When Habits Become Hazardous

Morey knows more than 30 different commands but there are some I don't use on a regular basis. However, even if there's something Morey knows that isn't helpful to me, I try to practice all his commands with him so he doesn't get rusty. You never know when something will change (living environment, physical functioning, etc) and a command you didn't used to need will suddenly become important.

The other day I realized that our practice sessions need to be tweaked a bit because I found myself in a situation that was potentially dangerous for both Morey and me. I was grocery shopping on the weekend, which is something I hate doing because it is always so busy. There were no accessible spaces available so I ended up parking in a regular space farther away from the store. I don't like to do this because it means I have to push in the parking lot behind the parked cars. Since I am much shorter than most able-bodied folks I am not visible when people backing out look in their mirrors. Whenever I have to push through parking lots I am extra alert for cars backing up because I know they probably can't see me.

After doing my shopping I made my way back to my car- carrying my groceries, keeping an eye on Morey and trying not to get run over. Whenever I have to push near traffic I always try to put myself between traffic and Morey. This arrangement feels safer to me as I am potentially able to "body block" if Morey should happen to head toward traffic (you never know- it could happen!). Because of the direction I was heading I needed Morey to be on my right side. I told him "side" and he quickly moved over to my right side. However, he didn't stay there and kept crossing back over to my left side because that is typically where he walks. This happened several times and I quickly got frustrated.

I was already on edge after navigating the crowded store and now I was trying to manage too many things at once. I recognized my frustration level was increasing and saw that Morey was confused about what I wanted. I was rather concerned for our safety and realized this was not the time for a training session so I told Morey to "side" and then took hold of his collar to prevent him from crossing back over to my left side. He was startled because this was also not part of our typical routine but in this fashion we managed to make it safely back to our car. Not an ideal way to manage the situation, but sometimes that's how things go.

Although I practice positional commands with Morey on a regular basis, I realized that I usually do this in a stationary position. When I ask Morey to "side" I usually have him go stand on my right side and then I release him or give him another command. I hadn't been giving him the opportunity to go to my right side and stay there as we move forward. Since that time I have been intentional about alternating the side of my chair that Morey walks on so he is used to both options.

People often ask if Morey is fully trained and although I usually say yes, the more precise answer is that he is always learning and adapting. It is my job to make sure that his training stays sharp and I certainly had a good reminder of how important that is in order for us to remain a safe and effective working team!