Puppies in the Mall

Today's puppy training lesson was a walk through the shopping mall. OilMan and I went along to try to document the action. Not easy with eight black puppies and their handlers, eight kids with autism who were paired with the adult handlers, the parents and families of the kids, Nancy, the breeder/trainer/teacher and a photographer. It was well controlled chaos.

From the point of view of a photographer it was virtually impossible, but from the standpoint of an observer it was delightful.Lessons included crossing the street, teaching the puppies to use their noses to open the door by pressing the large button with their noses, walking through Macy's department store in an orderly single file, going up stairs, and a visit to the See's Candy store, where the black and white uniformed ladies handed out chocolates to the kids and watched while the puppies put their paws up on the counter. The kids were taught how to explain that their puppies can't have chocolate because it is poisonous for some dogs.

I caught a picture of some of the group as they rested and entertained a lot of interested onlookers. That's Dana with the boy in the purple shirt and Blake. Although they tend to respect the puppies in their purple coats, interested bystanders are encouraged to pat and interact with the puppies while they are are resting.

I was talking to one of the mothers who told me that Nancy is the only person in Sonoma County who raises and trains puppies to work with children with autism. Seeing these kids and their families together with the puppies, I can't think of a better combination.