Summer Camp has gone to the dogs!
Summer camp has been a long tradition for children taking a break from the school year. It’s a chance to learn new skills and experience new things as the list of activities in a summer camp can go on and on. This week, one of those special days came around for the young campers at Kaleidium Downtown, a children’s museum in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, dedicated to “inspiring wonder, curiosity, and lifelong learning in our children and community through interactive play and discovery”. Tuesday morning, the campers gathered outside of the library room, eagerly awaiting the chance to meet the furry guests that had come to see them. As they entered, excitement could be felt throughout the room by both children and dogs…and the adults. What could be better than a room full of dogs!?
What did the campers learn?
Our trainers and service dogs in training spent the morning teaching the kids about the important jobs these dogs will be doing. From providing deep pressure by laying on top of someone’s body to picking up dropped objects for someone in a wheelchair, these dogs showed off their unique skills to better teach the young children what all they could do. After a fun introduction to the dogs and their skills, the best part arrived! The campers had the opportunity to give the dogs some love with ear scratches, belly rubs, and puppy kisses. Both dogs and campers enjoyed themselves thoroughly!
Why do we volunteer for educational experiences?
Assistance Dogs for Autism, which is a division of Highland Canine Training, is no stranger to public education. As a company that runs a service dog program, police k9 program, and a School for Dog Trainers, we understand how important education is. Opportunities such as summer camp presentations, school and library reading programs, and more offer an invaluable learning experience for children and adults in our community. In providing our time toward these fun and interactive meetings, we are able to educate the public on a broad range of topics from the important jobs these dogs do to the proper way to introduce yourself to a dog and the importance of not distracting working dogs.
In addition to public education, these opportunities also offer wonderful experiences for our dogs and puppies in training. Socialization to a wide variety of places, sounds, people, experiences, and so on is the foundation of a great service dog and is one of the most important steps in creating a lifelong partner for someone in need.
To keep up to date with all of our adventures, follow our Facebook page! If you have any questions, please contact us at info@autismassistancedog.com or give us a call at 704.500.8281
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