Last week in my post, Nurse Buffy!, I briefly talked about the current events of COVID-19 that are so much in the news right now. And how they impacted my ability to fully do my job when my mom had her surgery.
I thought it would be a good idea to share with you my thoughts on the social distancing that is being recommended. And some of the ways it is changing how my mom and I can get done our normal day to day things.
As a service dog, I practice social distancing most every day when we are out in public! As part of my job, I am not supposed to visit with other people. And they are not supposed to pet or interact with me.
Remember in my post, “Please Do Not Pet I’m Working!”, how I told you that it is important to always ask before touching a working dog? And how you should never run-up to and invade the space of a working dog and their partner? This has always been true and very important but maybe even more so now.
It is also important for my mom to be careful with her exposure to things like colds and the flu. So she is always careful with her interactions with others. She seldom has to open doors because I either push the automatic door button or tug open the door. Thus resulting in less touching of doorknobs for my mom!
And do you know what I got to do this week to help keep my mom safe? I pushed all of the automatic door buttons when she had to go get some tests done at the hospital. It was concerning for her to go but she was grateful that I was able to help with keeping her safer!
The biggest difference right now is that we aren’t going out to do many of our normal errands or having lunches out with our friends or going to the bookstore, which you know is a favorite place for my mom! We are going out to get the essential things we need but the trips are quick. And few and far between!
So what are we doing with our stay in place days at home? Many of the things we usually do. Like practicing my service dog skills and working on some of our sports dog skills like obedience, TEAM, and rally. Our days are looking very much the same as I shared a while back in my post, Quiet days at home!. I am taking good care of my mom, playing with my sister Roo, and working on blog posts for you! Although overall we are just cherishing our time together!
My mom will be starting her new Fenzi Dog Sports Academy classes at the beginning of April. She is going to be taking one about props that sounds fun for me and a photography class for her. These classes will keep our minds busy with learning new things and they will give us plenty to do.
What are some of the things you are doing while you are staying at home? My mom told me that students are doing their learning through online classes instead of being in their classrooms. That sounds like it might be kind of hard for you since you aren’t getting to see your friends every day.
I’m sure the changes have been a bit disruptive. And maybe a little scary with the extra preparations that your family may have been doing. For us, we are doing okay but there is that underlying uneasiness of what lies ahead. My mom reassures me that we will get through this and be stronger than ever.
I know you have your classroom learning going on from home. And maybe some extra chores to do with helping out your family. But I thought I would share with you some activities that might be a fun distraction from the regular things going on throughout your day.
Some ideas to do with your dog if you have one…
- Teach a new trick.
- Go for a walk in your yard.
- Play hide and seek with a toy.
- Throw a ball or play tug if it is an enjoyable game.
- Take a selfie of you and your dog together.
A silly selfie of me and my mom!
Some creative ideas to try…
- Draw a picture of me.
- Make a sculpture of me with play-doh or clay.
- Write a letter to your friend or a family member and tell them about me and my blog.
- Write “BloggerDog Buffy! Service Dog” at the top of a piece of paper. Then make as many new words that you can while using just the letters at the top of the page. If you want to print the PDF for this activity click HERE. Remember to download it before printing so that it is formatted correctly.
This is what the printed PDF will look like.
I know for many families there isn’t extra money available right now to buy things other than what is considered a necessity. But if you and your family have some extra money at this time you could order my book, Blogger Dog Buffy!; Service Dog, or my friend Brito’s book, Blogger Dog, Brito!. to read. If you already have my book I will give you some ideas about things you can do…
- Practice reading out loud. You could try reading to a younger sibling or your parent. Or even read to your dog!
- Write a book report.
- Draw some pictures that show some of the events I tell you about in the book. Or even draw a picture of your favorite part!
If you are not able to get my book right now you could read back through the posts on my blog and do some of the following things…
- Make a list of your favorite posts.
- Draw some pictures that show me doing some of my tasks.
- Read some of them aloud to practice your reading skills.
- Instead of a book report write a “blog” report that highlights some of the important things that I have shared about service dogs.
I hope that you are feeling safe and finding plenty of things to do that are keeping you busy. My mom is facing this “bump in the road” with her usual grace and positive attitude. And I am right there with her helping to make the days easier and more fun!
