It was the battle of wills – and even though I won (no one was permitted to give him a treat) – I feel as if I lost because I was psychologically drained – spent – done!!!! He ignored staff and pulled towards every nurses station he saw… Ignoring the patient, while hunting for bacon….
Stubborn, defiant – refusing to do anything – without a treat first. Last week was Harley’s first week back after much deserved vacation days and his behavior was both shocking and atrocious! Yep, I said it! #pickingupwhathewasputtingdown SPEED UP TO LAST WEEK – When a nurse came by with a treat in her hand, Harley perked right up and I quickly caught on. This was not his usual behavior at work, and certainly not at home. He was slow to follow commands, which required me to repeat myself more often. It wasn’t long before other units caught on and every floor just about turned into a “dog treat” festival…įast forward to present days – specifically a couple of months ago when I noticed this paradigm shift in Harley’s willingness to comply. This, I believe, somewhat contributed to his weight gain, because every time he was with me, we went to Ped’s Procedure.
He was now at the hospital at least three days every week. Once our status changed from volunteer to employee, so did Harley’s schedule. He was about to cross the threshold of what equated to the “Willy Wonka Factory” of dog treats! FAST FOWARD TO EMPLOYEE STATUS – Frankenstein’s creation in the making…Īs soon as we’d exit an elevator, Harley would hop down those hallways, ears flapping in the air with excitement galore. There he always received loads of attention… The nurses would “woo-woo” him and he glowed in the affection!Įach week, the nurses would offer up “top shelf” treats from their secret stash in the overhead cabinet behind their desks… Dr. In addition to the children, he quickly started to enjoy the nurses station. That’s where he met Jennifer… His favorite nurse, then his favorite patient! THE BEGINNING –Īs a volunteer, Harley’s first assignment was the Pediatric Procedure Unit. Which has ultimately resulted in writing this post.
Homeboy was off the preverbal “chain” with his antics. Upon entering an ICU area, he literally went on strike – shut down (in terms of commands) right before my eyes waiting for a treat. OMDoodle! Last week I experienced the negative side of Pavlov’s Theory with Harley while he worked his shift as a therapy dog… When Olivia didn’t have a treat in her possession, he was done with her!
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