This week, Charlie began practicing the full range of behaviors required for his Public Access Test (PAT). Through consistent exposure to real-world settings within the institution—such as the Chow Hall, Classrooms, and Hallways—Charlie worked to generalize his obedience and maintain composure under increasing environmental pressure.
Each day included components of PAT preparation: calm walking in busy areas, polite greetings, ignoring distractions (like food or sudden noise), and long-duration Stays. While Charlie is not testing yet, these foundational practices are helping him build the reliability and confidence he’ll need when the time comes.
Charlie also continued strengthening his ability to respond to verbal-only commands, ignore non-cue interactions, and maintain focus during handler movement, all of which are crucial for real-world service behavior.
Challenges Encountered:
Fast-moving carts and sudden hallway movement caused momentary hesitation early in the week. Repeated exposure and calm redirection helped him grow more confident.
Charlie occasionally broke Stay when unfamiliar people passed closely but showed noticeable improvement with repetition and reward for holding position.
Personality Notes:
Charlie remains gentle, focused, and eager to learn. He continues to deepen his connection with handlers and shows increased awareness of his environment without becoming overstimulated. His steady demeanor and thoughtful responses make him a strong candidate for continued public access work.
