Oklahoma City special care center’s best worker isn’t human

Costa, a 2-year-old Labrador retriever, knows 35 commands and helps with many activities at Special Care Inc. Here’s a look at what he’s able to do:

→Open and close doors.

→Turn lights on and off.

→Tuck kids in during nap time.

→Provide motivation for kids who need mobility assistance.

→Retrieve items on command, such as cans of soda or remote controls.

Push: Can be used to activate a push plate to open a door; or to close a door or drawer; or to press a button (on a TV, an elevator, etc.)

Get: Used in retrieval, and can be used for any item from a cell phone to car keys to credit cards; can also be combined with "give.”

Lap: The dog jumps up and places its front two legs on a person’s lap.

Visit: The dog rests its head on a person’s lap.

Step: The dog places its front two feet on the foot plate of a person’s wheelchair or on the feet themselves.