Wolfgang’s Epic Journey Home: A Service Dog Heads to a Remote Alaskan Town

In March 2025, I visited Alaska Labradors and selected a sweet, keen little male pup. He had a wonderful disposition and an observant personality with a dash of spunk. He had been chosen to begin training as an Autistic Service Dog for a young boy who lives in Skagway, Alaska. He would spend the first two weeks at Alaska Dog Works, doing an intensive puppy obedience/house training board and train program. Then he would go to Skagway for a month to bond with his little boy. This family had never had a dog before, so it was decided early on that Wolfgang would return to Alaska Dog Works for further intensive boarding and training programming. For his return trip, he was transported in a puppy crate to the Juneau International Airport and then flown to Ted Stevens Anchorage Airport, where we picked him up.

Wolfgang would spend the entire summer at Alaska Dog Works learning all about obedience, being a canine good citizen, specific tasking, and begin public access training. I would return him to Skagway at the end of the summer.

That’s where this part of Wolfgang’s story picks up.

Alaska Dog Works Training Facility to Ted Stevens Airport

Before embarking on this journey, Wolfgang would need to visit his veterinarian at All Creatures in Wasilla, Alaska. With a good bill of health and some advice to lose a little weight, he was approved for travel.

Going to the airport involves driving 70 miles from Willow to Anchorage. This part of the journey, Wolfgang is used to and does well riding in the car. This would be Wolfgang’s first visit to the airport, not riding in a crate but as a vested in-training service dog. We traversed the parking garage without any issues and immediately entered the airport, which featured shiny marble floors and two flights of stairs leading down. Wolfgang took to this challenge with no hesitation, responded well to the “easy” command, and assisted me with going down the stairs. In the elevator for the first time, again, no issues and following commands. I was already pleased with his candor, considering he was only a nine-month-old pup.

People are his biggest vice, and a few small excitement jump-ups next to me, and one whine, and with the “no visits” command, he did manage to contain himself and go back to tasking. With continued exposure to high-traffic areas with many people in proximity, he will continue to thrive and improve.

Before purchasing our tickets, I visited the Alaska Airlines website to complete the Department of Transportation Service Dog Registry forms. These forms assign an identification number to your dog, like our driver’s license numbers; they remain associated with the assigned dog/handler. As his trainer, I am listed on the form as the person who provided professional training, and I am verifying that the dog has undergone specific training for the handler named. A third-party company called Open Doors will call me to confirm. So, I filled out the form for our client in a way that would assign Wolfgang to the child and his mother. In other words, Wolfgang would not be registered with the FAA and DOT as myservice dog. The DOT website states that in-training service dogs can fly with their handlers or with their trainers. However, this does cause some confusion at check-in. I will explain in a moment. I did not want Wolfgang to inadvertently be assigned two registration numbers, which would cause more hassle in the future, as this would be the only time I’d oversee him during travel.

Wolfgang and I proceeded to the check-in area next to where you drop off crated pets and weapons. We were called up to Agent Pono’s station. Pono greeted us with a smile and said I only need your ID. I offered Wolfgang’s health certificate and was told he is a service dog so that I wouldn’t need it. I then handed Pono the paper I received back from DOT. This is where things got difficult.

Pono tried to input the information; however, we were missing a critical component. Pono summons a supervisor. So far, Wolfgang is dealing with large tote boxes, gun boxes, dog crates, leashed pet dogs, and children all around us. He is patiently waiting by my side, just observing it all. Including a black lab lunging and barking at a female Brittany Spaniel who was ignoring him. All of that within ten feet of us. Wolfgang didn’t bat an eye. Up walks the supervisor. He immediately says I see your dog is behaving extremely well, as a service dog should and smiled at me. He then said Let’s see what we’ve got going on here. He asked me where his ID number was. I looked at him with a blank expression, and I said, ‘This is all I received.’

Then, after a bit of explaining how I enrolled Wolfgang, Russell says, give his owner a call and find out if they emailed her the number. You see, Open Doors called me because I listed myself as his trainer, so I verified him. However, the number assigned to Wolfgang was emailed to his handler’s mother, and when I called her and asked, she said she had just received this email about half an hour ago.  My goodness, I said to Russell, I even called Alaska Airlines on Thursday to make sure I had everything I needed.

So, we have his number. Russell enters it into the system. He then looks at me and says I must make a call; they aren’t going to let him get on the plane with you because of how he’s registered. But it makes sense to me that you’re taking him to Juneau as a training opportunity while you’re delivering him, so I’m going to push this through. I found out from Russell that, although trainers can travel with the dogs, it makes sense not to register the dog with two different handlers; however, it’s what DOT wants you to do.  Russell, Pono, Wolfgang, and I stood there on hold for a little more than 30 minutes. Russell pushes us through as an “approved dog in the cabin,” whatever that means. I was thankful, and I gave Russell my contact information, as he may invite me to speak to his staff about spotting fakes and how the training process works.

Wolfgang and I headed to the TSA Precheck line. No issues with the TSA agent, walk over to the line to go through the metal detectors. As I’m placing my backpack onto the table, a flight attendant crams her way through the tight space and runs over Wolfgang’s tail. He didn’t even flinch. She then throws her bags on the table, takes off her shoes, mind you, you were in the precheck line, where you don’t have to take off your shoes. She then rushes through the metal detector. I push my bag along the conveyor belt and proceed to the metal detector, still wearing my boots.  The agent directs me to have Wolfgang stay while I walk through and then call him to me.

Okay! Here we go a huge test of wills and trust on both our parts. I direct Wolfgang to sit and wait, remove the leash from around my neck and shoulders, repeat the command, and step through the metal detector as I’ve done hundreds of times before. I turned around and called him to me. Without hesitation, he came directly to me and stopped. The agent fell to his knees as he said I need to pat his vest down. Do I have your permission, Of course, I say. He said it set off the detector. I was fairly sure it wasn’t the vest, but the heavy brass-plated steel snaps on my leather leash that were still attached to Wolfgang. Nonetheless, we were approved and off to the gate!

We had about an hour and a half until we needed to board. I opted to grab a bite to eat at McDonald’s. This was on purpose to test Wolfgang. He has never been to a restaurant, and McDonald’s in the airport is a tough one. The smells were strong. He was a good boy in line. Then, as we approached the counter, the smell and excitement got the best of him, and he jumped up in the air next to me, but not on the counter. With an immediate “stop” command followed by sit/wait, he settled himself back into working mode. Poor guy can’t really blame him. We stayed for my order and then walked over to a picnic table near our gate. He settled near my seat while lots of people walked by near him with luggage, strollers, kids running by, and a dog. No reactions. No begging for my McDonald’s.

We then waited until the E group was called for boarding. The gate agent halted us and said, ‘Wait, I don’t see a service dog traveling on this flight.’ I said yes, look again. Supervisor Russell approved him at check-in. She wasn’t happy but waved us on. We settled into our window seat 18F. Our seat buddies settled in. For a 9-month-old 65 lbs. lab puppy, even the tiny bit of extra room in the window was a snug fit.

I helped him get stuffed in. Then, about ten minutes later, one of the flight attendants asked me to move back a row. Knowing that protesting behavior will get you kicked out, I complied. To my surprise, we were moved to an entire row to ourselves! This made it much easier for both of us. While I sat in the window seat, I should have sat in the middle seat to help block the commotion of the aisle from Wolfgang’s view, which caused him some concern and even discomfort. The clunky beverage carts and the constant back and forth of people make it hard for people to relax, let alone dogs trying to provide their handlers with the tasks they may need on the plane.

The takeoff went well, with some encouragement that we were alright. This one-hour forty-minute flight was almost too short for him to settle down fully. Landing was crazy in bad, turbulent weather, a hard, fast bank into the airstrip with a hot landing was textbook for Alaska Airlines pilots but made me and Wolfgang nervous. However, we survived without becoming airsick.

Uber from Juneau International Airport to Driftwood Lodge Hotel with Dante

I scheduled a ride with Uber, choosing a pet-friendly option. Dante showed up within seven minutes, as posted in a newer model Toyota RAV4 LE. It was pouring rain and windy. Dante did not get out of his car to offer any assistance with my bag or the service dog I was traveling with. He greeted me with you have a dog. I said yes, service dog. He said, ‘I don’t want him on my seat.’ I said he won’t be in your seats. Are you declining the ride to the hotel? He said no. So, I tossed my bag and then helped Wolfgang get in the very small space of this RAV 4. Mind you, I own a RAV 4 XLE.

You’d think not much difference. Well, you’d be wrong; the back doors have a bit more space by opening wider, and there is a significant difference in legroom. So, it was a tight squeeze for the nine-month-old Labrador pup that weighs 65 lbs. This ride would cost me $34 plus tax and tip, so it rounded out at $41. To go seven miles. Dante wasn’t unfriendly; he was just interested in getting the ride over as quickly as possible. Overall Uber experience with a dog for the first time – not easy and not pleasurable. It would have altered my opinion of Juneau if I had been a tourist.

Uber to Ferry with Ronaldo

This was a much different experience than the day before. Ronaldo didn’t care if Wolfie was a service dog or not; he welcomed him. Grabbed my bag by reaching around to the backseat so I could load Wolfie. Ronaldo was driving a newer model Toyota Highlander with a third-row seat. Much larger than a RAV 4(He doesn’t know how to get into cars that have narrow back door openings). Ronaldo was friendly and conversational. Asked questions about the dog and chatted about the weather. It was very early in the morning, but I was still welcomed and dropped off within 12 minutes at the Ferry from the hotel in downtown Juneau, about nine miles away. The cost was $45, all-inclusive, with tax and tip.

Notably, I attempted to use the Taxi Service, but neither of the two companies listed answered at 5:30 am. The hotel said they offered a shuttle at 5:30 am and asked us to be in the lobby at that time to request permission to take the dog to the Ferry. When I went to the lobby, the doors were locked. I waited until 5:55 am before giving up and calling Uber. I was out of time. 

For people with disabilities traveling, whether with a service dog or not, basic things like scheduling reliable transportation can be problematic in remote touristy areas of Alaska. Furthermore, when arriving at an airport or ferry terminal in the state’s capital city, one would think that places to eat and shop at 4 pm on a Friday would be easy to find. No. They required lots of maneuvering and moving parts to get from point A to point B. So, I ordered Domino’s pizza to my hotel room. Sure, there are tons of places to enjoy in Juneau, but many of them are difficult to access without a car. Juneau is designed for legislation and cruise ships.

Ferry: Saturday, Sept 27, 2025

We arrived at 6:10 a.m. on Saturday, checked in at the main terminal, and received our actual ticket by presenting our printed one we had obtained online.

Then we went to the potty area, and he finally went poop, hadn’t gone since Friday morning.

Even though it was dark, the ocean glimmering in the light spooked him slightly, but he was able to navigate with encouragement. Stalled once inside to go up the two full flights of stairs, the boat engine is very loud and made him apprehensive, so he had to tug him up both flights.  As we were checked in by the loaders, the one who took my ticket immediately said, “Even if this is a service dog, if he acts out, especially in the cafeteria, we will stow him below.”

They started loading the Ferry at 6:25 am, so we walked on as they were loading the vehicles. I noticed right away people unloading Rumpl blankets and sleeping bags, taking the lounge chairs on the decks.  Since I needed to work on school and charge my stuff (hotel and airport chargers did not fully charge my phone), I decided to sit in the cafeteria.

Wolfgang and I settled in, and about an hour and a half into the journey, I decided to grab a cup of coffee and a slice of banana bread. We walked through the tiny café with several others. He did well. I took my time and enjoyed my robust, full-bodied coffee. Then, about an hour later, the boat encountered some rougher waters in the Strait. I get seasick on smaller vessels. I’ve been on ferries several times and never been sick. The water was rough enough that I felt it coming on. Wolfgang began to feel uneasy as well, shifting, sitting, standing, and panting slightly.

We were a little more than halfway, or 3.5 hours into the six-hour ride from Juneau to Haines (then it’s another hour or so to Skagway). So, I took him for a walk to see if we could find a relief area for him. NOPE! Absolutely nothing. What in the world! So, as we’re rounding the corner and stepping into the vestibule where the boat captain’s office is, we’ll ask him where to relieve the service dog.

Someone says, “Hey, are you from Mushing Magazine?” Yes, I’m Michele with Mushing. “I’m Sean. Robert interviewed me last year on the podcast. I work with Rachel Scordis. Hey! Nice to meet you. We start chatting about dogs, of course. About five minutes later, Rachel walked up, and Wolfgang was instantly drawn to her. If you don’t know, Rachel is legally blind. I instructed Wolfgang to visit. The first and only person I allowed him to do this with. Well, once I pulled him back to my side, he got overly excited and let out a bark and then another. This drew the attention of the boat captain, who was already stern with me for bringing him on. He said that’s strike one.

Service dogs do not bark. I apologized to diffuse and said my farewells to my acquaintances, who felt terrible. Not their fault. Not even my fault. Not Wolfgang’s fault either. A fully trained service dog knows not to bark. Wolfgang is an IN-Training and just nine months old. This was the ONLY mistake on a trip that we were 50 hours into. He was tired. And still needed to potty. We returned to our corner in the cafeteria, where our new friends from the Florida Keys graciously returned the favor and watched my stuff so I could be faster in looking for a relief area, and again, catering to everyone except a disabled person using a Service Dog. The Alaska Marine Highway can do better. Place a piece of astro turf at the back of the ferry for Service Dogs to relieve themselves on these longer rides.

We docked in Haines about 45 minutes later. Great! I can let him go for a 20-minute walk and then finally use the bathroom. I let most of the passengers with vehicles head down, and I wait for a break in the crowd before taking Wolfgang down the stairs. We’re directed to proceed ahead of the next group of cars. Head up the ramp, tell the first guy we’re rushing to the bathroom. Please proceed to the top; the captain is waiting to scan our tickets. I say, we’re trying to use the bathroom quickly before we head to Skagway. He said No, you’re not. My heart sank.

Our one strike must’ve done us in. Then the person who had followed me said the same thing: ‘I’m just taking a quick walk.’ Nope. The ferry is not going further into Skagway due to 40 mph winds. A small group of us had gathered at this point, all of us stunned and shocked by this declaration. 40 mph seemed mild considering what we can get here in Alaska.

I was just glad I had grabbed all our stuff. So, we hurried to the potty spot for a well-deserved relief. Then, they headed inside with about 45 other passengers who were now stranded, scrambling to figure out different ways to get to Skagway. The seaplane company was not flying due to the storm. I immediately called Wolfgang’s owner in Skagway, “We’ve encountered a problem, the ferry is not continuing and has been canceled.”  I’m stuck in Haines, with no lodging, no transportation, and a strict timeline to return to Anchorage on Monday morning. An entire day of training has been lost because of this.

Unexpected Lodging in Haines

Everyone jumped into action. They called a hotel in Haines and a cab company they were familiar with. I jumped in line to get a partial refund on my round-trip tickets and get a new return trip from Haines back to Juneau on Sunday. Finished just in time to head out the door to the cab that had just pulled up! A sweet lady who gave me a brief sightseeing tour of Haines. I’ve been to Haines before with another Service Dog client, about 5 or 6 years ago, maybe 7 years ago now. But I still enjoyed it. She showed me a place to eat and the grocery store. Went into the hotel and was pleasantly greeted.

Lucy’s Tours & Shuttle

I mentioned previously that the cab arrived on time at the Ferry Terminal and gave us a brief tour of the coastline into town. Well, Lucy was an absolute peach. She was wearing a bit of a costume, a mash-up of Stevie Nicks and librarian. I loved it. Her cheery smile and sweet, kind words, as we looked defeated while exiting the terminal, made me feel safe and comforted. She was driving a newer model Subaru, and while it was like a RAV 4, it was a tight squeeze getting in, but at no time did she make us feel like we shouldn’t. She had the heat on full blast, but otherwise it smelled of old books and tea in her car (of course it did!). I learned about the bears and moose that have recently visited town, and she said you could spend the night at my place, but I’ve got a house full of Yorkie puppies. I have four Yorkies, and two had pups this summer.

 Oh my, I said. Wolfgang adores little dogs, but we’ve got the hotel. People like Lucy and a few of the individuals we encountered in the terminal who offered to assist us when they found out I was literally stranded are the significant reasons my love-hate relationship with Alaska has endured for over 15 years. Alaskans typically band together to help one another, especially when the weather and travel conditions go sideways.

Aspen Inn & Suites

Back to the arrival at the hotel. Mind you, it’s 1:30 pm. Well before normal check-in times. They welcomed me and then realized I had a dog with me. My client said it was dog-friendly, but alas, what is on the websites and the third-party booking sites is not what they say to your face. I said he’s a service dog that I’ve trained and am delivering to the client who paid for this room. We became stranded on the ferry. She stood there for what seemed like forever. And then printed the room card and said I put you on the first floor, closer to the door at the end of the hall, to make it easier to take him outside. Nice! Thank you! We both definitely needed a minute to figure out what in the heck just happened.

After about half an hour, I decided to take advantage of the fact that it wasn’t raining and was only windy, and take Wolfgang for a good, long walk. It would be beneficial for both of us. Behind the hotel, I could see the community center pool parking lot. I knew there was a soccer field and track near that building. There was a dog potty spot in the rear parking lot, and from there I spied a trail that went toward the soccer field. Called my husband to say we’re okay, we’re off on a trail adventure, I know where I am, and I’ll text when we get back. Now this sounds like me, but it is not what I would do when traveling alone. Having Wolfgang gave me a sense of security, so off we went through the wooded area with tall grass. Thinking about the warning the cab driver gave us, we’ve had black bears and moose in town.

Plans don’t always go as Planned.

Wolfgang and I enjoyed our walk and trip to the grocery store to grab something to eat. We settled in, and I started writing this. Wolfgang’s family worked some magic, rearranging things. While Mom and son (the handler) are staying behind in Skagway, Dad is driving six hours south through Canada to meet me and Wolfgang. Do some training in the morning and jump on the Ferry to Skagway just after lunch on Sunday. My trip was altered slightly as I will be on a different ferry headed south back to Juneau to catch my flight back to Anchorage on Monday morning. If the Ferry still cannot travel to Skagway, Wolfgang can still get through Canada, as he has a Health Certificate, so hopefully the restrictions regarding young dogs won’t delay him if they must drive back.

Tomorrow is a New Day

There are many slogans for difficult days. Tomorrow is a new day, mine. I am resilient. I stand up for the rights of people with disabilities to have full use of their service dogs. This experience with its ups and downs taught me that Alaska can and should do better. Alaska has the highest per capita veteran population in the country. While they all don’t have or use service dogs, ADA guidelines and recommendations that make lives easier need to be updated across the state.

Wolfgang’s Epic Journey Home, Part 2

The journey began on a Friday; it’s now Sunday. As you know, we were supposed to have spent the entire day on Saturday in Skagway, training the family on how to work with Wolfgang and teaching him how to work with the family. Things don’t always go as planned.

Aaron is the father of the young boy Wolfgang is in training for; he made the six-hour drive from Skagway through a bit of Canada and into Haines. Told me it is one of the most beautiful drives he’s ever experienced. Has lived in Skagway for 15 years and never made the drive.

Wolfgang and I woke up at our usual time, completed our morning rituals, and got in a nice walk around Haines without it raining. Met Aaron in the lobby while I was checking out. Wolfgang almost instantly recognized a familiar smell because he attempted to pull me in a different direction. Then, as I was speaking to the receptionist, I thanked her for our lovely stay. Aaron said, good morning, friends! Wolfgang swung around and broke every single service dog rule! His body was trembling with excitement; he was jumping up, but trying to do it, and of course, as Aaron came into view, the whining and whimpering became a bark and a lunge forward. I held tight and stayed firm, but I was losing ground. I let him go and enjoyed the blissful reunion between a man and his dog. Just like those videos when an enlisted person returns from deployment.

Let the Transition and Training Begin

After spending five and a half months at Alaska Dog Works doing intensive training, seeing a person that you spent just a month with during the most impressionable time of his young life proved once again that dogs don’t forget the kindness and love they are shown during those critical periods of their lives. You see, I chose Wolfgang at eight weeks of age. He spent two weeks with us at Alaska Dog Works before joining Aaron in Skagway for a month. He has a special connection with Aaron and always will.

We walked out to Aaron’s car, threw my bag in the back, and then put Wolfgang’s stuff in. I immediately showed Aaron how to load Wolfgang and secure him with the seatbelt to his harness. I explained that Wolfgang should always ride in the back seat and be properly secured for the safety of both himself and the passengers.

We then took a walk over to Mountain Market, a small espresso café and specialty store in Haines. I showed Aaron how to manage him on the sidewalks when vehicles pass, what to say, and how to use the leash properly. Once we arrived at the market, we sat on a bench and waited for it to open, along with about five other couples. They were due to open in about five minutes, and we could see someone inside milling around. About 15 minutes later, more people had arrived. A guy went up to the door and pointed at a sign, only to find the door locked. I noticed, and it said Sunday: Closed. I mention this to Aaron, and he tells me, ‘That’s odd; the website says they’re open today.’ The guy inside opens the door and tells all 12 of us that he’s not open on Sundays.

We soldier on. Do some more training and end up back in the hotel lobby because, in Haines, as with most Alaskan villages and towns, once Labor Day hits and the cruise ships leave port for the season, shops shut down, and the locals who stay for the winter are left with no places to congregate and socialize. This means that travelers meeting to transfer service dogs often end up with no place to practice how to manage the dog in a restaurant or a busy shopping district.

Not exactly ideal, but we persevered. We walked over to the grocery store, walked through, grabbed some yogurt drinks for our breakfast, and the hotel barely offered lukewarm coffee. No waffles for us!

We had done as much training as possible. It was approaching the time when Aaron and Wolfgang would need to be at the Ferry Terminal to check in and head back to Skagway. Just an hour by ferry.

Wolfgang is ready for some peace and quiet and something familiar. We are a long way from the home he has spent the majority of his nine-month life.

What’s Ahead

Wolfgang will arrive home, greeted by an overjoyed boy. As much as they try, no training will happen today, and that’s okay. Tonight, Wolfgang will learn how to sleep in his crate next to a curious and concerned boy instead of his usual sleeping in his crate next to a dog friend or two. Tomorrow, his new normal will begin, and he will start training with his family.

Wolfgang will continue training for another year plus three months. At 24 months of age, he will have met all his training requirements and will be ready for full-time work as an autistic service dog. Skagway is a small, close-knit community that will support this family in their success. They will continue to receive their training with us remotely, with personalized in-person visits scheduled for specific training milestones throughout the coming year.

To Wolfgang – be strong, be courageous, for a young boy is in need of your guidance, protection, and to see the world as a place of wonder, not dark shadows of uncertainty. Wrap your wings around him and show him the way. Dogs are just angels sent to us from heaven to help the ones among us make their way.

~ Michele