Last weekend Lucy and I got to do something a little bit different then our "normal" visits. We went to the Healing Hearts Grief Camp for children who have lost one or both parents--most of which to long term illness. They had several teams come in and we were lucky enough to get to hang out with the kids for a few hours. Lucy did great, but she was not happy with me that I forgot her special mat. (She has 2 mats which I usually bring to her visits. One is a normal bath mat and the other is a lambswool mat. These create her "safe place" during visits and a soft place to lay down on hospital floors. They're also wonderful for putting in the bottom of the crate and I believe, were instrumental in helping her to feel comfortable getting in and out of the crate at the hospital.) We spent some time near the ropes course and then down where the kids were fishing. Lucy let out one small whine when she saw the lake since she LOVES to swim. But, then was totally fine with her hugs and lovin' from the kids instead of her usual lake swimming.
Monday night was our normal night at the hospital in the playroom. Again, I was so proud of her getting in and out of the crate! They brought out the wrong crate and I immediately asked them to switch it for her normal, open one. I've learned the that I have to be her advocate and not to push her out of her comfort zone. I always give her a "good" treat when she gets in and out and then feed her Cheerios during the elevator ride. (We watch her weight really closely so they are the perfect healthy training snack for her.)
We have successfully done 4 visits in May already which is great for us. It has always been my goal to maintain this schedule and hopefully, we can keep it up!
One big decision in the land of us and our animals....I've decided not to attempt to train or work towards getting Booker (my male lab) registered to do animal assisted activites. I have gone back and forth over this for the last few years, so this has been a long time coming. He's a wonderful dog and we love him to pieces, but....at the end of the day I do not trust him 150% like I do Lucy. There would always be a fear or uneasiness about it in the back of my mind, and that is not right. In general, I trust him and do not think he would ever do anything intentionally to hurt anyone, but I don't know how he would react in every situation. He has fear and skitishness that she has never exibited. It takes a very special dog to do this kind of work and there are only a few that have the temperament for it. We're so lucky (and have worked hard!) to have 2 well trained dogs. Booker can do many other things and brings so much joy into our lives in other ways. In fact, I just taught him a great new trick last week. I'll have to get that video on here soon.
