Charlie and the Very BIG Dogs

In some ways, raising a puppy is very much like raising a child.  That is, it's just as important to expose a puppy to new sights and sounds as it is a child, in particular, an autistic child.  Those of us in the A Club can attest to the nightmare of unexpected sights, changes in routines, or unfamiliar sounds and the in-diffusible meltdowns that can accompany these things.   New experiences can elicit comparable negative behaviors in a dog.  

One of the things that we've been working on with Charlie is how to deal with new sights and distractions.  Of course, Wendy the Trainer provides loads of advice and strategies to expose Charlie to just about anything you could imagine (and if I was a little more diligent in my training efforts I'm certain that Charlie would be starring in a feature film by now.)  However, some of our best training occurs completely unintentionally, almost accidentally.  

Take this weekend for example.  We were out for a routine stroll in a nature preserve close to our home when we encountered several folks on horseback.  We've not taken Charlie anywhere near horses since he's been with us so we really didn't know what to expect.

In an attempt to minimize any agitation from Charlie, we encouraged Tim to speak to Charlie while we secured Charlie with a firm grip at the side of the trail.  We weren't sure how he'd react - frankly, I expected some barking and pulling - but  more than anything he just seemed curious. He watched intently as the animals forded the stream and then went back to chasing the rocks that Tim was tossing into the water.

I suppose this could have been a more eventful incident, particularly in light of Charlie's increasing size and teenager-esque tendencies of late.   At least now we know he's seen horses and next time we'll be a bit more confident about his reaction.  AND, we can check one more thing off the list of things for him to see.