08/10/2026
Pushing through the pain to train my dog for AD work 😅😫
Like literally, some days all I can manage is basic self-care and his needs...but the more he learns, the less I have to rely on others. 🤩
This past week we worked on:
A. finding 'grandma & grandpa' & public access training at B&Q
B. under & settle at the White Lion pub
C. dog neutrality on a friendly walk
D. tasking in all of the above situations
How it went:
A. Started a bit icky with not a lot of focus, he finally alerted to toilet (even though he had done wees before entering the store) so went back out of b&q so he could poo then he was effing brilliant! ✨️
He task-alerted me about an hour before we got home (more on that later).
After his toilet break, he successfully ignored a person trying to get his attention, went to front whenever a stranger passed, and did a successful guide to 'find grandma & grandpa' when we got separated (intentional separation to practise this task). Then, a store worker came close to ask to pet him and I declined saying he was working today and explained that I was training him to ignore people when he's in his vest. I felt bad because I know how cute he is and how much he loves people but when he's working and vested I have to be consistent on whats expected of him...
Anywho- when I got home about an hour later, I started getting dizzy and shaky- my body's way of telling me I need floor time to prevent pooling and to eat (despite eating before going out). So at the time I didn't know what he was alerting me about because I didnt feel anxious or dizzy (yet) but lo and behold we had our first 'proper' alert cuz by time we got home, I was a bit of a mess.
I didn't want to feel bad eating in front of the in-laws so we even offered them a snack too lol and then did my floor time to reduce the pooling associated with HSD.
Proud mum moment here.
*Next time I'll do the things I need to do, embarrassing as they may be, when he tells me to, so I don't crash later 🙈 cuz thats what happened. Le sigh.
😬Take away for me: Listen to the damn dog. You trained him to tell you. 😆
B. Under & settle at the White Lion pub.
Went well! He only got up when a fly pi**ed him off buzzing round his licky toy. He had 1 toilet alert which I obliged, and 2 task alerts without being asked (this time I listened and went home, elevated, ate and I didnt crash! WIN!!)
He ignored staff/waiters/other patrons and a table full of sweets and cakes! Double win!!!
C. The dog neutrality was basically us meeting with a friend with her dog to work on ignoring them and focus on me. After a wee squirrely start from the other dog, he soon bounced back and was able to focus and task when asked. I.e. 'toes' as a form of grounding
D. So wtf does he DO for me?
-alerts to crashes/pooling/anxiety so I can be proactive in my self-care instead of reactive and using energy I that I literally don't have.
- since he's too small to brace for me if I get wobbly, he's learning to find my people to do that for me if we get separated I.e. find Daddy or find grandma/grandpa or find me a place to sit down
-apply DPT for grounding and breathing
-he's learning 'find outside' when things get too much for me and I need to step away for a moment to get my s**t together
-working on taking my socks off-so when I have a skin flare, that makes this simple task difficult for me-he can do it instead of me being embarrassed to ask someone else. (I have a thing about feet lol)
Hard work? YES! Worth it? YES!
🫶🤩😍🐾
