My First Time in Lancaster City: I'm Not a City Dog (Yet!)

Even though we live in the Lancaster area, we do not go into the city. There is nothing in the city that I cannot buy outside of the city with free parking. The only resource in the city that I use are the Lancaster General Health resources (doctors and emergency department).

Knowing Thornwald needed to visit a city, I decided that a day in Lancaster would be perfect! I had it all planned. I was going to take him to Central Market, the Lancaster Art Museum, the Library, City Hall, and a few stores. My plan was to get him used to walking around busy streets with new sounds and to visit places that he might visit with a handler. I had him walk over new textures and go to places with new smells.

Our first stop was Rite Aid, and even though he has visited numerous Rite Aids before, he was distraught over how crowded it was in this store. We then continued to visit Central Market. He did not do too badly at the market, but I did not want to keep him there too long because he was having a lot of difficulty keeping focused with all the food smells. I wanted him to leave successful! We practiced stopping at crosswalks and when there was a lot of traffic sounds, I made sure to give him treats to help calm him and associate the sounds with a positive vibe. I was even able to get him to sit and pose on a sewer grate! \

Unfortunately, for young Thornwald, the experience was overwhelming.  Most of our time was spent walking, but when we made it to the Library, he freaked out and started to jump on me and bite my legs. I took him out of the Library and he calmed down. I am not sure what element about the trip freaked him out, but for now, I will be slowly introducing him to the different smells and sounds of the city. Hopefully, we will be able to visit a city for more than an hour before he gets stressed.