06/03/2026
Some days your training plan gets blown up. What do you do then?
River was scheduled for a walking session through a busy neighborhood this morning. He and his mom had been practicing in low-distraction environments for two weeks.
We met at our designated meeting spot and discovered a light pole had been completely knocked over. It was removed from the path, and a bystander told us a drunk driver had hit it last night.
As we were walking away, River yelped and jumped. The glass from either the lamp or the vehicle had not been properly cleaned up. River had cut a paw pad. So, the walk was aborted.
We made our way to a thankfully close-by pet supply store to get out of the heat and assess the injury in a safe place.
We calmed River down, and with the help of the staff, cleaned and assessed his wound. The bleeding subsided, but required some first aid supplies the store didn't have.
River stayed with me doing easy sits and downs intermingled with calm sniffing while his mom drove to a nearby drug store for liquid bandage. When she returned, we applied some of the treatment to his paw, let it dry and then put together a plan for resting at home and scheduling checks throughout the rest of the day to make sure he's healing. (Always knowing we can schedule a vet visit if needed.)
So... we did not get any walking practice done today. But we did...
● practice how to stay calm if an injury occurs away from home
● identify safe places to step aside and do an impromptu exam on a dog
● reach out for support
● use our calm, focus, relax, sit, down and look cues in real life to help River settle himself away from home
● practice being away from his mom for short periods of time with another person in public
● shift from exercise focus to enrichment/sniffing focus
Even when things don't go according to plan, remember what you CAN do. Also, don't drink and drive!
