Now that we have a puppy, however, my lists include goals for him. Some of the goals are immediate (getting him to be able to sleep through the night without a bathroom break), others are mid-range (making sure he understands basic requests and tricks as he's going to be doing two special events with me in July!), and some are long term. As many of you know, my plan is for Henley to become my next pet therapy dog, taking Desi's place as he's retired and Ozzie's place as he really doesn't enjoy those visits. While I truly chose Henley with this long term goal in mind, I'm certainly not giving him back if that doesn't end up being his calling. I love him to pieces and if it doesn't work out for him to do pet therapy, I'll find him another job. At this point in time, however, I'm hopeful. He shows a lot of the behaviors and characteristics I look for in solid pet therapy candidates. I'm actually teaching a pet therapy seminar class right now, and the topic of how to train a therapy dog came up more than once. I try not to be wishy-washy in my description of what it takes, but truly I believe that the best therapy dogs are born, not made/trained that way. You can have the best behaved dog in the world, but if they don't enjoy meeting new people, exploring new situations, being around strange sounds/smells, etc., then they aren't going to make a good pet therapy dog. Conversely, if you have a dog that loves people, loves new situations, isn't bothered by smells or sounds, etc. they won't make a good pet therapy dog if they bark, whine, jump up, or paw excessively for attention, for example. There has to be a nice balance between those two extremes. You need a dog who loves people, is friendly and outgoing without being easily overstimulated, and can follow basic commands like sit, down, stand, stay, wait, and come and can walk nicely with you on a leash. Since you will likely need to drive yourself and your pet to your therapy visits, it's also a must that your dog can ride in the car without getting carsick or overstimulated by things outside of the car, thus making car travel negative for them.
So, let's see how Henley's progressing. He's got the basics (sit, down, stand, and come). We are working on wait and stay; he's a good observational learner and Ozzie and Desi are champs at wait and stay. He walks very nicely on leash, doesn't pull and doesn't dart back and forth. He's learned bow, touch, turn, through, and shake is at about 80%; sometimes when you ask for shake, he flops into a down and then shakes your hand. Funny, I think he learned that spin on shake from Westley; my daughter's collie loves to shake hands from the down position. Go figure. More observational learning going on here! I take Henley in the car with me to run errands almost every day. He doesn't get car sick and is happy to look around, not barking or getting scared/overstimulated. He waits patiently if I step out of the car (something Ozzie has never mastered!) and isn't overly dramatic when I return. He loves being petted and talked to by everyone he meets and shows no fear or apprehension regarding people of different ages, ethnicities, or wearing hats/sunglasses. My next challenges for him will involve working with my wheelchair and walker that I use for my pet therapy classes. We can work with them at home before he starts encountering them out in public spaces when he's old enough to begin exploring there.
Beyond my long term goal for Henley to do pet therapy after his first birthday, I'd also like for him to be able to help me with my clients and their dogs when Ozzie has to retire from that job. That's a long ways away (I hope!), but it's something I'll still work toward. I may have him work side by side with Ozzie with a few of my clients to see how it goes, but that won't happen until he's closer to 2 years of age, as that's when Ozzie started working as my assistant/demo dog. Two years of age seems to be perfect for a dog as they've matured out of puppyhood, have an excellent attention span, and can be trusted to nap on their own, when needed, without being enforced.
First and foremost, Henley is a well-loved family member. But like all family members, I have expectations for him. I want him to be happy and healthy, and I'll do my level best to make that happen for him. I also want him to be mentally challenged, so making sure I find the right job(s) for him is key. I think he and I will enjoy getting his Canine Good Citizen (CGC) designation, but I'm really looking forward to him earning some tricks titles and therapy dog titles. For now, however, we're just working on potty training, bite inhibition, and not making the other dogs nuts. Smaller goals for now, but with big consequences, right?
As always, if you have questions about your pet's behavior, you know where to find me.
Here's Henley: 11.5 weeks old and working on stay. I am standing just three feet away from him, but he's relaxed and attentive, maintaining his sit. He'll definitely get that cookie in my pocket when I release him from the stay!
No comments:
Post a Comment