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Adorable Service Dog Patiently Poses for a Caricature at Disneyland

By Kelly Richman-Abdou on October 21, 2016

Apparently, Disneyland isn’t “the Happiest Place on Earth” just for humans—service dogs love it, too!

A puppy-loving Twitter user named Katie (@cutiechaser__) recently shared an adorable photo of a particularly patient pooch as he poses for a classic caricature (he’s surfing in a Stitch costume, if you’re curious) at Disneyland. Snapped by her parents—who, as annual pass holders, visit the park often—the picture quickly grew popular across social media, with users eager to find out more about the precious pup: a service-dog-in-training named Yahoo.

Yahoo is part of Canine Companions for Independence, an exceptional non-profit that trains assistance dogs to aid and support people with disabilities at no cost. According to Jeanine Konopelski, a spokesperson for the organization, told Buzzfeed that Yahoo lives with a volunteer who likely brought the dog to the busy park as a training tool. Konopelski explains: “Based on that photo, Yahoo is practicing basic obedience commands as he waits for his photo [to be] taken. That’s a perfect training and socialization for one of our dogs to get used to waiting and sitting at attention.” What better way to learn the all-important art of patience?

Fortunately for trainers and doggies alike, Disneyland is extremely service animal-friendly, welcoming support dogs, puppies, and even miniature horses. While the assistance animals aren’t permitted on all the rides (Splash Mountain and Matterhorn Bobsleds are a couple of obvious examples), they are allowed in many attractions and even have special “relief areas” throughout the grounds. And, if they’re lucky, they also get to meet a few cartoon-y characters, too.

Be sure to check out more sweet snapshots of Disney-loving dogs below!

Above photo credit: @cutiechaser_