Activities for practice, drawn from the work of Dobbs-Gross (2006) and Solomon (2010; 2012)): the “Like my dog” hypothesis and opportunities to teach children, through dog-human interactions, concepts concerning social-competence_
| Activity-learning opportunity | Sensory modality | Dog communicative cue | Lesson to be learnt | Social behaviour |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Object retrieval: ball-game (fetch and throw) | Tactile & | Vocalise/body-touch/nose nudge | Ball not thrown back when retrieved, play stops | Reciprocity, direct response |
| Object possession: toy belongs to child/tug of war | Tactile & | Vocalise | Pat dog when dog leaves the toy | Self-concept, mutual respect |
| Chase or wrestling | Tactile & | Vocalise/body touch | Play kindly | Contingent activity, ToM |
| Run/walk with dog on leash | Tactile | Body touch | No parallel walking, dog stops and pulls on leash | Boundaries, social distance |
| Grooming | Tactile | Relaxed body | Mutual care | Mutual Alliance, reciprocity of taking care of each other |
| Sleeping time: put on pyjamas while dog goes to its bed | Tactile | Vocalise/body touch | We do it together | Social bonds/collaboration |