Public Access #NoDogsAllowed
Today we are going to the Las Vegas Highland Games. My spouse is from Clan MacDonald and this will be the first Games either of us have attended. It is being held in a public park, but there are some issues with our attendance. There are no dogs allowed, excepting for service animals. This brings us to an important part of responsibilities handlers have for public access: going where pets are NOT allowed.
I'm planning to give Hippo an extra brushing before we leave. She's still shedding her winter coat, such as it is. Giving her extra brushes is a great bond securing activity, with the added benefit of her not needing to scratch or rub off the fur bits that are exfoliating/shedding at an accelerated rate.
Other at-home pre-gaming tasks we'll be doing are our bathroom walkies and packing the Just In Case bag. (JIC bag in all further postings and I may write a post exclusive to that topic at a later date.) Realistically Hippo may need to eliminate. I call it "getting busy" because it is important to choose a non-awkward "go-to-the-bathroom" task phrase. It has to be something you are comfortable saying in every circumstance, and choosing something innocuous like "get busy" worked perfectly for me. In today's JIC bag, I'll be putting the Hippo-had-an-accident kit, extra treats, a collapsible water bowl, her shoes & socks, and her water bottle. (I'm probably going to use a backpack today. That way I can fit my stuff in it as well.)
When we leave the house Hippo will be kitted out in her vest and the cross body lead. I'm bringing her shoes in case of pavement and as a possible protector for her feet. We've never been to a festival or county fair with her. But I remember the concerns for being in public for other occasions. This is just more people and LOTS of kilts. Things I'll be looking for: since she's still training I'll be monitoring her behavior; keeping people from petting or distracting her; her hydration; fatigue; and also the fun of it all.
Given that Hippo is an exception to the NO DOGS rule for the park, I am very mindful that she be a good ambassador for service dogs and for her breed. I don't want to be the handler-dog team that makes it harder for other teams to have access. At the same time, I am super excited to see the caber toss and enjoy the vendor thruway. I have confidence in her abilities and training. I hope that we have a great time.
I'm planning to give Hippo an extra brushing before we leave. She's still shedding her winter coat, such as it is. Giving her extra brushes is a great bond securing activity, with the added benefit of her not needing to scratch or rub off the fur bits that are exfoliating/shedding at an accelerated rate.
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| Hippo training in the mall |
Other at-home pre-gaming tasks we'll be doing are our bathroom walkies and packing the Just In Case bag. (JIC bag in all further postings and I may write a post exclusive to that topic at a later date.) Realistically Hippo may need to eliminate. I call it "getting busy" because it is important to choose a non-awkward "go-to-the-bathroom" task phrase. It has to be something you are comfortable saying in every circumstance, and choosing something innocuous like "get busy" worked perfectly for me. In today's JIC bag, I'll be putting the Hippo-had-an-accident kit, extra treats, a collapsible water bowl, her shoes & socks, and her water bottle. (I'm probably going to use a backpack today. That way I can fit my stuff in it as well.)
When we leave the house Hippo will be kitted out in her vest and the cross body lead. I'm bringing her shoes in case of pavement and as a possible protector for her feet. We've never been to a festival or county fair with her. But I remember the concerns for being in public for other occasions. This is just more people and LOTS of kilts. Things I'll be looking for: since she's still training I'll be monitoring her behavior; keeping people from petting or distracting her; her hydration; fatigue; and also the fun of it all.
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| She's trying to contain her excitement. HIGHLAND GAMES!?! |
Given that Hippo is an exception to the NO DOGS rule for the park, I am very mindful that she be a good ambassador for service dogs and for her breed. I don't want to be the handler-dog team that makes it harder for other teams to have access. At the same time, I am super excited to see the caber toss and enjoy the vendor thruway. I have confidence in her abilities and training. I hope that we have a great time.
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