The Difference A Community Makes

When I first started training Lady, I approached my local shop that was only friendly towards ADs. I went in and spoke to the manager and explained Lady's stage in her training and they were prepared to allow me to use their store as a confidence builder (in both training and behavioural) on days she wasn't up for task training.
Anyway, one day Lady decided she wanted a moment to gather her confidence at the door and the staff asked if they could fuss her to help her feel welcome and of course I permitted it. It was amazing! Lady's confidence rocketed that day, she navigated perfectly and even positioned perfectly in front of the counter.

Image description: A happy Golden Retriever looking at the camera. The photo was taken in the handler's living room that is scattered with dog toys and bedding on the floor in the background.
 

It just shows how much a little community support can benefit training new ADs. This will always stick with me.

Author: R. D. Smith