Team Philotimo

The real dog behind ARGO

Real Dogs Like ARGO

ARGO is modeled on Boone, a Labrador mix we found as a puppy in a Walmart parking lot near Glacier Park, Montana. He’s a registered U.S. service dog who loves all children, and even goes trick-or-treating with them on Halloween.

Meet ARGO, the robot dog in the book

ARGO can talk, read data, and fly in a winged RV. Real dogs can’t do any of that. What real service dogs do is just as amazing. Draft

ARGO's crest: a Labrador in a service vest above a ship's prow and an anchor.

From the book · Prologue

More than a pet. A partner for life.

Infographic: Service Dogs, More Than a Pet. Guide dogs, medical alert dogs, therapy dogs, search and rescue, and how service dogs are trained.
Infographic: Intelligent Disobedience. Sometimes the bravest thing is to say no.

For kids

Working-dog manners

  • A dog wearing a vest is working. Don’t pet it, even if it looks friendly.
  • Don’t call its name, whistle, or make noises to get its attention.
  • Never offer it food or treats.
  • If you want to say hello, ask the person first. Sometimes the answer is no, and that’s okay.
  • Talk to the person, not the dog.
  • If a service dog comes to you without its person, it may be getting help. Find an adult right away.

Draft list. Check against Dogs Inc guidance before publishing.

How a puppy becomes a partner

From puppy to partner

Most guide and service dogs are bred for the job. A volunteer puppy raiser takes the puppy home, teaches house manners, and takes it everywhere so it learns to stay calm in busy places. Then the dog goes back for months of formal training before it is matched with its person. Many dogs don’t finish, and that’s normal. They become pets or take other jobs. Draft

Our family’s charity

Dogs Inc

For more than 20 years, our family has supported Dogs Inc, formerly Southeastern Guide Dogs, in Palmetto, Florida. They breed, raise, and train guide dogs and service dogs for people who are blind, for veterans, and for Gold Star families, and they give the dogs free of charge. We have toured their campus and seen what these dogs do. Draft

If we ever add links for science kits or other products to this site, every cent those links earn will go to Dogs Inc.

Visit Dogs Inc

Ink engraving of Willa nose to nose with ARGO, who wears his service vest.

Find a program near you

Other programs doing this work

Most reputable programs are accredited by Assistance Dogs International. Their member search is the easiest way to find one near you.

Assistance Dogs International

Accreditation body, with a search for programs by location.

Worldwide

Guide Dogs for the Blind

Guide dogs. Campuses in San Rafael, California, and Oregon.

CA · OR

Canine Companions

Service dogs. Southern California campus in Oceanside.

CA + more

The Seeing Eye

The oldest guide dog school in the U.S., founded in 1929.

NJ

NY

K9s For Warriors

Service dogs for veterans, many of them rescues.

FL

Paws With A Cause

Assistance dogs.

MI