Problem Resolution

Yesterday was the usual Saturday for the most part. Puppy playgroup in the morning followed by a restaurant visit for lunch, and a hockey game in the evening. We have added one new item to our daily schedules with a new long-term goal.

Unfortunately when we stopped to visit Mac and his classmates a week ago (2/10), we were exiting his therapy room as another student was entering through another door. That doesn't sound like a problem, however the little girl is terrified of dogs, and many other animals. She was so frightened that she didn't even want to go to school the following Monday.

Hearing this, we offered to assist with some desensitization training, if the family was willing. After a few other contacts, we provided the best opportunity to help resolve the situation that we exacerbated. To achieve our long term goal of reducing her fear of dogs and visiting her at school, we had our initial "meeting". She had been viewing pictures of Cooper prior to our arrival and was expecting him.

We began by having Cooper on the sidewalk and move progressively closer as Chloe watched from behind the safety of her front door. Her parents let her decide when we moved closer. They took videos of Cooper interacting with the family that we used during our visit and will be used to prepare for our next encounter on Monday.

Cooper's temperament and training makes him perfect for this new assignment.

Sunday presented another training opportunity for our service dog in training - a children's birthday party. The fast moving kids making high pitched noises combined with a minefield of misplaced party treats created the perfect storm. Cooper passed the test with some guidance. I doubt he would have resisted the offer of popcorn/crackers from the three year old that was practicing his sharing technique.