Today we went to the hardware store for the first time! It was really hot out, so we only hung around outside the store for a couple of minutes. Alice seemed to want to head inside to the air conditioning, so I let her lead the way through the automatic doors!
When we walked in, several Home Depot employees were there taking pictures of her and oohing and aahing over her. She handled it like a champ! She backed up when one employee leaned over her to try to pet. But when another employee crouched down and extended her hand, Alice went to investigate.
After walking into the entrance, I picked Alice up and we walked around the store to get Alice used to the smells and such of a hardware store.
We stopped twice to put her down and let her experience the store. Once next to a tall stair ladder to let her see that something big and tall like that wasn’t scary. And the other time near the end of an aisle so she could experience people and carts going past.
She did great! We were in the store less than 10 minutes to keep it under threshold.
I did the name game five times, just to see if she could respond in a different environment and she looked me right in the eyes every time I asked!
Brad got some pictures, they are below. I am wearing a dress with pink and green leaves on it and a butterfly and plant mask. Alice is a tiny sable and white Chin puppy with a smushed face. Brad is wearing orange pants, a burgundy shirt, an orange scarf, blue tie, white blazer, and black and orange fedora with a white and blue mask.
There are several pictures of Alice in the entrance of the store being admired. Pictures of us walking around the store are pretty good. The best picture in my opinion shows a person pushing a tall stair ladder past us and Alice is in my arms and doesn’t care. Then there are pictures of her lying down or standing as people walk past.
Good job Alice. Veronica you’re doing such a good job with her.