Disney World is not only the happiest place on earth, it is also one of the best places to hone a service dog’s skills. Jessica Paulsen knows this firsthand.
She and her good-boy Golden Retriever, Henry love spending time at the park and have visited six times!
While all the sights, sounds, and smells are enough to drive an average dog to distraction, Henry is trained to focus on the task at hand. He can block out just about any stimuli in order to monitor his handler’s needs.
Even working dogs need a break sometimes, and while Disney is an excellent learning opportunity, it also gives Henry a chance to cut loose!
“Furiends please note that Henry is a working dog but Disney days are long and character meets are a great reward for all of Henry’s hard work,” Paulsen writes in an Instagram post. “You can learn more about his job in our highlight labeled ‘working.’”
He especially loves the character meet-and-greets. During a recent trip to the Animal Kingdom he ran into a familiar-looking friend – Dug the dog from the movie Up!
Whether he sees a bit of himself in Dug, or simply remembers him from previous visits, Henry’s reaction is adorable. He gently nuzzles the giant dog and his movie master Russell. Finally, he plunks himself down between the two characters for a photo op.
The pair are obviously big fans of the 2009 film. Check out this photo they took during a previous visit to the theme park.
Paulsen documents her life with Henry and all their adventures on their Instagram page @KingHenryOfNashville where they have over 118,000 followers!
Paulsen has postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome which can cause light-headedness, fainting, and rapid heartbeat.
To prevent her from having to bend over – an action that could cause her to experience symptoms – Henry retrieves dropped items, delivers shoes, and more.
Most importantly of all, Henry is ready and able to bring help should Paulsen have an emergency. He is trained to locate someone, get the person’s attention, and then lead them back to his mom.
Now that you know a bit about what Henry does, you can see why his frequent visits to Disney World are so important. When you work hard, you need to play hard, too!
Check out all Henry’s adorable and educational posts on Instagram.
Toledo, United States.
