I am always learning something new. This constant upskilling applies to my personal life as well – I read books on personal finance to learn how to invest and build wealth, I study sheet music and memorize my parts for chorus performances, and recently, I’ve been working towards leveling up my dog handling skills at the county shelter here in Atlanta.
Every Sunday I go to the shelter and walk “Level 1 (L1)” dogs who are relatively easy to interact with.
In order to handle some of the more stressed or anxious dogs at Lifeline, volunteers have to earn their L2 designation. For the L2 ranking, I’ve taken courses on dog training, matchmaking with potential adopters, and fear free handling.
The thing I like most about the program at Lifeline is that it is very hands on. During each session I get to work with real dogs and practice my new skills, whether it be commands, leash slips, or walking.
This is a scaffolded environment where the instructor first models the action, then I repeat with their support. The ultimate goal is for me to perform the task independently. There are even prerequisite videos so by the time you are in a class, you are activating prior knowledge.
It’s lessons like these that I always take back to my workplace: Give learners a chance to practice their new skills.
Lifeline Animal Project is the nonprofit that manages the DeKalb and Fulton county shelters, so if you are around Atlanta and interested in adopting a dog, hit me up!
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