North Star video

http://www.myhero.com/go/films/view.asp?film=Joel&res=high
A wonderful video highlighting what an autism service dog can do for you. This video was produced by Danny Gross, son of Patty Dobbs Gross, founder of NorthStar.

A very patient pooch

Yes you can!

Yes you too can groom your own poodle!

When we first got Lily a year ago, my big worry was her hair. My big relief was...her hair!

Poodles dont shed and when I say that, I mean it! You can pull and tug but it wont come out. Its not fur, its hair.

This keeps our house very clean for having a large dog in it.

Now this means you need to clip it, at least every 6-8 weeks if you want them to look like a poodle as opposed to a portugese water dog!

After hunting down a groomer I was horrified to find that Standards cost about 100 bucks a groom at most groomers in the Bay Area. You can do a quick 50 dollar petsmart cut, but beware.

So I decided to learn myself. I've been successful now for about a year. It's amazing how in many ways Lily has become more than just a service dog to the boys, but to every member of the family including Mom. Grooming her and training her has become a beloved hobby and a natural stress reliever for me! Its a great way to bond with your dog, and train them while you are grooming.

Lately I have been finding more people in the community wanting to learn, I've been sharing tips and have begun making contacts in order to help groom others dogs. I hope that everyone gets the message that "yes you can!"

Lily and her family

Service dogs for autism

Welcome to our new blog where we share all things wonderful and unique about having an autism service dog. We are a little biased here, but we think that Standard Poodles are a great breed and often overlooked. What many do not know is that they are becoming more and more common as use in service of this kind.

We want you to meet Lily, our beautiful black Standard Poodle. She was bred from a long line of great Standards from Sandyoaks breeders in Henrietta Texas. What her breeder Judy began to notice about Lily very early on was that she had a unique connection with people that surpassed even her other very lovable poodles. It was this that brought Judy to contact North Star Foundation. North Star specializes in placing service dogs with children with Autism.

We hope you enjoy reading about our special girl and all that she has become to our very special kiddos.