Griffin pole session 2

Tonight, I worked Griffin using the pole again. I pretty much did the exact same thing I did yesterday only this time, I spent more time asking him to let me be closer (which he was definitely less comfortable with) and asking him to sniff my hand. The pole is definitely a source of comfort for him when I am close to him. If my hand is on the pole, it is a lot less scary than when it is dangling out in mid space. He did well though, and sniffed my hand several times. I also leaned in really close at one point, blew my breath at him and he stretched out to take it in. That was cool. He was a good ways away, but he was whiffing noses with me. He wasn't as comfortable with my body being close to his body, so I didn't push it and stayed closer to his head.

Toward the end, I spent more time standing out in front of him with him looking at me with both eyes. I rubbed his forehead with the pole and kept working myself closer. I got him to sniff my hand without it being on the pole and I brushed his nose with my fingers a few times, then pulled back before he had a chance to get uncomfortable. Through this whole process, I kept backing off then reapproaching because I wanted him to see that I wasn't going to stand there and stress him out forever. The high point of this time, was when I reached out and ran my hand down his face (between eye to his nose) without the safety of the pole being there with my hand (the pole was on his shoulder). Then I turned around and walked away before could be the one to move away because I'd just touched him. I pretty much ended on that note! What a great second intense work day!!!

I didn't get a chance to work with Kachina because I spent too much time this evening picking the ripe black rasberries. By the time I started on Griffin, it was pretty late. I'll work her tomorrow.