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The sun was shining with a cool breeze in Vista, California where Love on a Leash Golden Retriever was visiting Alta Vista High School with owner/handler Jamie Baumann. Alta Vista is a continuation school for students who have fallen behind in regular high school try to catch up. On the Alta Vista Campus is a Teen Parent nursery, so teen parents have childcare for their babies, while they complete high school.
It was a festival spirit, as lunch break was extended for a Valentine’s Day feast. The student rock band had just begun to play. One of the students had asked Jamie to get a picture of him in the band. No problem. It was then, that Jamie broke the cardinal rule of therapy dog handling. She left Molly in a downstay in the middle of the grassy quad, while she just ran over to take a picture or two. Molly knew the command. She had a great downstay. No problem. Right?
After snapping a few shots, Jamie looked back to check on Molly from about 25 yards away. To her horror, Molly was lying just as she should, but a toddler had toddled shakily away from her mother and was picking up the end of Molly’s leash. Molly was lying on the leash and it was tangled through her legs. The toddler grabbed the end of the leash and started to pull. Jamie didn’t know what to do. If Jamie called Molly, Molly would come, but the baby girl would certainly fall over. If Molly put any pressure on the leash at all, the toddler would fall. She was very wobbly in her new walk on her own. She was holding a valentine lollipop in one hand and the leash in the other. Jamie decided make no quick moves and watch to see what would happen. She was hoping against hope that Molly wouldn't slurp the lollipop from the baby girl’s hand.
To Jamie’s amazement, as the toddler pulled the end of the leash, Molly gingerly got up, carefully untangling herself and putting no pressure on the end of the leash. Then, this big Golden retriever started to follow the toddler, making sure there was always slack on the leash. At this point, Jamie who had the camera, took the picture. Who would have believed it?
Our therapy dogs have a tremendous capacity to know how to behave with or without us. Molly knew just how to interact with this inquisitive and precocious toddler. Jamie learned not to let go of the leash again.
Jamie Baumann is a dog trainer with Jamie’s Dog Training Company in Vista, California.
It was a festival spirit, as lunch break was extended for a Valentine’s Day feast. The student rock band had just begun to play. One of the students had asked Jamie to get a picture of him in the band. No problem. It was then, that Jamie broke the cardinal rule of therapy dog handling. She left Molly in a downstay in the middle of the grassy quad, while she just ran over to take a picture or two. Molly knew the command. She had a great downstay. No problem. Right?
After snapping a few shots, Jamie looked back to check on Molly from about 25 yards away. To her horror, Molly was lying just as she should, but a toddler had toddled shakily away from her mother and was picking up the end of Molly’s leash. Molly was lying on the leash and it was tangled through her legs. The toddler grabbed the end of the leash and started to pull. Jamie didn’t know what to do. If Jamie called Molly, Molly would come, but the baby girl would certainly fall over. If Molly put any pressure on the leash at all, the toddler would fall. She was very wobbly in her new walk on her own. She was holding a valentine lollipop in one hand and the leash in the other. Jamie decided make no quick moves and watch to see what would happen. She was hoping against hope that Molly wouldn't slurp the lollipop from the baby girl’s hand.
To Jamie’s amazement, as the toddler pulled the end of the leash, Molly gingerly got up, carefully untangling herself and putting no pressure on the end of the leash. Then, this big Golden retriever started to follow the toddler, making sure there was always slack on the leash. At this point, Jamie who had the camera, took the picture. Who would have believed it?
Our therapy dogs have a tremendous capacity to know how to behave with or without us. Molly knew just how to interact with this inquisitive and precocious toddler. Jamie learned not to let go of the leash again.
Jamie Baumann is a dog trainer with Jamie’s Dog Training Company in Vista, California.
