Every service dog...or any dog for that matter, has its quirks. Theres always something you have to work on or work through. This is why maintaining Apollos training is so important. Since weve had Apollo, he has always been nervous around soda machines due to the sound they make. Its the same for the sound of air brakes on trucks or buses. When he hears it, he tries to get away from it. We have been spending the last few months working him through this fear. Since we go to Disneyland frequently, we take the shuttle bus from the parking lot to Disney. The sound of the bus brakes and the the lowering of the bus made him back away and want to avoid it altogether. When he would start to react as we would walk up, I would stop, reassure him, and give him treats to distract him. We would walk a little closer, then he would hear the noise and react, I would stop, treat, praise and distract. We would repeat this process until he was comfortable enough to get on the bus. Eventually Apollos reaction to that sound had subsided. Now, when we enter restaurants, his apprehension has lessened as well. Today, the only seat open in the restaurant was near the soda machine. We put Apollo on place and when he heard it, he turned around to see where it was coming from, but then turned back around and went back to laying down, un-fazed. For all that he does for us, Im grateful to be able to reassure him. :)
Posted on: Sat, 23 Aug 2014 23:07:30 +0000
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