H&C

“Ruby has a confirmed date to start the next stage of her training – all being well, she will return to the Charity’s Training Centre on 4 June. Intake days are usually Fridays, so that each dog can meet their Dogs for the Disabled Trainer, have an initial physical check, and then settle into their new surroundings over the weekend. The phased training programme will then start on the following Monday. So, for Ruby, her last few weeks with us are very much the end of the beginning of her life as an assistance dog, where basic training techniques have been combined with socialising and exposure to as many experiences as possible. This week, I visited the town centre with Ruby. It was quieter than usual, so I took the chance to walk slowly around one of the department stores, frequently stopping to look at different racks of clothes. The stop-start nature of shopping means that a dog in training needs to be very patient and calm, and Ruby performed this task admirably. I also took her into a changing room with me to see how she would react while I tried a few clothes on. I was delighted that she quickly settled, sitting down by the mirror and acting as if this was part of her everyday routine! As well as a few social visits and one trip to Tesco, Ruby also had the chance to be in the garden with my husband, Tim, while he was cutting the grass. It was only after a few minutes that I realised Ruby had invented a new game featuring her favourite blue rubber chew. Each time Tim stopped to empty the cut grass from the mower, Ruby waited by him, holding the ring in her mouth. Tim would take it from her, roll it across the lawn, and she would head off to retrieve it. Then, when he’d started mowing again, she would walk a pace or two behind him with the ring, patiently waiting for the next cut grass stop! Fifteen minutes later, the lawn was cut and Ruby was ready for a drink and a lie-down in the shade – closely followed by my husband (though he was not carrying the rubber chew)!” Editor's note: Do you have training questions? Hop on to our Forum and ask other H&C users.

“Ruby is now back at home with us after her successful acclimatisation week in the Dogs for the Disabled’s kennels. She quickly settled in at the Charity’s Training Centre, sharing a kennel with Veto, a Cocker Spaniel of similar age. Each day Ruby was either taken for a visit to town or the out-of-town supermarket. I was also pleased to hear that she was taken on a visit to a potential new socialiser’s home, and remained calm throughout. The team of kennels staff reported that Ruby appeared to enjoy the experience, and reacted positively to the new surroundings, particularly the busy nature of the kennels with clients, dogs and staff coming and going all day. Having said that, Ruby certainly looked pleased to see me when I picked her up – although, on arriving home, that greeting was nothing compared to the one she gave my two dogs. The three of them ran round and round the garden together for ten minutes, only stopping so they could sniff her from nose to tail, before setting off on another circuit or two! In the last couple of days I have been to town with Ruby, where she calmly walked past a huge, noisy tarmac-laying machine and was only momentarily unsettled by the sight of a mannequin in one of the department stores we walked through. I’m not sure if it was the model’s position or choice of clothes, but Ruby gave a most unexpected bark, sniffed its shoes, then decided all was well after all and settled back by my side. Just to ensure there was no recurring problem, I walked around the store for a few extra minutes, but Ruby ignored all the mannequins we passed and showed no signs of adverse reaction. Last night I took Ruby to a service in our village Church, where she settled down alongside the pew and barely moved through the 30 minutes of hymns and a short sermon. As always, she was more than happy to pose for a photograph at the end!”