Afternoons with Puppy by Fine Aubrey H.;Eisen Cynthia J.; & Cynthia J. Eisen

Author:Fine, Aubrey H.;Eisen, Cynthia J.; & Cynthia J. Eisen
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Purdue University Press

Magic has cast her spell on many of my clients. Because of her youthfulness, it has been quite easy to involve a few of the clients in her training. Again, all I can say is that I have been in awe of the outcomes. Over her short life, not only has she cast her spell on Sally, but also she has worked at three high schools, even helping a senior student with a project.

As I mentioned before, Magic’s training had started prior to our meeting Sally, when she was five months old. I had several children who had asked about helping her, but one of my clients was determined to get involved. Scarlet, a tenth grader I have known for about eight years, has interacted with all my animals. We have a good relationship, and, as with many of my clients, a highlight is our interactions with the animals. Although she has made significant social progress over the years, life continues to be difficult for Scarlet. Challenges both at school and at home linger. Her impulsive reactions and her social immaturity cause difficulties with peers. Her difficulty in processing information and working at a slow pace makes completing her schoolwork arduous. However, what Scarlet has going for her is a supportive, loving family and a willingness to accept support and guidance.

Scarlet was the most persistent of all my clients in asking if she could help with Magic’s training. Once I agreed that it would be a good idea, we spent some time in our sessions discussing her role in the training and the importance of her taking on this role with responsibility and maturity. We eventually decided (as part of her therapy) that we would meet once a week, so that she could accompany Magic and me to puppy training classes at a local park. The class started at 8:00 a.m. and Scarlet always arrived well ahead of me.

But the lessons were not going to be as simple as she expected. At first, Scarlet needed a lot of supervision because, upon seeing Magic, she’d be so excited and animated that the puppy’s behavior also escalated. For example, during the first few lessons both of them behaved inconsistently. One day Magic took off to chase a candy wrapper blowing across the grass, and Scarlet dashed off after her. She was as excited as Magic, laughing and egging the dog on. Scarlet needed to realize that her behavior influenced Magic’s. Therefore, she had to be the role model, since Magic was to look to her for guidance on what is acceptable behavior for successful socialization.

For eight Saturdays, Scarlet met Magic at the park. In addition, she also came by the office once or twice a week to practice. In spite of a few early sidetracks, Scarlet developed into a caring and diligent teacher.

One of the therapeutic techniques that I incorporated into Scarlet’s therapy was the use of a reflective diary. In thinking about her work with Magic, I wanted Scarlet to recognize that she could be a giver and that she could make a difference in someone’s life.

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