Yesterday, Reilly went to work with me.
It was his first visit on a school day, although a non-teaching day for me. At this stage all I expect of him there is the socialization to a rather hectic environment. This is far more than going to a pet shop or a grocery store. Lots of people; lots of distractions. Getting him to remember the commands he's familiar with in such a busy place is enough of a chore for him right now.
He accompanied me to two meetings (in the department, with a maximum of four people) and a walk across campus to take his shot records to the disability office. He enjoyed the elevator, was interested in the fact that some doors open when I push a button, and was a bit confounded by the fact that his water bowl is currently being kept in the bathroom. He did a nice job of ignoring people in the hallways, although I'm making it a strong point not to take him out when classes are changing. He met several colleagues in the department, and allowed them to approach for petting. So far, he's doing everything I could ask of him at this point. I'm keeping contacts to a small limit, as he doesn't need to go on overload, either. I sent an email to the department the day before, outlining what his purpose is there, what they should expect of him behavior-wise, and what we expect of them. I told them they could participate in his training by simply ignoring his presence, but if they wished to meet him, they could, within my "rules of engagement". Out of 25 people in the department, and hundreds of students, I had seven request an introduction, and those were spaced out during the day. All but one person was very respectful of what was going on. One person, in a meeting, kept calling him to her "to see if he would". The first time, Reilly was in a down-stay, and broke it for her. I simply put him back in his down-stay. The second time, I told her to quit. Grrrrr.
Reilly and I spend the larger part of the day in my office, so I could get some grading and prep work done. He sat on the blanket I provided for him out of the way, then chose to do as he does at home and lie on my feet. I'll move the blanket next time. He won't fit there for long, so he might as well get the comfort of it while he can. I had several people come by my office for one thing or another, and Reilly simply slept through their visits. That's good. He didn't wake up until my last appointment of the day, which was at 2:15. Then he started getting a little antsy. I figured he wanted a drink, but he had to wait until my student left before we could go get one. I'll have to work on logistics and his sleep schedule a lot. If I have an appointment, I should wake him, water and potty him before the appointment, and not have those worries during. Even for a short, fifteen minute appointment, such as this was.
Problems from the day, aside from the irritating colleague (and I'm sure she simply misunderstood the guidelines for interaction, rather than was being intentionally irritating), were his reluctance to go potty where and when I wanted him to, his lack of continuous access to water, and my realization that I leave my office far more often than I thought!
Since his water is in the bathroom, I did combine my trips there with his watering trips, so didn't have to run back and forth so much. He didn't drink as much as he does at home, but I think it was more because he wanted to explore the bathroom than anything else. And his lowered water intake was part of the reason he didn't pee as often as asked. I'm sure both will change as he gets more comfortable there. My office is carpeted, which is one reason why I am reluctant to keep water in the office. He's not a big drooler, but he does have serious waterfall mouth when drinking. In the bathroom, I can towel off the floor (I brought a stack of doggy towels in) and wipe his mouth before we leave. The other problem with water in my office is that I can't carry a bowl of water that far. I can use a jug in my drink sling to bring it to the office, but dumping a bowl of drooled-in water to refresh it would be very difficult. I may try getting a plastic mat for a bowl, and two jugs plus a funnel, to see if I can pour dirty water into a second jug. I can carry jugs, and I can carry the empty bowl, as I knit carry bags with shoulder straps for such things. I would like him to be able to drink as he likes. If that doesn't work though, we'll stick to the bathroom. The disability office has informed me that if I can't deal with his water, they will assign someone to come give him fresh water several times a day. Likewise, if I can't clean up his poo, they will get that taken care of as well. And if I become unable to walk him and don't have a volunteer I trust, they will assign someone for that, too. I do not want to resort to any of these until I actually need them, but it's wonderfully nice to know they are there!
Once he seems as if he's adjusted to the new environment, I'll start taking him outside for command practice similar to what I do in the park now, on a long-line. That should be fun. The quad is plenty big, and most people stick to the sidewalks, so I'll have a larger space than at the park, actually. We hold graduations on the quad!
Also, once he gets used to it there, we'll start working on tasks that will be needed there...and elsewhere. The buttons for opening doors are something he can learn to use. And it's a great place to work on opening doors with a rope; there are all types of door handles for me to sort out how to attach a rope-and-hook to. And he can start on retrieving things I drop, too.
I do need a good chew toy for him there. I didn't think about that until we got there, so I snagged the toy I keep in the car, but he didn't want it. I need something he'll love, but that doesn't smell. The cow hooves smell, according to Chris. I'll have him check the bully stick. Reilly tried to swallow one end-on when we weren't home, and threw it up, so has not had one since. However, in my office he can't get more than five feet from me, so I can keep him from doing that again. He'll be able to enjoy them safely...if they don't smell. (I miss not being able to smell....)
A colleague who posts news on our department website took photos of Reilly and me so she can post an article outlining to students how they should react to Reilly. I'll snag one when she sends them to me and post it here.
Meg and Reilly
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