May 15th-17th: Honorary students came to ACL for their first physical exam! The puppies have been socialized to remain calm during the exam. Owners touch their paws and ears, open their mouths, and “maul” them daily to get used to the feeling of a veterinary physical exam or even to play a sport.

                Ms. Fallon’s Veterinary Science students took the puppies’ temperatures and practiced taking their pulses and respirations using their stethoscopes and other equipment. These activities scaffold into the Role-Play Lab the students need to create in a real-world veterinary dog appointment scenario.

                The puppies’ behavior was also important for students to observe. “[W]orking with animals[,] you must be a step ahead of the animals’ behaviors for safety,” Ms. Fallon narrated. “These pups were happy go lucky all day and were able to enjoy a nice walk (the[ir] first time using a [leash]) down [ACL’s] lovely foot path.”

                The puppies were also groomed, bathed, and shampooed with a Creme rinse on their coats. They’re water dogs, so they enjoyed the little spa a lot! The students then buff-dried them with towels. “Overall, it was a great day of education in Veterinary Science,” recounted Ms. Fallon.