Mall Walker

OccuPaws training class was at the mall in Janesville. While we were waiting for the trainer, we practiced a DOWN STAY right outside the kiddie play area. The dogs, Cinder joined us, were more interested in each other than the kids.

The dogs walked the mall, shopped a bit, rode the elevator, and calmly greeted the people that stopped to say hello. We tried to pique their interest in perfume, rattling hangers, surprising them with carts, but the only issue was the vacuum. Cinder can work on that at home.

Lisa rested in the massage chair with the puppies at her feet. It wasn't as much of a distraction as we anticipated; we thought there would be more noise and vibration. Lisa thought that a longer test was needed.

Wednesday is farm day, so Marley made a trip to Blue Moon Community Farm to visit her friends. She looks for the pigs as soon as she exits the car and sniffs the air; no pigs sighted.

She gets to 'meet and greet' the usual farm staff and a few of the other members. Marley must walk on a loose leash and pay attention to where and how fast I travel over the uneven terrain in the field. We also practice obedience (SIT, DOWN, STAY) with distractions.

Marley lies down while we bag our produce; we walk past her and she STAYs until we call her to the car. Before leaving, we spotted the pigs and took Marley over for a look. She stuck her head through the fence to investigate and get a kiss.

Another training session this evening at the Dog Den in Madison. They offer free classes to service animals. The unfamiliar surroundings were good for Marley and us - different techniques. This week we worked on STAND, STAY, and HEEL, in addition to the basic SIT, DOWN, and COME. Next week we need to bring a rug, we will add PLACE. Marley was disappointed as there was no playtime.




“Getting a dog is like getting married. It teaches you to be less self-centered, to accept sudden, surprising outbursts of affection, and not to be upset by a few scratches on your car.” -Will Stanton