Synchronicity again?

June 24, 2008

We took Kruiser to PetsMart on Sunday--the key to keeping Kruiser focused and away from other dogs is to keep his focus on me by using treats, praise, pops and acks when needed. Basically I just need to keep his attention.

We’re back at the cabin now. Kruiser certainly remembered it and right away we got into the difficulty of getting him to come if he’s off visiting the neighbor’s dogs with Pat, or even if he and Pat are headed to the creek. Several times we put him on leash again, but today decided the best strategy is to work more with him on walks with Pat by using the liver treats and calling him frequently—we need to make his response more automatic. That being said, we know from our reading and Deborah reinforced this, that a good assistance dog will disobey when necessary. For example, if we start to walk across the street and ask for a heel, he should refuse if he sees a car coming. I don’t think taking a splash in the creek or socializing with other dogs counts, though—at least not in people terms.

Today at Safeway a woman asked if Kruiser was being trained to work with someone, and I gave my usual spiel about working with a child with autism. She perked up and said she was trying to find a dog for her fourteen-year-old son, but had only found a place in Nebraska and that her son couldn’t handle the airplane ride to get there. She lives in Denver, so I gave her Deborah’s phone number and the Klassi Kritter organization name. She was thrilled to hear that there is someone training in the Denver area. Maybe my connection with her is the same synchronicity at work that let me connect with Kookie’s puppy raiser and then Deborah at Echter’s. And who knows, maybe Kruiser will one day be her son’s assistance dog!