17/11/2025
🐶 Meet Julie – our newest Assistance Dog in Training.
In her session with Alana, Julie gave us plenty of reasons to smile right along with her. 😄💛
Alana worked on her down behaviour, and for an assistance dog, a “down” is so much more than a down. It’s the vessel to settling in public spaces, offering calm around movement, regulating excitement, and showing she can switch gears with confidence. She practised on a variety of surfaces and handled it beautifully - grass can wait for another day as Alana wanted to keep things positive and fair to help maintain that wonderful enthusiasm she brings to her work.
This was Alana’s first session alone with Julie, without mum present. Julie had a few moments, pausing and thinking about heading back home to mum. That’s completely normal for a young dog still building confidence away from their person.
Using treat-toss games helped her get moving again with fun, though Alana was mindful not to create a “plant feet = treat toss” pattern.
🌟But the biggest win of the entire session?
As she is new to assistance training, strategic resets are vital. While they were resting, a calm bull-breed dog wandered past about 5 metres away. Julie looked over with interest and stayed relaxed. No tension. No stress signals. Just quiet, thoughtful observation.
This moment matters because when Julie was a puppy, she was quite drastically attacked by a dog of this type. Her fear reactivity is rooted in a very real experience, and she has every reason to be cautious. So seeing her sit calmly, breathing steady, watching without worry… that’s huge.
Toward the end, Julie gave a little “no food, no thank you,” showing she was getting tired and that’s okay. To prevent a pattern forming, Alana shifted focus to offered behaviours, giving Julie space to think, choose, and re-engage on her own. She did just that, which not only broadens reinforcement beyond food but also strengthens her willingness to participate and offer effort independently.
Big feelings, small steps, beautiful progress. Go, Julie. 🥳
