Preparing My Service Mutt for her First Concert
Last night I had the pleasure of getting to see Noah Kahan play live at the Saratoga Performing Arts Center (SPAC). Going to concerts has always been something I have enjoyed, but with my disability it’s sometimes difficult to be in those environments. The loud noises, people crowding me, getting bumped into…it’s a recipe for an anxiety nightmare. I love seeing my favorite artists live, but it’s always been a bit challenging as I get this pit in my stomach and the world starts to spin. Since I really wanted to go, I have been working extra hard preparing Hazel to help me in this kind of environment.
The first step was to get her acclimated to hearing protection. Hearing protection is a concert necessity! If a concert is loud for you, imagine how your dog feels! I ordered Hazel the Rex Specs Ear Pro which is designed to protect working dogs from temporary or complete hearing loss that can occur when dogs are exposed to high volume for extended periods of time. I specifically like this design over competitors because it goes on like a hood and fits snuggly so it does not slide off. When getting Hazel used to this equipment, I made sure to take it slow so she would be comfortable and confident when wearing them. By the time we made it to the concert she was wearing them like a professional. I did give her breaks before and after the concert when the volume was lower so she wouldn’t have to wear them too long. Lots of praise and treats were given throughout that night as she laid by my side.
The next skill that was absolutely crucial to master beforehand was the art of doing nothing in high distraction environments. What we did was sit outside either on my porch, in parking lots, parks, really any place where she could watch life go on by. I would have her lay at my feet and anytime she looked around and then looked back at me I rewarded her. I didn’t want her to have laser focus on me because I want her to know it’s okay to look around and see things as long as she still pays attention to me. Holding that laser focus is also incredibly stressful for dogs. Imagine you are terrified of snakes and right next to you is a 12ft boa and I told you that you couldn’t look at it and that you had to hold eye contact with me. You would be completely on edge and that is exactly how it works with triggers and dogs. It is unfair to expect a dog to not look at the trigger. That is why I let her look and when she makes the decision to look back I reward her, reinforcing a nice auto-check in.
Finally, I had to make sure she could task no matter what was going on around. We practiced in busy malls, urban sidewalks, grocery stores, you name it! This also really helped neutralize the excitement of new environments as the moment she hopped out of the car she knew the assignment. We didn’t just focus on the hard stuff though, I made sure to incorporate fun stuff into every session as well. By this I mean trick training in public to boost her confidence in new places. Hazel is an incredibly confident dog, but it never hurts to practice more! I would go outside on the sidewalk and practice leg weaving, jumping through my arms, center, and all of her other favorite tricks. I wanted to do stuff she liked to do as well to help strengthen our relationship and ensure that she can do whatever I need her to do when we are out in public.
Overall the concert was AMAZING! We had such a great time and Hazel could not have impressed me more.
DISCLAIMER : Hazel is a trained medical-alert service dog. SPAC is not a pet friendly venue and only allows service animals to accompany their handler.
