Not a catch up by any means, but a brief comment on last week's reading visit. The 4th grade girl read beautifully, if holding the book a bit close. When we chatted after her reading, she mentioned that she had lost her glasses a month ago, but hadn't told her parents. On a hunch, I asked if she could read the sign on the bulletin board across the room - about 8 feet from us - 2 large easy words - poster sized and she couldn't. I asked gently how she managed the board in the classroom and she said her teacher let her get up whenever she needed to.... hmm, so the teacher know she needs and is missing her glasses. She explained further that she feared " a whipping" if she told her parents about the glasses. She told me she was going to tell them soon, even today - trying so hard to please, even a relative stranger like me.
Sigh, I mentioned it to the coordinator, who said the student had a good relationship with her teacher and she promised to check with the teacher about it.
This bright girl also asked me - "Why do we read to the dog?" I explained the premise, that an uncritical audience encourages struggling readers, while thinking to myself, that I am not entirely sure that the goals of this particular program are clear.
Monday, December 20, 2010
Sunday, November 28, 2010
Four visits in Three Days, written after the fact
Tuesday - Schreiber Pediatric - PT visit with Pink Girl, she most enjoyed holding the hula hoop for him to jump while she worked at standing up straight.
Wednesday - Acadia Rehab with Ump followed by home visit to MIL, both preceded by River's agility lesson with Karen that morning equals one very tired dog.
Thursday - New visit for a reading program at Wickersham Elementary School. we were in an auditorium seated on the edge of the stage, with another team on the opposite side. I had brought along a blanket as asked, to have specific spot for us to sit. The school was extremely warm. River needed a water break and he wanted to lie on the cooler floor of the auditorium rather than the blanket by the end of our hour. The response to the dog varied; one boy who approached him eagerly had a large dog at home. One girl was utterly terrified of him. I sat between them( instead of River int he middle as usual), she still startled if he even shifted position. She watched his tricks from a distance, took the card we gave her and all but bolted out of there. Most were somewhere in between, fascinated but a little cautious. I think we saw about 5 students. They had short books, read pretty quickly and didn't want to linger. The other team with older class, longer books, I think had 3 students. We will be going weekly, but they will be rotating through different classes, so no one will be returning. From what I've read, most reading to dog programs see a benefit to encouraging readers because the dog is unconditionally accepting. These kids seemed to be adequate readers, perhaps this was a reward, for the novelty? I am even more interested in learning about the READ program now. It seems to be that seeing the same kids would be more helpful to them and even more of an incentive, and more effective as we build rapport with them.
Busy dog week - Sunday was intro to agility with Wendy, Monday - rally class with Wendy; Saturday we'll be at the Gifts That Give Hope Fair stumping for KPETS - he gets Friday off.
The following week is Thanksgiving week, so we had no visits planned. As it turned out, we did end up going to see MIL, who is now in a hospital bed ( she was in a wheel chair our previous visit, had been managing with a cane before that, and walked freely at our first encounter). Amanda came along this time and we brought Noche as well. Both dogs behaved amazingly well; at one point we had them on either side of her in her bed and she had a hand in each one's fur. That was really what she wanted and it brings tears to my eyes recalling it. I am so glad we could provide that simple gift.
Wednesday - Acadia Rehab with Ump followed by home visit to MIL, both preceded by River's agility lesson with Karen that morning equals one very tired dog.
Thursday - New visit for a reading program at Wickersham Elementary School. we were in an auditorium seated on the edge of the stage, with another team on the opposite side. I had brought along a blanket as asked, to have specific spot for us to sit. The school was extremely warm. River needed a water break and he wanted to lie on the cooler floor of the auditorium rather than the blanket by the end of our hour. The response to the dog varied; one boy who approached him eagerly had a large dog at home. One girl was utterly terrified of him. I sat between them( instead of River int he middle as usual), she still startled if he even shifted position. She watched his tricks from a distance, took the card we gave her and all but bolted out of there. Most were somewhere in between, fascinated but a little cautious. I think we saw about 5 students. They had short books, read pretty quickly and didn't want to linger. The other team with older class, longer books, I think had 3 students. We will be going weekly, but they will be rotating through different classes, so no one will be returning. From what I've read, most reading to dog programs see a benefit to encouraging readers because the dog is unconditionally accepting. These kids seemed to be adequate readers, perhaps this was a reward, for the novelty? I am even more interested in learning about the READ program now. It seems to be that seeing the same kids would be more helpful to them and even more of an incentive, and more effective as we build rapport with them.
Busy dog week - Sunday was intro to agility with Wendy, Monday - rally class with Wendy; Saturday we'll be at the Gifts That Give Hope Fair stumping for KPETS - he gets Friday off.
The following week is Thanksgiving week, so we had no visits planned. As it turned out, we did end up going to see MIL, who is now in a hospital bed ( she was in a wheel chair our previous visit, had been managing with a cane before that, and walked freely at our first encounter). Amanda came along this time and we brought Noche as well. Both dogs behaved amazingly well; at one point we had them on either side of her in her bed and she had a hand in each one's fur. That was really what she wanted and it brings tears to my eyes recalling it. I am so glad we could provide that simple gift.
Gifts That Give Hope 2010
River collected comments and cuddles while the humans shared info about KPETS activities. Our KPETS table was one of many non-profits at the event, where visitors could donate to the non-profit and get a card for their giftee explaining what had been given in their name. The event included food vendors and children's activities and was a pretty lively place. Ironically, a volunteer at the raffle table next to us had her young Havanese puppy in a crate under the table; it was a bit of a challenge for River to "leave it", although he did, with a few reminders.
I've noticed that we get to hear many stories about people's dogs when we staff the KPETS tables. I think a survey would show that asking about our dogs and therapy activities tops the list, then talking about their dogs and lastly asking if their dog could become a therapy dog.
I haven't any info yet, but I believe it was a successful fundraiser for KPETS. River did his part!
I've noticed that we get to hear many stories about people's dogs when we staff the KPETS tables. I think a survey would show that asking about our dogs and therapy activities tops the list, then talking about their dogs and lastly asking if their dog could become a therapy dog.
I haven't any info yet, but I believe it was a successful fundraiser for KPETS. River did his part!
Saturday, November 13, 2010
Door Ajar
So since my nephew was able to train their Corgi to close a door in only 2 days, I had to give it a try with River. 20 minutes and quite a few BilJac liver treats later, he has it!
Nephew used a clicker and a post-it note as a target and started with his dog targeting the post-it with his nose and then moving it to the door, then holding it there longer and eventually pushing it. Smart dog figured out that his paw works better and usually chooses that method.
River already knew "touch" with nose and "paw" touch with paw, so I started with "touch" on the basement door - which swings easily and closes with a satisfying click. We moved pretty quickly to using a paw - much easier to push the door. I still use a hand signal of pointing at the door to indicate "paw the door" but am also using verbal "close the door" with the goal of telling him to "go close the door," which might be handy to keep the puppy from the basement steps.
He can do cabinet doors, too although I am limiting this due to concerns about scratch marks. He can do interior doors, but so far our exterior doors are too heavy and don't swing as easily - maybe he could do a "double high five" and jump against those stubborn ones.
Still not quite caught up to the dog in the Youtube video who picked up laundry, turned on the coffeemaker, retrieved both the paper and the remote, etc ... nephew's goal- his dog to bring him a soda from the fridge. Heck with that, I want him to do laundry.
Nephew used a clicker and a post-it note as a target and started with his dog targeting the post-it with his nose and then moving it to the door, then holding it there longer and eventually pushing it. Smart dog figured out that his paw works better and usually chooses that method.
River already knew "touch" with nose and "paw" touch with paw, so I started with "touch" on the basement door - which swings easily and closes with a satisfying click. We moved pretty quickly to using a paw - much easier to push the door. I still use a hand signal of pointing at the door to indicate "paw the door" but am also using verbal "close the door" with the goal of telling him to "go close the door," which might be handy to keep the puppy from the basement steps.
He can do cabinet doors, too although I am limiting this due to concerns about scratch marks. He can do interior doors, but so far our exterior doors are too heavy and don't swing as easily - maybe he could do a "double high five" and jump against those stubborn ones.
Still not quite caught up to the dog in the Youtube video who picked up laundry, turned on the coffeemaker, retrieved both the paper and the remote, etc ... nephew's goal- his dog to bring him a soda from the fridge. Heck with that, I want him to do laundry.
KPETS Round Table
Breakfast out with new friends, all talking about their dogs, what better start to the weekend. Our first time at a Roundtable and I know I'll remember who had Goldendoodles, Boxers, a shy beagle mix, Standard Poodles, 4 ( or fewer) Goldens, much better than I can recall anyone's name.
I will remember the stories about hospice training, thunderstorm fears, info about training classes, READ program, and that we signed up for a stint at the alternative gift fair/Gifts That Give Hope next Saturday.
Linked here in case you want to join us virtually and support KPETS. Thanks!
http://www.giftsthatgivehope.org/lancaster/
I will remember the stories about hospice training, thunderstorm fears, info about training classes, READ program, and that we signed up for a stint at the alternative gift fair/Gifts That Give Hope next Saturday.
Linked here in case you want to join us virtually and support KPETS. Thanks!
http://www.giftsthatgivehope.org/lancaster/
Preschool Visit
Reactions ranged from quiet, cautious observation- from a distance and holding a teacher's hand, to enthusiastic hugs, the last from a little girl whose household includes several Rottweilers.
Along with two other KPETS teams, we visited the preschool at the local JCC. We went to the toddler room where we were in a separate room with child sized couch and chair and a regular rocking chair and given a book to read to them. A teacher, also a dog-lover, brought in 2 or 3 children at a time. We introduced them to River and encouraged them to greet him. For some we read a book while they petted him, a few others "read" to River; with others we just talked about River. Lastly we had all of the class seated on the floor and River performed tricks with his usual enthusiasm.
Most of the children seemed to enjoy visiting with the dogs and I know the adults did as well, as many of the staff made certain they got at least a peek at all three dogs of our handsome dogs. (Heather's Romeo,collie & Karen's Max, Golden completed the trio). It was refreshing to see such enthusiasm for what seems to me just a few minutes with a dog. I hope we were able to brighten a few days, provide a few conversation starters and who knows what else might come from our simple visit.
Along with two other KPETS teams, we visited the preschool at the local JCC. We went to the toddler room where we were in a separate room with child sized couch and chair and a regular rocking chair and given a book to read to them. A teacher, also a dog-lover, brought in 2 or 3 children at a time. We introduced them to River and encouraged them to greet him. For some we read a book while they petted him, a few others "read" to River; with others we just talked about River. Lastly we had all of the class seated on the floor and River performed tricks with his usual enthusiasm.
Most of the children seemed to enjoy visiting with the dogs and I know the adults did as well, as many of the staff made certain they got at least a peek at all three dogs of our handsome dogs. (Heather's Romeo,collie & Karen's Max, Golden completed the trio). It was refreshing to see such enthusiasm for what seems to me just a few minutes with a dog. I hope we were able to brighten a few days, provide a few conversation starters and who knows what else might come from our simple visit.
Sunday, November 7, 2010
Selling Burgers & Dogs
KPETS volunteers - without their dogs, did the cooking and food serving, and teams with dogs did the traffic stopping. Shoppers at Oregon Dairy Grocery Store enjoyed petting the dogs, chatting and hearing about KPETS. I think the fundraiser part was successful and we also spread the word about our services.
It was great to socialize and meet other teams and hear about their activities. A wide range of breeds were represented during our time - Beagle mix, a pair of sister Great Danes, English Springer Spaniel, and, of course the ubiquitous Golden Retriever. I had River sit up for someone who wanted to photograph him and next thing I knew, he was demonstrating his tricks. He even rolled over on the paved road ( which he sometimes refuses, preferring softer surfaces), along with the rest of his usual repertoire. There was a 12 year old girl using a walker who works with a KPETS dog at Schreiber. She and her family were there to support KPETS. She enjoyed River's tricks - even the "speak" that made her startle. I think he enjoyed himself as well. What's not to like about attention and petting and a few treats for tricks! He was as excited when we arrived there as when we do regular visits - lots of impatient whining in the car as I organized myself.
It was great to socialize and meet other teams and hear about their activities. A wide range of breeds were represented during our time - Beagle mix, a pair of sister Great Danes, English Springer Spaniel, and, of course the ubiquitous Golden Retriever. I had River sit up for someone who wanted to photograph him and next thing I knew, he was demonstrating his tricks. He even rolled over on the paved road ( which he sometimes refuses, preferring softer surfaces), along with the rest of his usual repertoire. There was a 12 year old girl using a walker who works with a KPETS dog at Schreiber. She and her family were there to support KPETS. She enjoyed River's tricks - even the "speak" that made her startle. I think he enjoyed himself as well. What's not to like about attention and petting and a few treats for tricks! He was as excited when we arrived there as when we do regular visits - lots of impatient whining in the car as I organized myself.
Saturday, November 6, 2010
Three Visits in 2 Days
Schreiber with Pink Girl on Tuesday, Acadia with Ump Wednesday at 1, then to see my friend's MIL later that same afternoon. River had some brief downtime inbetween and handled it just fine. Neither visit was very physical, unlike the repeated hula hoop jumping he did at Schreiber this week. I do try to be conscious of not burning out my dog; so far he has handled our schedule without a problem.
Pink Girl continues to be challenging, often cooperating only minimally or only briefly during an already short, 30 minute session. Holding the hula hoop seemed to work well for the position Megan wanted her in - either a straight stand or a variation. She was willing to signal Amanda by blinking at her to have her tell River "over", but she wouldn't say it herself. She did get credit for teaching River "under". When the hoop was just a bit high, he "cheated" and went underneath, so after that we gave Pink Girl a choice of which she wanted him to do and this seemed to engage her for a bit.
She didn't want to brush River but enjoyed squeezing his water bottle to give him a drink. It took a lot of encouragement to get her to walk using her walker - walking with or chasing River's tail were not incentives today. She doesn't respond to his tricks the way Speaker did. He was willing to walk a distance and pick a trick. I'm not sure what else might work to motivate her if walking is the goal. Megan would like us to come again in 2 weeks, so I guess we must be useful somehow.
Ump enjoys weekly visits. Seeing River is important to him and he never tires of repeating " He's a good dog." Besides conversation, reviewing what he can recall about River, his therapist encourages him to do tricks with River, trying to use both verbal and hand signals. When they don't match ( often), River usually favors the physical commands over the verbal. Ump is happy with whatever River does and rewards him with a treat - including some that he made with his therapist. River noticed the presence of those treats in a plastic bag as soon as we entered the visiting area and convinced the humans that he deserved to enjoy quite a few.
And then we visited where the only treats I allowed were Cherrios given by the kids - and River was just as willing to work for those. MIL seemed much the same to me, although she described herself as " in her last days." She was still eager to talk " dog" and pet him and watch as her grandchilden played with him. I hope we'll be able to see her again.
Pink Girl continues to be challenging, often cooperating only minimally or only briefly during an already short, 30 minute session. Holding the hula hoop seemed to work well for the position Megan wanted her in - either a straight stand or a variation. She was willing to signal Amanda by blinking at her to have her tell River "over", but she wouldn't say it herself. She did get credit for teaching River "under". When the hoop was just a bit high, he "cheated" and went underneath, so after that we gave Pink Girl a choice of which she wanted him to do and this seemed to engage her for a bit.
She didn't want to brush River but enjoyed squeezing his water bottle to give him a drink. It took a lot of encouragement to get her to walk using her walker - walking with or chasing River's tail were not incentives today. She doesn't respond to his tricks the way Speaker did. He was willing to walk a distance and pick a trick. I'm not sure what else might work to motivate her if walking is the goal. Megan would like us to come again in 2 weeks, so I guess we must be useful somehow.
Ump enjoys weekly visits. Seeing River is important to him and he never tires of repeating " He's a good dog." Besides conversation, reviewing what he can recall about River, his therapist encourages him to do tricks with River, trying to use both verbal and hand signals. When they don't match ( often), River usually favors the physical commands over the verbal. Ump is happy with whatever River does and rewards him with a treat - including some that he made with his therapist. River noticed the presence of those treats in a plastic bag as soon as we entered the visiting area and convinced the humans that he deserved to enjoy quite a few.
And then we visited where the only treats I allowed were Cherrios given by the kids - and River was just as willing to work for those. MIL seemed much the same to me, although she described herself as " in her last days." She was still eager to talk " dog" and pet him and watch as her grandchilden played with him. I hope we'll be able to see her again.
Bag of Tricks
What we take along on visits:
River, freshly brushed, wearing Gentle Leader, often a seasonal bandana, and a 4 ft leash, and a regular collar with ID and rabies tags
Somtimes :
ballon on a length of ribbon, hula hoop, collapsible children's tunnel, toy piano - for tricks
Back pack :
our KPETS ID cards, now on custom lanyards with doggie charms!
treat pouch, pre packed with treats, and more treats as backup
- we especially like Snapbits for his "catch it" trick, we take a variety, even Cheerios sometimes
Dog water bottle
Small towel
Poop pickup bags
Hand sanitizer and hand wipes
2 brushes for River
Leashes - a very short one that we use to just have something on him when he is doing jumps or tunnel, that won't trip him; a longer 6 foot leash. We sometimes use 2 so a child using a walker can hold one and walk River, while we have the other for safety.
Dog toys - balls, he likes a plush one with a squeaker, we try to vary this
River's business cards
KPETS cards and info brochures
Planning to have in car:
notebook to log hours
copy of River's shots record
copy of KPETS authorization letter
Other things that might be good:
KPETS vest if we get one, buckles can be useful
Camera - photos for KPETS, ourselves or the clients, would need release forms
I usually take my phone ( on vibrate) and of course, car keys and leave my purse locked in the car.
River, freshly brushed, wearing Gentle Leader, often a seasonal bandana, and a 4 ft leash, and a regular collar with ID and rabies tags
Somtimes :
ballon on a length of ribbon, hula hoop, collapsible children's tunnel, toy piano - for tricks
Back pack :
our KPETS ID cards, now on custom lanyards with doggie charms!
treat pouch, pre packed with treats, and more treats as backup
- we especially like Snapbits for his "catch it" trick, we take a variety, even Cheerios sometimes
Dog water bottle
Small towel
Poop pickup bags
Hand sanitizer and hand wipes
2 brushes for River
Leashes - a very short one that we use to just have something on him when he is doing jumps or tunnel, that won't trip him; a longer 6 foot leash. We sometimes use 2 so a child using a walker can hold one and walk River, while we have the other for safety.
Dog toys - balls, he likes a plush one with a squeaker, we try to vary this
River's business cards
KPETS cards and info brochures
Planning to have in car:
notebook to log hours
copy of River's shots record
copy of KPETS authorization letter
Other things that might be good:
KPETS vest if we get one, buckles can be useful
Camera - photos for KPETS, ourselves or the clients, would need release forms
I usually take my phone ( on vibrate) and of course, car keys and leave my purse locked in the car.
Saturday, October 30, 2010
Not Able to Throw "Catch It"
Seems I remembered wrong. Ump cannot throw a treat for River to catch. We tried to encourage him to toss it a few different ways. His therapist modeled it for him by doing it herself first. River, naturally, thought this was a great game - he likes anything that gets him treats. I talked about how he had liked to play baseball and about throwing a ball for that. I had previously tried to show him just dropping it down at River. River does a pretty impressive "catch" when a treat comes straight at him from overhead. Ump would just not release the treat. He would hold it above River and say "catch it" but not let go and then switch to "ok" or "here" and feed him the treat by bringing his hand to River. Still OK from River's persepctive. When we tried to get him to do a toss instead, he said "catch it" but hand signaled for "spin" which River obliging did; then Ump handed him the treat.
I don't know if his therapist wants to have this as a goal for Ump. It's certainly not a problem for River. He does his best to follow signals and favors hand signals over verbal commands and is happy to oblige. I'm not concerned that my dog will get confused either. So, it's just an observation on my part, that something I presumed to be so simple - tossing a treat to a dog, is not, in fact at all.
Ump perhaps helped me to realize that we use the same "catch it" verbal command when we place a treat on River's nose for him to flip up and catch, although it has a different hand signal. So River has the ability to generalize that "catch it" means catch the treat or toy however it is coming at you - from above, a toss or when you flip it in the air yourself.
I don't know if his therapist wants to have this as a goal for Ump. It's certainly not a problem for River. He does his best to follow signals and favors hand signals over verbal commands and is happy to oblige. I'm not concerned that my dog will get confused either. So, it's just an observation on my part, that something I presumed to be so simple - tossing a treat to a dog, is not, in fact at all.
Ump perhaps helped me to realize that we use the same "catch it" verbal command when we place a treat on River's nose for him to flip up and catch, although it has a different hand signal. So River has the ability to generalize that "catch it" means catch the treat or toy however it is coming at you - from above, a toss or when you flip it in the air yourself.
Monday, October 25, 2010
Straghtening Out the Mixed Signals
Wow! I really felt like Ump was clicking today. He seemed to remember with less prompting the usual details - our names, dog breed, age ( well, not this one the second time around), but the encouraging thing to me was he seemed to be clearer about the tricks he was asking River to do. It's hard to explain after the fact, but he knew which trick he was asking for and although he didn't always have the right signal, he had the name of the trick correct. Our plan to keep him to one trick and a routine didn't work out - Ump wants to try all he can remember - and he can remember most of River's tricks. Therapist Terri had made a list which they had reviewed and I think it was effective.
I did get reminded from their conversation, how important River's visits are to Ump. He truly loves dogs and has limited opportunities to interact with them. He had made dog biscuits and shared some with River - the rest he hopes to take to the Humane League. Having River visit him is his "claim to fame" at Acadia where River is know as "Ump's dog."
I did get reminded from their conversation, how important River's visits are to Ump. He truly loves dogs and has limited opportunities to interact with them. He had made dog biscuits and shared some with River - the rest he hopes to take to the Humane League. Having River visit him is his "claim to fame" at Acadia where River is know as "Ump's dog."
Oct 19 Schreiber Visit
Amanda and I took River to see Pink Girl today. First we had to run the gauntlet of preschoolers lining the hallway - River enjoyed a brief petting session there on the way to Physical Therapy. Pink Girl was already stretching with her mom, draped over a padded bolster, so we moved River nearby to say hello. Her greeting was tentative, so I wasn't certain of today's mood. River was decorated with a pumpkin/jack o'lantern bandana and I had brought an orange balloon, to work the seasonal theme. She practiced some standing both with the balloon ( for him to bat at) and holding the hula hoop for him to jump - we did coax her to give the "over" command a few times. I had also brought along the tunnel for the first time and Amanda set it up and I had River demonstrate going through it and jumping over it. Pink Girl was seated at this point and the tunnel was aimed at her diagonally so that when River exited it, he was popping out right in front of her. She pulled back when he came through and Megan used this reaction to have her practice sitting up straight. With a little adjustment- too close made her throw herself too far backwards, this was effective for quite a few tunnel trips. Totally unplanned, but it worked. She did a bit of brushing River and then was whisked off to OT. New schedule will bring us together again in 2 weeks.
Visiting in the hallway as we left, chatted briefly with a family that is hoping to get a dog from Susquehanna Service Dogs for their son, discussing the training process and following their blog. I just love the connections that get shared because of the dog.
Visiting in the hallway as we left, chatted briefly with a family that is hoping to get a dog from Susquehanna Service Dogs for their son, discussing the training process and following their blog. I just love the connections that get shared because of the dog.
Sunday, October 17, 2010
Missing Her Dog
These visits are harder to write about, yet they really affirm that animal human bond. A local friend of mine has recently had her mother-in-law move in with her lively household. The MIL is being treated for brain cancer and the prognosis is not good. She moved to PA from Alabama and was not able to bring her dog along and had been missing her terribly. So, I was happy to take River for a visit and she, as well as the children, really seemed to enjoy him, both petting and his tricks. She told me about her dog and shared pictures and we chatted about other canine topics; she wanted to know about the Humane League here.
I heard afterward that River was quite the topic of conversation and something that seemed to give her pleasure. We returned a few times, even taking Amanda and puppy Noche along on one visit. Recently, my friend emailed that her MIL does not have long left and I thought, "we must visit again if she wants us." Before I could call, I heard through another friend,that she still talked about River and would like us to visit. So Satuday afternoon, we headed over there again. River was on his best behavior and even was generous with his "kisses" which she seems to like. We kept it light, chatting about dogs; she told a story about hers who is with her daughter. I maneuvered River to keep him close for petting as she has become a bit less steady. I was planning to keep the focus on visiting, as River gets food-focused if treats are out, but her young grandson brought out some Cheerios and coaxed a few tricks from River. Her only allusion to her health was when I offered to come again and she said " Well, if I'm here."
I never wanted to do hospice visits. I cry at sentimental commercials and I think I would be uselessly tearful in that situation. I met Jasmine & Moose at the Pitties in Park event and she does hospice visits - that seems so brave and so selfless to me, as with our friend who sings with a " Songs for the Journey" group. Yet, if she goes into hospice, I would take River to visit her.
I heard afterward that River was quite the topic of conversation and something that seemed to give her pleasure. We returned a few times, even taking Amanda and puppy Noche along on one visit. Recently, my friend emailed that her MIL does not have long left and I thought, "we must visit again if she wants us." Before I could call, I heard through another friend,that she still talked about River and would like us to visit. So Satuday afternoon, we headed over there again. River was on his best behavior and even was generous with his "kisses" which she seems to like. We kept it light, chatting about dogs; she told a story about hers who is with her daughter. I maneuvered River to keep him close for petting as she has become a bit less steady. I was planning to keep the focus on visiting, as River gets food-focused if treats are out, but her young grandson brought out some Cheerios and coaxed a few tricks from River. Her only allusion to her health was when I offered to come again and she said " Well, if I'm here."
I never wanted to do hospice visits. I cry at sentimental commercials and I think I would be uselessly tearful in that situation. I met Jasmine & Moose at the Pitties in Park event and she does hospice visits - that seems so brave and so selfless to me, as with our friend who sings with a " Songs for the Journey" group. Yet, if she goes into hospice, I would take River to visit her.
Schreiber - PT & OT Double Dipping
Visit with Pink Girl, then asked to skip next week.
Impromtu visit with Kristin & Teen Boy.
These are the notes I typed to jog my memory when I play catch up on blog posts. Hmm, it's almost 3 weeks later, so....
I know we had a visit with Pink Girl where she was not in a cooperative mood. I mostly recall that the session needed to be on a tighter schedule as she was headed to her next therapist immediately afterward. Megan asked us to skip next week, perhaps to evaluate River's motivational effectiveness. That turned out to be the week, she cancelled and we missed the message. Well, after her visit, we acted on impulse.
Since we were done in half an hour and I had spotted Teen Boy going down the hall to OT, we popped in there to say hello and see if a visit was wanted. We had been asked to see him a few weeks ago as a one-time thing and I think it was very well received. Both he and Kristin, his therapist seemed happy to see us. I was careful to check with her and not be intruding on her plans, but also happy that it worked out. Teen Boy, with a little encouragement, enjoyed putting River through his paces of tricks. He remembered most of them and was eager to get out the "wobbly" tunnel. He most enjoyed seeing how many tricks he could get out of one treat reward. Kristin used the situation to have him participate and not back out - literally as well. He tended to keep backing away from River, off the mat; when she blocked him by standing behind him, he was able to stay put. It was fun for us, too, to see River being so openly enjoyed.
Impromtu visit with Kristin & Teen Boy.
These are the notes I typed to jog my memory when I play catch up on blog posts. Hmm, it's almost 3 weeks later, so....
I know we had a visit with Pink Girl where she was not in a cooperative mood. I mostly recall that the session needed to be on a tighter schedule as she was headed to her next therapist immediately afterward. Megan asked us to skip next week, perhaps to evaluate River's motivational effectiveness. That turned out to be the week, she cancelled and we missed the message. Well, after her visit, we acted on impulse.
Since we were done in half an hour and I had spotted Teen Boy going down the hall to OT, we popped in there to say hello and see if a visit was wanted. We had been asked to see him a few weeks ago as a one-time thing and I think it was very well received. Both he and Kristin, his therapist seemed happy to see us. I was careful to check with her and not be intruding on her plans, but also happy that it worked out. Teen Boy, with a little encouragement, enjoyed putting River through his paces of tricks. He remembered most of them and was eager to get out the "wobbly" tunnel. He most enjoyed seeing how many tricks he could get out of one treat reward. Kristin used the situation to have him participate and not back out - literally as well. He tended to keep backing away from River, off the mat; when she blocked him by standing behind him, he was able to stay put. It was fun for us, too, to see River being so openly enjoyed.
Going To the Dogs Weekend
OK, I had to use that as a title sometime and this seemed the best occasion. Saturday we set up the KPETS table and our canopy at Mutt Mixer ( Stumpf Field fundraiser for Furry Friends Network) and staffed it for the first shift. Then I took River through Mutt Mania ( obstacle course) and Back To Basics ( basic obedience), while Amanda had Noche run the Doggie Dash - although River inadvertantly joined in there, too. We purchased a handmade sweater for Noche and treated them to a half price hot dog, too. Costume contest was next where River "floated" as a butterfly and Noche showed his true colors as a "Little Monster". We did take home a 3rd place medal for Mutt Mania ( although Amanda pointed out that she and River had the first place trophy last year). I said it's because I don't run as fast!
After that exhausting day, we headed out Sunday to Tailwagger's Trot, the Humane League fundraiser. It was a fun mile and half walk from Clipper Stadium to Buchanan Park in beautiful weather with a team of new KPETS friends. Noche walked sometimes, although it was tough for him to keep up when it got crowded and we had to scoop him up as there was a relentlessness to the pace of the group. We checked out the doggie vendors, River snacked on lots of treats - Noche not so much and both got cute new bandanas for their wardrobe. We also talked again with Wendy Jordan and Amanda and River will be starting a Rally course with her on Mondays at 4 PM. Another fun, productive and exhasuting day. Doggies and I enjoyed a lengthy nap when we got home. Amanda,with the stamina of youth opted out.
We haven't purchased a KPETS vest or bandana for River. I had read that the vest can get in the way of petting, although I have also heard it can be useful in some AAT situations. I would like to have it for KPETS events like these - to clearly identify him and as a conversation starter. Another item on the to-do list.
After that exhausting day, we headed out Sunday to Tailwagger's Trot, the Humane League fundraiser. It was a fun mile and half walk from Clipper Stadium to Buchanan Park in beautiful weather with a team of new KPETS friends. Noche walked sometimes, although it was tough for him to keep up when it got crowded and we had to scoop him up as there was a relentlessness to the pace of the group. We checked out the doggie vendors, River snacked on lots of treats - Noche not so much and both got cute new bandanas for their wardrobe. We also talked again with Wendy Jordan and Amanda and River will be starting a Rally course with her on Mondays at 4 PM. Another fun, productive and exhasuting day. Doggies and I enjoyed a lengthy nap when we got home. Amanda,with the stamina of youth opted out.
We haven't purchased a KPETS vest or bandana for River. I had read that the vest can get in the way of petting, although I have also heard it can be useful in some AAT situations. I would like to have it for KPETS events like these - to clearly identify him and as a conversation starter. Another item on the to-do list.
Wednesday, October 13, 2010
Acadia Visit with a Shadow - October 13
Our visit at Acadia Rehab today was shadowed by a college student. Studying pyschology at Millersville, she needs 20 hours for a course and this counts. She also attended the KPETS orientation on Saturday. A different therapist, also a Terri, was at today's session. She has been present for at least one other session and is a dog owner, and had been well briefed on the details.
We made some effort to have Ump match hand and verbal signals, but mostly this didn't happen. I realized that he has never tossed River a treat to catch. Thinking this would be easeir, I demonstrated how to drop a treat straight down, from directly above River's head and say "catch it", but when Ump did it, he held it in the right place, said "catch it" but never released the treat, then reached down and gave it to River saying "Awwww". I didn't get a chance to discuss if this is still a goal or not. Our plan to start with and focus on a single trick and it's signal/verbal command has not been very effective. Ump wants to do all the tricks that he has seen and can think of and not necessarily repeat the same one multiple times. I guess it is up to the therapist to set the goals and format if they want to work on it.
We had a pleasant visit overall. River demonstrated his usual, down, roll over, play dead, beg tricks. He did a littel heeling with Ump, which he seems to enjoy. He always remembers to tell him to sit when he stops, although River does do that automatically.
We did one "find it" with a treat, then River also spotted the basket of toys they keep for dog visits and he snagged one of the stuffed animals, so we played a bit of keep away with everyone. River got treated to some homemade dog biscuits that Ump had made. He is planning to take the rest to the Humane League.
One idea that came up when we were discussing the puppy, Noche and I mentioned that I would try to bring in a new picture - I suggested we should take a photo of River with Ump for him to keep and Terri suggested that a fact page about River might be a good plan as well. I was thinking about this as I drove to Philly today. How about a board game - like a lotto board, with photos of River alone, River with each of us, with Noche, etc. Matching cards, maybe with names on the back. I don't know if Ump's impairment precludes reading, but it would be useful for anyone else to have. I'm interested in hearing what the therapist thinks of this idea.
We made some effort to have Ump match hand and verbal signals, but mostly this didn't happen. I realized that he has never tossed River a treat to catch. Thinking this would be easeir, I demonstrated how to drop a treat straight down, from directly above River's head and say "catch it", but when Ump did it, he held it in the right place, said "catch it" but never released the treat, then reached down and gave it to River saying "Awwww". I didn't get a chance to discuss if this is still a goal or not. Our plan to start with and focus on a single trick and it's signal/verbal command has not been very effective. Ump wants to do all the tricks that he has seen and can think of and not necessarily repeat the same one multiple times. I guess it is up to the therapist to set the goals and format if they want to work on it.
We had a pleasant visit overall. River demonstrated his usual, down, roll over, play dead, beg tricks. He did a littel heeling with Ump, which he seems to enjoy. He always remembers to tell him to sit when he stops, although River does do that automatically.
We did one "find it" with a treat, then River also spotted the basket of toys they keep for dog visits and he snagged one of the stuffed animals, so we played a bit of keep away with everyone. River got treated to some homemade dog biscuits that Ump had made. He is planning to take the rest to the Humane League.
One idea that came up when we were discussing the puppy, Noche and I mentioned that I would try to bring in a new picture - I suggested we should take a photo of River with Ump for him to keep and Terri suggested that a fact page about River might be a good plan as well. I was thinking about this as I drove to Philly today. How about a board game - like a lotto board, with photos of River alone, River with each of us, with Noche, etc. Matching cards, maybe with names on the back. I don't know if Ump's impairment precludes reading, but it would be useful for anyone else to have. I'm interested in hearing what the therapist thinks of this idea.
Tuesday, October 12, 2010
Acadia and Verbal/Hand Signals
Last week's visit we discussed trying to have Ump match hand signals and vocal commands as a goal for him. The therapist and I had agreed to work on sit and situp/beg to start. So that is what we did and it was interesting to see what happened. First of all, River tends to sit anyway, so it was hard to tell if he was following a command or just relaxing. He did do "beg" on command, but Ump still got it confused. Ump wanted to have him lie down and play dead, but he would say "roll over" and give the "Play dead" hand signal. Sometimes River rolled over and sometimes he played dead. Maggie hit on the idea that if she said the correct voice command and asked Ump to repeat it after her, he would use the right word to match the hand signal. He didn't always wait for her and said a different command then he signaled, but when he followed the sequence, it worked well to get voice and hand signal matched. We did it quite a few times in a row, well, maybe about 6, then moved on - to conversation and just petting. I didn't see progress and wonder if it is something that can change or if there is anything to be gained by working on it,but Maggie just said that she expected it to be hard and we can keep working on it. River is quite patient about repeating tricks - why not, he gets treats, so we will continue to work on this if the therapist wants to do so.
There will be a new therapist at tomorrow's visit; so I don't know if we will continue with this. There will also be a college student shadowing us tomorrow, so that's 5 people and one dog. Hope we get a bigger room.
There will be a new therapist at tomorrow's visit; so I don't know if we will continue with this. There will also be a college student shadowing us tomorrow, so that's 5 people and one dog. Hope we get a bigger room.
Another Lesson Learned - Check the Cell Phone
Guess this one should be obvious, but I needed a reminder. Arrived at Schreiber on the dot of 10:30 today, but there was no sign of Pink Girl, who is usually early. Well, she had canceled and Schreiber had left a message on my cell phone. No one had answered the home phone, so they tried the cell without leaving a message at home. I guess we were both in the shower and somehow my cell had turned off, so.....
We were able to briefly visit with the preschoolers who spotted River in the hallway. They seemed to enjoy petting him and since we had his tunnel along, he showed off how he likes to run through that and several of them demonstrated their tunnel skills as well.
We were able to briefly visit with the preschoolers who spotted River in the hallway. They seemed to enjoy petting him and since we had his tunnel along, he showed off how he likes to run through that and several of them demonstrated their tunnel skills as well.
Escape Artist
River is pretty adaptable which has been handy, because we never know what physical space we will be in there. They have been rearranging things at Acadia- including the entrance, so sometimes we have a closed room, sometimes not. We have shared space with exercise equipment - which River always inspects. Open space can present another challenge. Sometimes River decides to go exploring/visiting. He is pretty deliberate about it, waiting until we are not focused on him and then he makes a dash for it. It's not a problem to retrieve him, but he is NOT doing a recall when he takes off. So, yes, we do drop the leash or even take it off, depending on what he is doing. It's in the way for roll over and jumping. If the space is open, I try to leave it on, to simplify nabbing him and minimizing the embarrassment of our "trained" dog taking off.
We are easily able to get him and he probably would return on his own after briefly exploring. Still, we could do some more work on recall, just not drop the leash, stick to only closed rooms or all of the above.
We are easily able to get him and he probably would return on his own after briefly exploring. Still, we could do some more work on recall, just not drop the leash, stick to only closed rooms or all of the above.
Sunday, October 3, 2010
Acadia Visit with Crossed Signals
The first crossed signals were mine. It's great to maintain an Outlook calendar. So easy to update from emails and my Ipod Touch. Now if I would just check it before heading out. OK, so I missed that our appointment was changed by an hour, due to a field trip and we showed up at the usual time. To be fair, I had scanned my calendar, just missed the change from 1- 2 . Luckily, we live quite close, so we zipped home and I went back a bit later. River was a little confused, but adapted quickly. Amanda didn't return as she wasn't feeling that perky to start and was fading, so I took River solo.
The other crossed signals I wanted to detail are the ones that Ump gives River. Ump often says one command, while giving the hand signal for a different one. He might be saying "roll over" while signalling "spin" - then River usually does "spin". Or he often waves his arm to the side, somewhat like "play dead" but says something else, like "Ready?" while River is sitting. Sometimes River is confused, but mostly he follows the body language or hand signals.
Today Maggie (therapist) asked Ump if he realized that his words and signals don't match and also asked if he would like to to work on that. She said it might be hard. He said he had not realized it and "ok" to working on it. So, as she was walking us out,we discussed how to tackle this.
My suggestion is to have one of us demonstrate and model the verbal command and hand signal for just one trick and then have him try it - just that trick. We often show him a few and then give him a chance to work with River, choosing what he wants him to do and I realized this may be confusing. Maybe a specific sequence and a smaller menu of choices would help.
Considering what to start with; "Roll over" and "play dead" are favorites of both River and Ump, but both sometimes need the "down" command first and then are directional - that is, River only rolls over to his left and goes on his right side to play dead, so those are more complicated. I think we should try "sit" and then "beg". From there we could add "catch it" for rewarding him. Sit and beg have clear hand signals - the hand moves in the same direction as River is to move, and "catch it" just involved a toss.
I say just, but have realized in other situations, that I am making an assumption there about throwing ability. The kids at Schreiber have not been able to do a toss that River can catch. Although, hmm, he might be able to catch a treat if they just drop it straight down from high enough - the way he catches ice cubes. We'll have to test that out. I think that Ump, on the other hand, does have the coordination and strength to toss a treat that River can catch most of the time.
So sit, and beg and then catch it are three separate tricks and I think we should really break them up separately and do one at a time. And then do them in a sequence and alwasy repeat them in that sequence. It's somewhat against dog training tenets, because River is likely to anticipate things if we always repeat a sequence, but I think it might help Ump to remember and link the hand signals and verbal commands. I'm eager to hear what Maggie think of the idea, and if approved, see how it goes.
The other crossed signals I wanted to detail are the ones that Ump gives River. Ump often says one command, while giving the hand signal for a different one. He might be saying "roll over" while signalling "spin" - then River usually does "spin". Or he often waves his arm to the side, somewhat like "play dead" but says something else, like "Ready?" while River is sitting. Sometimes River is confused, but mostly he follows the body language or hand signals.
Today Maggie (therapist) asked Ump if he realized that his words and signals don't match and also asked if he would like to to work on that. She said it might be hard. He said he had not realized it and "ok" to working on it. So, as she was walking us out,we discussed how to tackle this.
My suggestion is to have one of us demonstrate and model the verbal command and hand signal for just one trick and then have him try it - just that trick. We often show him a few and then give him a chance to work with River, choosing what he wants him to do and I realized this may be confusing. Maybe a specific sequence and a smaller menu of choices would help.
Considering what to start with; "Roll over" and "play dead" are favorites of both River and Ump, but both sometimes need the "down" command first and then are directional - that is, River only rolls over to his left and goes on his right side to play dead, so those are more complicated. I think we should try "sit" and then "beg". From there we could add "catch it" for rewarding him. Sit and beg have clear hand signals - the hand moves in the same direction as River is to move, and "catch it" just involved a toss.
I say just, but have realized in other situations, that I am making an assumption there about throwing ability. The kids at Schreiber have not been able to do a toss that River can catch. Although, hmm, he might be able to catch a treat if they just drop it straight down from high enough - the way he catches ice cubes. We'll have to test that out. I think that Ump, on the other hand, does have the coordination and strength to toss a treat that River can catch most of the time.
So sit, and beg and then catch it are three separate tricks and I think we should really break them up separately and do one at a time. And then do them in a sequence and alwasy repeat them in that sequence. It's somewhat against dog training tenets, because River is likely to anticipate things if we always repeat a sequence, but I think it might help Ump to remember and link the hand signals and verbal commands. I'm eager to hear what Maggie think of the idea, and if approved, see how it goes.
Bring Extra Balloons
That's what I learned yesterday, that I should have had a back up. River doesn't usually pop the balloon - this was only the second time, but he did it in the waiting area this time, before Pink Girl started her therapy. And yes, I have not worked on switching him to "touching" the balloon with his nose; he swatted it with his paw. Ironically, he did do a "touch" first and then switched to a swipe. And his grooming is overdue, too, so his nails might be a tad long - I also scheduled that today.
Pink Girl was having a tough day. She was being floppy and not generally cooperative with her mom beforehand; wouldn't try to walk at all for her therapist. It's hard to remember she is only four. Therapy sessions ask alot of her and it's pretty normal to have some "off" days. She did perk up a bit and survived the measurements they needed to take and seemed to enjoy standing tall and holding the hula hoop for River to jump through.
Even though it wasn't her best day, I was told by her therapist that her behavior with River present was a tremendous improvement over previous sessions when she was much less cooperative and might spend half the time crying. Hearing that is both a reward and an incentive for me.
Pink Girl was having a tough day. She was being floppy and not generally cooperative with her mom beforehand; wouldn't try to walk at all for her therapist. It's hard to remember she is only four. Therapy sessions ask alot of her and it's pretty normal to have some "off" days. She did perk up a bit and survived the measurements they needed to take and seemed to enjoy standing tall and holding the hula hoop for River to jump through.
Even though it wasn't her best day, I was told by her therapist that her behavior with River present was a tremendous improvement over previous sessions when she was much less cooperative and might spend half the time crying. Hearing that is both a reward and an incentive for me.
Who's Got The Treat?
I mentioned that River transfers well. I imagine that most well trained dogs can do this at least to some extent, depending on the behaviors being requested. It has been very handy for us in a variety of visiting situations.
I hand one or a few treats to Speaker and tell him to "Watch Speaker" while pointing to him. He knows to listen to them and mostly does, at least until the treats are gone. I mentioned that Speaker like to have River "Speak!" I don't always give him the treat - sometimes he doesn't like to get his hands messy. But he can give the signal, pointing at River - and I also give it, standing behind him. River usually responds to him, but sometimes needs reinforcement. River seems to know when the person is confident or not. Sometimes he does try to take advantage of this and get treats before finishing a trick and I have to remind him to behave. I guess it's double handling, but needed in some situations.
We also have been visiting at Acadia Neurological Rehab facility. We regularly visit one 50ish man there who has had a traumatic brain injury and we have also filled in for other teams a few times in a group therapy situation.
The gentleman we'll call Ump, has a fondness for baseball as well as dogs. Because of privacy concerns, we usually don't get any background info,so we learn as we go. Our visits with him are more typical of Animal Assisted Activity, because we do a lot of general visiting, conversations about the dog. His therapist does use our visits as a topic of conversation at other times and does try to have him review and see what he recalls. Details like our names, breed of dog, River's age we touch on each week as Ump as memory issues. She also reviews with him some of River's tricks and the commands and hand signals that we use with each.
Usually we chat and visit first for a bit. River is always excited to be there. He waits a bit anxiously in the waiting area, listening for any voices and footsteps as people pass in the hall. I'd like to say he recognizes the therapist and client we visit, but actually, he is eager to greet anyone who acknowledges him.
We try to do just visiting first, because once the treats are out, River focuses on them and doesn't just "visit". After some chatting we usually ask if Ump would like to see some tricks or do some tricks with River - and he always says yes.
Often we (Amanda or I) demonstrate his tricks, using verbal and hand signals and rewarding with treats. Then, with encouragement, Ump will try a few tricks. The interesting part is, we are never quite sure what trick Ump will ask for and he usually confuses the hand signals. Fortunately, River usually responds reliably. He seems to favor hand signals over verbal. River is well trained enough that I am not concerned about him getting confused by Ump's crossed signals, especially since we are not participating in competitions where it might matter. As an example, sometimes Ump decides to walk and seems to want River to heel, but he doesn't necessarily start with River in heel position or even on his left side or use the command we do. Still, River improvises, walking along with him and usually getting on his left during a turn and usually sitting when he stops, although Ump usually seems to think that requires a command. I guess we could try to get them lined up to start and remind him of those details, but they both seem to enjoy it they way they are doing it now.
I hand one or a few treats to Speaker and tell him to "Watch Speaker" while pointing to him. He knows to listen to them and mostly does, at least until the treats are gone. I mentioned that Speaker like to have River "Speak!" I don't always give him the treat - sometimes he doesn't like to get his hands messy. But he can give the signal, pointing at River - and I also give it, standing behind him. River usually responds to him, but sometimes needs reinforcement. River seems to know when the person is confident or not. Sometimes he does try to take advantage of this and get treats before finishing a trick and I have to remind him to behave. I guess it's double handling, but needed in some situations.
We also have been visiting at Acadia Neurological Rehab facility. We regularly visit one 50ish man there who has had a traumatic brain injury and we have also filled in for other teams a few times in a group therapy situation.
The gentleman we'll call Ump, has a fondness for baseball as well as dogs. Because of privacy concerns, we usually don't get any background info,so we learn as we go. Our visits with him are more typical of Animal Assisted Activity, because we do a lot of general visiting, conversations about the dog. His therapist does use our visits as a topic of conversation at other times and does try to have him review and see what he recalls. Details like our names, breed of dog, River's age we touch on each week as Ump as memory issues. She also reviews with him some of River's tricks and the commands and hand signals that we use with each.
Usually we chat and visit first for a bit. River is always excited to be there. He waits a bit anxiously in the waiting area, listening for any voices and footsteps as people pass in the hall. I'd like to say he recognizes the therapist and client we visit, but actually, he is eager to greet anyone who acknowledges him.
We try to do just visiting first, because once the treats are out, River focuses on them and doesn't just "visit". After some chatting we usually ask if Ump would like to see some tricks or do some tricks with River - and he always says yes.
Often we (Amanda or I) demonstrate his tricks, using verbal and hand signals and rewarding with treats. Then, with encouragement, Ump will try a few tricks. The interesting part is, we are never quite sure what trick Ump will ask for and he usually confuses the hand signals. Fortunately, River usually responds reliably. He seems to favor hand signals over verbal. River is well trained enough that I am not concerned about him getting confused by Ump's crossed signals, especially since we are not participating in competitions where it might matter. As an example, sometimes Ump decides to walk and seems to want River to heel, but he doesn't necessarily start with River in heel position or even on his left side or use the command we do. Still, River improvises, walking along with him and usually getting on his left during a turn and usually sitting when he stops, although Ump usually seems to think that requires a command. I guess we could try to get them lined up to start and remind him of those details, but they both seem to enjoy it they way they are doing it now.
Saturday, September 18, 2010
More Schreiber Details
River learned to bat at a balloon on a ribbon, so we used that with both kids we visited. Sometimes the ribbon is too hard to hold, so we either tie a loop into it or I hold the ribbon above where they are gripping it. River hits it with one or two paws. Sometimes he pulls it from their grip. He has only popped a balloon once so far. It is a bit tricky because they need to hold the balloon out away from their body (so he doesn't paw them) and while the therapists like a straight arm as a goal, the kids can't always quite manage this. I would like to modify his trick and have him "touch" the balloon with just his nose - less likely to scratch anyone that way. He does know "touch" but prefers to "paw" the balloon, so we need a little refresher and practice.
Other tricks that we have used are mostly for entertainment value. Sit up, catch it, stand up(on 2 feet),roll over, play dead, spin are all reliable and have hand signals that the kids can mostly manage. Of course, we stand behind them and signal River, too. So far, they don't seem to mind if he is mostly watching us, as long as he does the trick. Usually they walk a distance and get to rest and be rewarded with a trick.
This week we also had Pink Girl brush River, using a plastic "massage' type brush. Her therapists liked that the handle required her to open her hand. ( We also had a narrower handled brush if that was preferred.) They did struggle to get her to use her less preferred hand to brush. Not sure how we can use River to encourage that?
River will listen to whoever has the treats. He transfers very well. We have used this extensively at our Acadia visits; I'll detail that in another post.
Other tricks that we have used are mostly for entertainment value. Sit up, catch it, stand up(on 2 feet),roll over, play dead, spin are all reliable and have hand signals that the kids can mostly manage. Of course, we stand behind them and signal River, too. So far, they don't seem to mind if he is mostly watching us, as long as he does the trick. Usually they walk a distance and get to rest and be rewarded with a trick.
This week we also had Pink Girl brush River, using a plastic "massage' type brush. Her therapists liked that the handle required her to open her hand. ( We also had a narrower handled brush if that was preferred.) They did struggle to get her to use her less preferred hand to brush. Not sure how we can use River to encourage that?
River will listen to whoever has the treats. He transfers very well. We have used this extensively at our Acadia visits; I'll detail that in another post.
Starting Schreiber Visits
Tuesday was our third visit with Pink Girl (to maintain confidentiality, names have been changed). A cute 5 year old with a big smile, who favors flashing shoes, she has always been dressed in adorable outfits, usually with coordinating hair accessories. Even her wheel chair is pink. She starts her interaction with River while we are in the waiting area. Her therapist has a client in the pool just before her and has to hustle to change, so we usually have a few minutes to visit. The very first week, she figured out that River loves his treats - and she loves to feed him. Not so keen on dog slobber on her hands, her method is to drop them on the floor for him. She also knows which leash has control of him and wants that one when she "walks" him with her walker.
Well, let me back up here. She is our second client at Schreiber. The first was a 7 year old boy we'll call Speaker. His therapist had experience working with KPETS therapy teams and we learned quite a bit from her. First, we shadowed Karen , KPETS founder, and her Golden, Sammy. I was a bit in awe of this experienced team - and inspired by them. Amanda and I both decided that River needed to learn of few of Sammy's tricks to make him even more effective as a therapy dog. Sadly, he still doesn't walk backwards or sideways or march like Sammy, but he has a few techniques of his own that have compensated. Karen apparently thought we could handle it, so the next week it was our turn.
It wasn't a total disaster, but there were a few issues, a learning curve for all of us. We found that River's retrieving is not reliable there, but if the ball is thrown a longer distance, he is more enthusiastic about getting it. We learned that Speaker was just as amused when River "misbehaved" as when he obeyed, maybe more so. And keeping Speaker amused so he would cooperate with his physical therapy was the goal.
Sammy had walked sideways when Speaker worked on that; River waited and performed tricks when Speaker moved designated distances. This worked for walker practice in general. And Speaker's favorite trick was River "speaking". The hand signal we use, pointing a finger at him, was one he could easily manage and River responded to reliably and loudly! so much so that Speaker would often jump even when he had given the command - and then laugh - 7 year old boys love loud noises.
His other favorite was to chase River's tail with his walker - trying to catch it under the front wheels. River would sit in front a short distance away from the walker and facing me and we would move a little whenever the wheels got close and repeat as needed. Once Speaker had his surgery and he got faster we had to modify this and switch to the rewarding with a trick after going a distance. So far, Pink Girl, who moves fairly slowly in the walker, doesn't seem as motivated by chasing the tail - maybe it's a boy thing - we'll have to try something else for her.
Speaker really disliked the stretching that the therapists started each session with. We tried having River on the table with him, but petting him wasn't enough of a distraction from the discomfort of being stretched. It was tricky to postition River; he usually put his tail in Speaker's face initially, but this was entertaining to Speaker. Sometimes, River would "speak" when Speaker complained "ow, ow" and that usually earned a smile. We never had one specific technique that was always effective for stretching, but maybe that wasn't going to happen.
Pink girl seems to not mind the initial stretching quite as much. We've only seen her 3 times and intially she wasn't talking much and in a whisper. I think we'll be able to gauge her reactions better as she gets more comfortable with us. She does strech over the physio ball and we position River for her to reach him then.
Holding the hula hoop, usually with Amanda on the other side, has been a good way for her to practice standing up straight and positioning her hands. River jumps through when she is upright, usually waiting for the command. We also did this with Speaker and it was another favorite of his, although he often wanted to see how high we could get River to jump. I explained that River had to be cautious in jumping because the floor there is slippery. I was reminded that it is important for me to have River the correct distance away and lined up with the hoop and to make certain his path is clear(of walkers, etc.) River did once land on a therapist's foot. She was using it to balance herself as she was supporting Pink Girl, so it was in his way. No harm done, but it is my job to catch that beforehand.
This post is getting a bit long, but I wanted to get a few things down in detail. I'll continue in another and hopefully with more as we continue.
I would love to hear from others doing AAT and their specific techniques.
Well, let me back up here. She is our second client at Schreiber. The first was a 7 year old boy we'll call Speaker. His therapist had experience working with KPETS therapy teams and we learned quite a bit from her. First, we shadowed Karen , KPETS founder, and her Golden, Sammy. I was a bit in awe of this experienced team - and inspired by them. Amanda and I both decided that River needed to learn of few of Sammy's tricks to make him even more effective as a therapy dog. Sadly, he still doesn't walk backwards or sideways or march like Sammy, but he has a few techniques of his own that have compensated. Karen apparently thought we could handle it, so the next week it was our turn.
It wasn't a total disaster, but there were a few issues, a learning curve for all of us. We found that River's retrieving is not reliable there, but if the ball is thrown a longer distance, he is more enthusiastic about getting it. We learned that Speaker was just as amused when River "misbehaved" as when he obeyed, maybe more so. And keeping Speaker amused so he would cooperate with his physical therapy was the goal.
Sammy had walked sideways when Speaker worked on that; River waited and performed tricks when Speaker moved designated distances. This worked for walker practice in general. And Speaker's favorite trick was River "speaking". The hand signal we use, pointing a finger at him, was one he could easily manage and River responded to reliably and loudly! so much so that Speaker would often jump even when he had given the command - and then laugh - 7 year old boys love loud noises.
His other favorite was to chase River's tail with his walker - trying to catch it under the front wheels. River would sit in front a short distance away from the walker and facing me and we would move a little whenever the wheels got close and repeat as needed. Once Speaker had his surgery and he got faster we had to modify this and switch to the rewarding with a trick after going a distance. So far, Pink Girl, who moves fairly slowly in the walker, doesn't seem as motivated by chasing the tail - maybe it's a boy thing - we'll have to try something else for her.
Speaker really disliked the stretching that the therapists started each session with. We tried having River on the table with him, but petting him wasn't enough of a distraction from the discomfort of being stretched. It was tricky to postition River; he usually put his tail in Speaker's face initially, but this was entertaining to Speaker. Sometimes, River would "speak" when Speaker complained "ow, ow" and that usually earned a smile. We never had one specific technique that was always effective for stretching, but maybe that wasn't going to happen.
Pink girl seems to not mind the initial stretching quite as much. We've only seen her 3 times and intially she wasn't talking much and in a whisper. I think we'll be able to gauge her reactions better as she gets more comfortable with us. She does strech over the physio ball and we position River for her to reach him then.
Holding the hula hoop, usually with Amanda on the other side, has been a good way for her to practice standing up straight and positioning her hands. River jumps through when she is upright, usually waiting for the command. We also did this with Speaker and it was another favorite of his, although he often wanted to see how high we could get River to jump. I explained that River had to be cautious in jumping because the floor there is slippery. I was reminded that it is important for me to have River the correct distance away and lined up with the hoop and to make certain his path is clear(of walkers, etc.) River did once land on a therapist's foot. She was using it to balance herself as she was supporting Pink Girl, so it was in his way. No harm done, but it is my job to catch that beforehand.
This post is getting a bit long, but I wanted to get a few things down in detail. I'll continue in another and hopefully with more as we continue.
I would love to hear from others doing AAT and their specific techniques.
Monday, September 13, 2010
Day of Caring
Splashed with ketchup so it looked like blood on his white hair, yet not even his dignity was injured. River just wanted to get at the French fries that had hit the ground. Huddling in my arms, Noche was oblivious to the potential culinary treats and the tired puppy was not enjoying the auctioneer's patter blaring from the loud speakers above our heads.
We were at Clipper Stadium, our second activity of the day, helping to staff the KPETS booth at the Breast Cancer Awareness event. We had started at Conestoga View nursing home, along with other KPETS teams and Kisses From Kaden volunteers. Amanda, River and I visited with a few residents of the 3rd floor in their sitting area and eventually were joined by another KPETS dog,Bailey, a Cavalier, and his handler and some Kisses/Kaden kids and adults and 2 tiny dogs that they had brought - a Chihuahua and a Yorkie. The residents seeemed excited to see still more dogs and we took a group photo, too.
Then we dashed home to grab a quick bite of lunch - I am trying to stay on track with my food choices this last week of the Take It Off program. Picked up Noche and drove to the stadium for the last hour of that event. Of course, both dogs got quite a bit of attention - all puppies are cute, and tiny ones have an extra "awww" factor - and River is such a unique breed. "What kind of dog is that?" is easily the most asked question, besides "can I pet your dog?" Other dogs there included River's buddy Bailey and a sweet 8 year old collie, Jazz, and a husky mix, Diego - and of course, the costumed mascot Kip - well acted by a 17 year old volunteer.
Our job that morning was to visit with the nursing home residents. It always surprises me that even those who are initially negative about petting the dog, often change their minds after observing him and ask to see him closer and visit and they share stories about the dogs in their lives.
Our job in the afternoon was to let the public know about KPETS and the dogs are such effective ambassadors. Our personal agenda was also giving Noche some socializing experience. Not eligible to be registered as a therapy dog and certainly not ready yet, he can't go on visits, but he still benefits from the attention while hanging out at the KPETS booth - and puppies also attract attention, so win/win for everyone.
We were at Clipper Stadium, our second activity of the day, helping to staff the KPETS booth at the Breast Cancer Awareness event. We had started at Conestoga View nursing home, along with other KPETS teams and Kisses From Kaden volunteers. Amanda, River and I visited with a few residents of the 3rd floor in their sitting area and eventually were joined by another KPETS dog,Bailey, a Cavalier, and his handler and some Kisses/Kaden kids and adults and 2 tiny dogs that they had brought - a Chihuahua and a Yorkie. The residents seeemed excited to see still more dogs and we took a group photo, too.
Then we dashed home to grab a quick bite of lunch - I am trying to stay on track with my food choices this last week of the Take It Off program. Picked up Noche and drove to the stadium for the last hour of that event. Of course, both dogs got quite a bit of attention - all puppies are cute, and tiny ones have an extra "awww" factor - and River is such a unique breed. "What kind of dog is that?" is easily the most asked question, besides "can I pet your dog?" Other dogs there included River's buddy Bailey and a sweet 8 year old collie, Jazz, and a husky mix, Diego - and of course, the costumed mascot Kip - well acted by a 17 year old volunteer.
Our job that morning was to visit with the nursing home residents. It always surprises me that even those who are initially negative about petting the dog, often change their minds after observing him and ask to see him closer and visit and they share stories about the dogs in their lives.
Our job in the afternoon was to let the public know about KPETS and the dogs are such effective ambassadors. Our personal agenda was also giving Noche some socializing experience. Not eligible to be registered as a therapy dog and certainly not ready yet, he can't go on visits, but he still benefits from the attention while hanging out at the KPETS booth - and puppies also attract attention, so win/win for everyone.
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