“I’m pleased to be able to tell you that Ruby’s improving all the time with her taskwork, she’s a quick learner and her reactions can be like lightening – so over the next few weeks one of the things we’ll work on is getting her to do her taskwork in a calmer and more relaxed manner as otherwise she may be a bit too quick for the person she’s partnered to as a Dogs for the Disabled dog!

Ruby gets on with her taskwork

But for this week our main focus of attention has been on developing Ruby’s skills outside of the training centre. Being able to stay focussed to do her taskwork in different environments will be key to Ruby being successful in her role as an assistance dog. Potentially when Ruby is out working she may have to go on public transport, work in an office environment or just regularly walk busy routes in a town environment where cars are whizzing by and the sounds and smells from shops and cafes could cause distractions. On top of everything going on she may also need to help remove someone’s coat, open a door, pick up someone’s keys or any other manner of things that her client may be able to help with so it’s vital she continues to focus on the person she is working with, ultimately these skills will be transferred to a client, but for the moment that’s me! She needs to stay steady.

Ruby goes food shopping

Obviously the work that Julie has already put into Ruby has meant that she already has some good skills and is relaxed and happy in shops and built up areas, so part of my work is to build on what she’s already learnt. During our first week Ruby and I worked in some quieter residential areas but we’re gradually now visiting some of the busier places in town. There is a retail park in Banbury that’s just perfect for us to start working a young dog like Ruby. At this stage I will walk around with Ruby when we go to new environments and we don’t introduce the use of mobility aids such as a wheelchair or sticks until we’ve done a few more visits. I simply am looking to see if anything spooks Ruby or if she gets distracted by people or smells – she particularly seemed to like the smells in the supermarket but I was pleased to see she quickly came back to focus on me.

During a visit I also just test Ruby with a simple retrieve, this is still just the dumbbell that we’ve been using in training centre but it’s good to get Ruby thinking about doing a little task in a different environment. She’s a star though and happy to pick up the dumbbell despite the odd spectator and the sound of a car alarm going off in the background.

I’m happy with Ruby’s progress so far and I’ll look forward to telling you more about her task work skills in my report next week.”