Lonestar’s journey to becoming a service dog continues with professional training

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Lonestar’s journey to becoming a service dog continues with professional training

Over the last year and a half, CBS News Texas followed the journey of Lonestar, a Canine Companions pup in training to become a professional service dog. 

On Feb. 7, Lonestar will be matriculated, graduating from living with his volunteer puppy raiser, and moving to professional training. 

Since November 2023, Lonestar and his puppy handler Larry Nelson have been visiting CBS News Texas and updating viewers with all the tricks he’s learned while living with Nelson. 

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Lonestar stops by CBS News Texas on Jan. 16 before he graduates to professional training.

CBS News Texas


While living with Nelson, Lonestar mastered skills that he would use while living with a handler, like behaving on flights and in restaurants, grabbing the TV remote and calling for help, or barking, when needed. It was the first step in his training to become a service dog.

Lonestar went on trips to local fire stations, accompanied Nelson to restaurants, picked out his own toys at the pet store and attended weekly puppy training classes with fellow Canine Companions puppies in training. 

Lonestar is Nelson’s fifth puppy with Canine Companions after his daughters and nieces suggested he volunteer. As a volunteer puppy-raiser, Nelson has taken on the costs for the food, vet care, toys, etc., so a fully-trained Lonestar can go to someone with disabilities for free.

Nelson raised Lonestar concurrently with Kaz, another Canine Companions pup who graduated to professional training last February.

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Young Lonestar, left; Kaz, middle; Larry Nelson, right, at the Canine Companions facility in Irving, Texas in February 2024.

Toni Margolis


On graduation day, Lonestar will be placed with a professional trainer to go through professional training with Canine Companions staff. During professional training, Lonestar will learn how to use his nose to do things like push drawers and cabinets closed. He will also learn how to tug things like laundry baskets and how to retrieve items.

He will be in professional training for six to nine months before officially graduating from service dog training and being placed with a handler later this year. 

Although Lonestar is making the next step in his career, this isn’t goodbye – his professional trainer will still bring him in studio for monthly updates. 

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