Service Work: Opening Doors
Did some great work with those heavy commercial doors, working out logistics with the dog and chair. Her tenacity with tug is paying off and she pulls hard enough to open and hold the door so the wheelchair can get through. Now I just need to figure out details with my adaptive tools for this. Thank you to Matt and Thea for helping out today!
Changing it up for our morning workout. A twist on simple puppy push-ups: play on different surfaces, elevated platforms where space is limited, cue from different distances, change your position (standing, sitting, facing, back turned)... you never know what new version will bring in the way of new challenges. Get creative.
Someone is learning to help out with Sunday morning chores... Her service dog training continues and she’s doing great!
Service Work: Opening/Closing Doors using pulling.
One of Kia's jobs is going to be helping her boy with doors. Doors, if they are not automatic, can be difficult for those in wheelchairs to navigate through. Here Kia is showing how she can pull on a rope attached to a door handle to close (or open) the door. She also has gotten down how to pull hard - some doors are heavier than others or need a good tug to close all the way. Proud of this girl. She's getting the basics.
Maneuvering around with the wheelchair in tight places and staying clear of the wheels -check!
Service Work
Picking up dropped objects and placing them in the lap.
The Quick Wrap. How to make a homemade wrap to help " swaddle" your dog to help with fear or anxiety, especially for thunder or fireworks.
Will Work for Food. Nothing in Life is Free. No Free Lunch. Whatever you want to call it, having your dog "follow certain rules," listening to you first, and released to something they want (like a meal), is an important building block for a well behaved dog. It develops a number of amazing things: relationship, listening skills, incomparable behaviors to guarding, impulse control, as well as good manners. You can't go wrong!
My cameraman trying to be very polite in telling a lady with a little toddler that they can't pet the puppy. Kia practicing being with a friendly stranger for her service dog training.