not intended to be combative. It is simply meant to share information I wish I had known a deca...de ago when starting my career as an educator. I was taught in college and teacher trainings to always use person-first language (kid with autism). This was considered a universal truth from non-autistic professionals. However, over the last five years, I have had conversations with hundreds of self-advocates and learned that this is not true. In fact, many self-advocates prefer identity first language (autistic kid). To be honest, I have avoided commenting on this topic for some time. I like the focus of SBSK to be on the individual being featured and not a debate about semantics. It seems now the topic is no longer one that can be ignored. Every time I publish a video that includes the word autistic in the caption or title, I am greeted by countless messages proclaiming this phrasing is wrong from non-autistic people. Last night I shared an interview of a kid who proudly described himself as autistic. As anticipated, I received many messages about how it was wrong to refer to him in this way. One person said the title of the video made them cringe. In the mentioned video, this child shared that he felt alone and different his whole life. After learning he was autistic, he began to better understand himself. His new identity as an autistic person helped to replace feelings of uncertainty and anxiety with pride and self-awareness. Instead of cringing at the word autistic, I ask that you examine why this word would elicit feelings of discomfort in you. With that said, I do have a process when deciding the captions and titles of SBSK videos. I understand our videos reach millions of people each day, so I take no decision lightly. First, I ask the featured person if they have a preference. Most people these days prefer identity first. Some though, person first. If a person has a preference, I use that. If a person does not have a preference, I use identity first language. Hundreds of my disabled and autistic friends have told me this is their preferred terminology and I honor their expertise. Personally, I see the word autistic as a way to communicate information that will allow me to better connect with a person. In fact, I often get excited when I hear this word and instinctively reply "Cool!" when someone shares they are autistic. Many of my favorite people in the world are autistic! To sum it up, there is no right or wrong when it comes to language. What we must be wary of is speaking over people who have the lived experience of being an autistic person. The redundancy of the messages correcting my use of language often has me feeling like a character in the movie Groundhog’s Day. Semantics are constantly evolving. Many of the points I made in this post will probably be outdated in a few years. I will continue to work with each self-advocate I feature to ensure the use of their preferred terminology. I only ask that you do the same. Thank you. -Chris Image Description: Chris and Jon (his former autistic student and SBSK legend) as co-keynote speakers at the 2017 National Autism Conference.