Lecture/The Mall

Journal # 15: June 27, 2011

Today we talked about various news articles (each recipient had been given a different news article to read and discuss) about service animals for our Access III lecture. A service boa, a 5-month old diabetic alert puppy, a growling “service dog” at the DMV and an email from someone looking to pass their dog off as a service dog were among the topics of discussion.

We also discussed access issues in unusual places (medical facilities, jail) and about traveling internationally with a service dog.

After lunch, our dogs each retrieved a metal food bowl –now, at every mealtime, the dog MUST retrieve their metal food bowl –or the dog does not get fed. I think this helps with the dog’s willingness to retrieve metal objects (not a dog’s favorite type of thing to retrieve) to help keep the dog reliable in that area. Leon, of course, did very well and retrieved the bowl readily both in class and at dinner time in the evening. We also had our dogs carry a plastic bag the length of 2 poles in the training barn –carrying will be something on our list of things to do at the mall, so we had to practice. Leon did very well –wagging his tail the whole time.

Then, an ambulance crew came to give each person in the class a chance to practice riding in an ambulance with their service dog. I personally was not too thrilled about riding in the ambulance (due to my car wreck at the end of April where I totaled my car), but we did it. Leon loaded up readily after I was loaded in and wagged his tail happily while we went down the driveway and back with sirens going. He is such a good boy!

We had a fun play time after training was done for the day. Leon, Clover, Valentine, Brianna and Arnie had a blast running around playing with each other. Of the dogs in our class, Leon, Clover, Manor and one other dog (I can’t remember which) are all siblings from the same litter. It is great to watch them play together.

The biggest gains I have made so far during training are becoming closer with Leon as friends, gaining a breakthrough in teaching his trick, walking with less fatigue when I walk with him and surviving both the Philadelphia Zoo and the ballpark.

The areas we need to focus on the most are gaining more reliability in holding onto an object and sitting at the same time, retrieving the metal lion and watching where he’s going when walking next to my scooter.

Journal #16: June 28, 2011

Today, we went to the Exton Square Mall. We were given a list of things to have our dog do while there.

1. Open two doors using your door hook

2. Have your dog push at least two different automatic door buttons. One should be on a pole, another on a wall.

3. Pay two cashiers. (We paid 3.)

4. Practice two down stays with different distractions. (First one, I had him down and pushed a clothing cart from the dressing room around him. The second one, I had a classmate take my milkshake and go, "Here, puppy puppy." He didn't break either stay.)

5. Go on elevators twice, once with a trainer, once without.

6. Have your dog retrieve four different items from the floor (my wallet, my phone, a napkin and my camera case.)

7. Practice food refusal during lunch. (Story below.)

8. Have your dog carry something through the mall, at least the length of two stores. (Leon carried my bag of candy/chocolate from the candy store.)

9. If you are walking you must try at least part of the big staircase.

10. If physically possible you must use the public restroom with your dog.

Leon did everything on the list very well and even retrieved (finally) the metal lion! We next went to Petco to get supplies/ask the trainers questions about supplies. I bought some grooming supplies for Leon and a toy for my cat at home as a peace offering for leaving her for 3 weeks. Leon did a "go pay" to pay for our purchases while Joan the photographer took a photo.

We next went to Chili’s where we had an early dinner with 10% of the proceeds going to CPL.

The greatest challenge was the huge set of stairs in the mall –I only made it up partway before I had to come back down due to fatigue. I was most proud of Leon finally retrieving the metal lion. Funny story: when we did the food refusal at lunch, I put a piece of a French fry on Leon’s paw and told him to “leave it.” He just looked at me the entire time –for about 6 minutes –and then I took the piece away. One of the mall employees had apparently been watching us –he came up and told me that I had a really good dog.

Also, I was headed to the food court to meet up with the group to leave and I came upon Maria and Deb. I had successfully avoided running into them up until then. Deb asked me if we had done the lion yet. I said no. So she dropped the metal lion on the floor for Leon to retrieve.