Now I lay me down to sleep?

First night at home, Porter and Avery fell asleep on the couch together. Avery saw a tired yellow pup on his couch, went and found a pillow, and demanded I "lay down head...blankets..."

Luckily I had my phone with a camera to catch a quick snapshot before I then passed out after all the running around. Been quite a journey on Daddy too...

Unfortunately, Jessica and I got sick over the weekend, making it for an "interesting" arrangement. This basically means Daddy running around the house catching Porter and Avery's potty mistakes, and then tissues for his own nose. Wash, rinse, repeat.

Although the weekend was mostly spent inside, we still had PLENTY of short walks, as well as one fun trip to a local park to sled. We had the whole park to ourselves, and it was awesome to watch Porter chase after a fast-sledding Avery. He pounces through the snow like a deer. My favorite part was when Avery whipped down the hill (by himself for the first time ever!), and then laughing, turned to say "Come on Mommy, Daddy, Porter! Let's do it again!". I am shocked at how well Avery has invited Porter into his life, and how he acknowledges him after a short period. He even looks to make sure Porter is in his pop-up kennel bedside when he goes to sleep. 

 

*Image Disclaimer: You will likely find that most pictures right now consist of sleeping Porter and/or sleeping Avery. This is mostly due to the fact that this is the only time I can catch either of them still enough for a decent picture. I need to learn motion photography. 

All is well in the Rhodes house, very busy, but well!

We would like to extend our appreciation to everyone for your support and love. We could not have made this happen for Avery without you!!! Words can not express how appreciative we are, really,

THANK YOU!

Stay tuned for pictures/videos on our first public outing. Should be interesting. 

Love: Dusty, Jessica, Avery and Porter

Porter - Service Dog in Training

Hello Everyone,

My name is Porter. I am a 4-month old Labrador Retriever Puppy. I come from Shamrock Acres (www.shamrockacreskennels.com) from a long line of champions. On Friday, January 27, 2012, I will be going home with Avery, Jessica, and Dusty Rhodes. My sole purpose is to serve Avery Allen Rhodes as his Autism Service Dog.

Avery's Father, Dusty, has made all the arrangements to train me initially for my CGC (Canine Good Citizen) certification, and then I will move on to train more intensively for Autistic-specific commands. This process can easily take several years, so I am excited to start helping Avery now. Dusty knows the organization (www.customcanines.org) we are working with has had an overwhelming caseload given to them (both puppies and Autistic Children), and they need all the help they can get. You can imagine, as puppies get donated, they need potential trainers as well, which are also in very short supply. If you think you may be able to help (if you can't train, you can sponsor!) please contact them and offer your help.

They are an AMAZING group of individuals who all came together for one purpose: To help those who need the help... and they do this all out there own resources (which means they need financial assistance). We are using the money Dusty raised for me for everything related to my training and health, as well as helping Custom Canines out however we can.

The bond between Service Dog and the Autistic Child is a strong key in the success of this therapy. The earlier we start, the better of a chance of this bond developing. Also, since Avery is 3.5 years old, it is important he gets therapy as soon as possible to attempt to cure his Autism, so hopefully he has a "normal" childhood and adult life.

I would like to thank everyone who has whole-heartedly contributed to my funding, which essentially made this whole situation actually happen. I, as well as Avery's family, want to express our deepest appreciation for everything you've done. Your friendship and love is worth more than words can express.

Please keep in touch, and there will surely be many updates, challenges, successes, and fur-flying antics ahead!

Please subscribe by email (on the top right) to Avery's blog for updates:
www.averyallenrhodes.blogspot.com
www.averyallenrhodes.com

Sincerely,
Porter Rhodes, Service Dog in Training
(named after Avery's birthplace, Portland, Oregon)