Last weekend, Robbie and I journeyed into his past and our future together. A friend of mine has been looking for a dog for several months, and finally found one available to meet and greet who met her list of criteria for a new companion dog. I accompanied her to meet this pup, partly because she wanted my opinion. When my friend called the shelter ahead of time to talk about the meet and greet, she asked them if it would be okay for her dog trainer's service dog to be at the meeting, and they signed off on it. We weren't quite sure what to expect, but in this post I'll share how we handled it and offer tips for anyone else who might find themselves in this kind of, odd service dog PA adventure. During the Meet and GreetSince it was cold, Robbie was vested in his black winter coat with patches identifying him as a service dog. I used a hands-free leash, so I was able to use my hands to take notes on the potential dog for my friend, and shoot a little video to evaluate for later. Robbie did not seem to remember the shelter, but it was a long time back for him, as this happened to be the same shelter where Robbie grew up. We met the other dog, Max, in one of the shelter's large conference rooms. Robbie and I picked a chair off to the side, against a wall, where I could watch the interaction between my friend and the potential, but not be in the way or a large distraction. I asked Robbie to remain in a down the entire time, which he did wonderfully. Any time the other dog passed us, I asked Robbie to Leave It, and he did. The odd whine or neck crane happened, but that was fine because they lasted a second or two, no more. The shelter staff seemed surprised at how chill and under control Robbie was. I could have left Robbie at home, but, in a year or so, we'll be looking for his successor, and may need to take him with us to provide me assistance during the meetings and to see if any prospects clash with him. This was a good trial run to see how Robbie would handle that type of access experience. Additionally, as my friend would need to be focused on her objective of looking at a dog, she wouldn't be able to have a split focus to help me as needed. While we were there, Robbie braced to help me move from sitting to standing, and was ready in case the cacophony of dogs barking caused me to blackout from sensory overload - a very real possibility. As it turned out, the barking triggered head spasms more than sensory overload. We stayed inside for a bit, then went outside. Robbie laid down by the outer fence while we watched my friend play with Max, and Robbie was a rock star for it all. At my cue, Robbie and the other dog were permitted to sniff through the fence, but then back to work. Both dogs seemed friendly towards each other, no strong reactions from either. Both wanted to play. Robbie is also somewhat of a barometer for me on other dogs, so his response to them tells me valuable information. Bringing My Friend's New Dog HomeThis was going to be the interesting bit, wrangling two dogs into one car. One dog with 6 years of training, the other with basically a clean slate. Robbie did good in the lobby while my friend signed paper work. He mostly ignored loose shelter dogs who barked at him through a glass barrier. I turned him away from the entrance, and gave low corrections for turning to look behind at the dogs. We did not take him into where there were loose dogs.
During the ride home, Robbie and the new dog both fell asleep in their respective, separate car spots. The new dog checked out Robbie once, then ignored him. Once we returned to my friend's house, we took both dogs for a walk, cleaned them up, then I put Robbie upstairs to decompress. Although, he did not. He stayed alert the entire time, listening for sounds of being needed. I know this because the day after, he was extra sleepy. So - keep that in mind if you are not often separated from your service dog. They will settle, but they will mentally stay "on the job" until you return. How I Hope to Handle the FutureRobbie and I had never been to a dog shelter before, so this was reassuring for me. I was uncertain how either of us would handle all of the barking noise, or how a meet and greet could be handled with Robbie in the room. When it is my turn to search for and do meet and greets with a prospect, I'd like to do the following:
Additional Advice
Thank you for reading our latest post! If you plan on visiting an animal shelter soon with your service dog, I hope this post gives you a better idea of what to expect. Also, keep in mind, that they may not have been as accommodating if we had been visiting a cat. Technically, yes animal shelters are public venues, but there's a certain level of mutual respect that has to be considered as you don't want to stress out their animal charges by your working dog being present.
Sort of like the zoo rules.
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There will be days and times throughout your dog's life where words aren't needed, and/or shouldn't be used. Examples include working someplace quiet, days when you physically can't talk whether from sickness or facial pain, and times when your dog isn't feeling very confident. The others seem reasonable, but, wouldn't you want to give your dog all of the encouragement possible when they don't feel very sure about what's going on? I'm going to share what I have done and continue to do when something shakes Robbie's confidence, and answer that question from above. This is training that you can do with your own dog when something unsettles them, and new dogs who are being introduced to your life or environment and are a little overwhelmed. |
My Name is Sally...I have a condition called Complex Regional Pain Syndrome. This blog is about my journey training Robbie, a dog who helped me regain independence, confidence, and achieve the impossible in the face of my disability. It continues on with the training of Austin, Robbie's successor. Check Out... - "More than a Dog" was published on a site called The Mighty Categories
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