OK, I am still struggling with this, so please bear with me.

Today at work, we had a 12 year old girl have a meltdown because she wasn't allowed to eat her lunch an hour before the rest of her group. She went outside and was throwing rocks. While I was trying to get her to stop throwing rocks and go back into the building, Drift came over to do what she normally does. She sat next to the kid and went to give her a sniff and maybe a kiss or two. Out of nowhere, the kid lashed out and hit Drift across the muzzle. I was RIGHT THERE and could do nothing to stop it.

Drift yelped and ducked away. Another staff member saw it happen and took over so that I could get Drift in the building and check her out. Needless to say, I was pretty upset.

I took Drift back to my office and she seemed fine... maybe a little confused but that's it. The other kids saw what had happened, and one was pretty upset about it. He was yelling at the kid that hit Drift.

I leashed Drift and we went to tell him that while we appreciate that he's looking out for Drift, there's a better way to do it. He almost fell on the floor and started crying and talking about how he'd been abused and hit and he knows what it's like, and nobody ever deserves to be hit, especially a dog. He hugged Drift and she just kind of leaned into him. Even after being hit by one of the kids, she was still there for the others when they needed her.

Going into this, I knew there was a possibility that Drift could get hit or kicked or whatever. I just thought that I would be able to read the situations and keep her safe. I failed her today.

What I am struggling with is whether I should take Drift back. She loves the work, and she loves her kids, but I am doubting that I can keep her safe... Drift will stay home with Paul for the rest of the week. But after that, I just don't know...

The kids really like her and they (mostly) respond well to her. I hate to take her away from the kids that need her, but I am not sure I am willing to risk an injury.

What do you guys think??

Thanks!

--Kel and Drift the Magnificent

Wow. Poor Drift. And yet still giving her heart to those that need her. What a wonderful girl. And yet she didn't react negativily to that child or any other even after this happened.

You must be heatbroken thinking that you put her in that position. I feel so bad for both of you.

That's a tuff call, Kel. Maybe you, rather then she, need to be the one to decide what 'situations' she should be permitted to 'respond' to in order to keep her safety in mind.

Then again with all the time that she has been there.....this is the first incident & I would assume not the 'normal' response on the part of these children.

Is the gain of her being there better then the loss of her not being there. You say that she has made a significant change in the lives of many of these children. I understand your not wanting to risk an injury to her....but if this is such an isolated incident after all this time.....maybe you should give it another shot & make sure that you are by her side when she goes forward to a child in the future & if it should ever happen again where you can't interceed & prevent her being hurt...then she stays home for good. But there are always risks.

Really hard call..that I think you will have to soul search & go by your gut. Obviously, her safety is the primary considerations.

I think when doing that type of work, it's always a possibility. No one likes it when everything doesn't go according to what we would wish. It just reminds us that one must be prepared for anything.

DFrost

I'm sorry Kelly. I'm glad that Drift seemed to recover enough to comfort another child. So sad, that he's been abused, yet so thoughtful of him to make the inter-species connection, knowing it's NOT ok, ever.


Can you keep Drift with you, Like Anne suggested, and monitor where she goes closely? I know it'd be hard, as you've been letting her decide when and where she needs to go. You really never know when a child might turn violent, but maybe you'll be able to intercept if she's leashed and within 6' of you?

Give the Drifty dog an extra hug tonight...(Geeze, maybe I need to send her an Orbee...)

Poor Drify and Poor Kelly.

Kelly, like so many have said you are the only one that can decide what is right for you and the Drifty.

Double hugs to both of you.

While Drift has free run of the building, she is rarely more than 10 feet from me. When this happend, I was on one side of the kid, and Drift was on the other. The kid was throwing rocks, but it was more of a "pout-fest" than anything violent. When things do get violent, I tell Drift to go to her crate so that I can deal with the crisis without worrying about her.

I will bring it up to the rest of the treatment staff, but I think it would be good for the kids to make the pitch for Drift to come back.

Drift is certainly not fragile, by any means. She was raised by 2 crazy Mals and can take a broadside hit like nothing. I think this rattled me more than it did her.

I think this will add an interesting addition to my speech on Therapy Dogs....

Kelly, while Drift would very much enjoy a new Orbee, I don't think the K-Man would approve

Kelly, I'm so very sorry to hear Drift had a rough day... and that her mom's day was even rougher.

I agree 100% that only you can make the call; you are there daily and know the children - none of us do.

With that said, I'll give you my thoughts.

Drift has done an AMAZING amount of good with her kids. She knows what they need and is able to reach them in a way unlike any human can. That is powerful. She changes troubled young lives on a regular basis.

This is the first such incident, correct? And no serious harm was done...I suspect Drift was confused but if I know her at ALL via the stories you share, I bet given the opportunity, she would most likely give that child a second chance...

I trust your judgement implicitely and know you will ALWAYS do your best to protect Drift just like any mother tries to protect her children from harm. We can't protect our "babies" from everything which can come their way however, and Drift could just as easily have been accidentaly injured in the safety of her own home...

I think you are wise to give BOTH of you a few days off so that you can clearly and unemotionally evaluate how to proceed. What EVER you decide, you know we will all have your back. Give the great beast a special hug for me tonight.

 Quote: Kelly

What do you guys think?? Thanks!--Kel and Drift the Magnificent

That you and Drift are awesome and it was probably worse for you than her. Drift was startled; you were horrified (not that I can blame you) but you have nothing to feel guilty about.

She could have been stepped on by you accidentally and exhibited the same response and though you'd feel bad you know she would be ok. Its over for Drift as she proved when she approached the other child in the midst of a breakdown. She's an extraordinary therapy dog. That requires a very specific temperment; steadfast in her reactions and very forgiving. Not to humanize but I think a successful therapy dog is rewarded by balancing the emotions of who they are working with. Otherwise you could train any dog for therapy and that just isn't so.

By all means reevaluate how and when and who she approaches, to lessen the chance of a repeat episode. But I think Drift is fulfilled by her work and I wouldn't want to see her lose that over a one time occurrence.

I have a friend who has a son who is severely autistic. She has an assistant dog for him; a beautiful Bouvier. At 120lbs her son can be quite physical in a tantrum but his dog leans into him as he pummels her with his fists and then calms himself by unclenching his fist and petting her....the bond between the two of them is something to see.

Kelly, I think Drift is like that, I think she gets it. Hugs your way.

And sorry but you're not getting out of your demonstration at that seminar.

Sail on Kelly and Drift! I have been involved in pet therapy for many years, and can tell you that most of us have had situations that have left us feeling as you do now. We can experience unpleasant situations no matter what venue we are involved. We learn from that experience and move forward.

The work that Drift does is very unpredictable, her reaction to the situation shows why she is cut out for the job.

Poor Drift, but good for her for handling it so well.

My two cents? when ever you do real world work with your dog there is a chance something can go wrong, a chance that your dog can get hurt. So then you need to ask yourself is the risk worth it? Is the dog good at the job? Does the dog enjoy the job? Can the dog make a difference?

What would happen if you leave her home? She'll be safe, but will she feel fulfilled? From everything I've read she loves her job and does it very well.

Every time I'd take Missy out in the barnyard to work sheep there was a chance she'd get hurt or kicked or something. I worked to minimize it as much as possible through training and management and the situations I'd put her in. Even so sometimes she did get hurt. But she loved to work and she really helped. The risk was very much worth it for both the help she provided and the satisfaction she got from the job.