An occupation that is important to me is walking my dog. I engage in this activity daily. I take my dog, Chloe, out for a long walk early in the morning, for midday potty breaks, for a long walk in the evening and finally for a late night potty break. I also like to take Chloe out to the dog parks as leisure for myself, and it happens to be very beneficial for Chloe. And last, I like to set up doggy play dates for both me and Chloe to get some time to socialize. The areas of occupation that walking my dog goes under are: care of pets, health management and maintenance, home establishment and management, sleep preparation, leisure participation, and social participation with community as well as with a peer or friend. The most obvious area of occupation of walking Chloe is care of pet; I have to arrange my schedule around to make time to take her on good walks, I have to supervise her bodily functions, and last, I have to provide her with enough love and attention, making sure she is a healthy and happy dog. Another area of occupation is health management and maintenance: walking Chloe for long distances gives me the opportunity to maintain to my health. Also, home establishment and management is another area of occupation. Since I do like to keep my home clean, I have to vacuum frequently due to dirty paws and shedding fur. Taking Chloe out for her before bedtime potty break has also become part of my sleep preparation. If this is avoided, I would most likely end up having to wake up in the middle of the night to take her out. Leisure participation is also another area of occupation; I enjoy taking Chloe out to dog parks and participate in exercising with her. Lastly, walking Chloe allows me to have social participation in the community and with peers/friends. There have been many times when Chloe joins me for a neighborhood barbeque or when I set up doggy play dates with friends. Client factors Values, Beliefs, and Spirituality
Values - Important to take responsibilities seriously when caring for another living thing - Once there has been commitment, cannot turn back (I made a commitment to take care of Chloe the day I adopted her) OCCUPATIONAL ANALYSIS 3
- A dog depends fully on his/her owner
Beliefs
- A happy dog is a happy home - The only moment a dog is happy is when his/her owner comes home - One of the greatest love is from your dog. - A dog is a womans best girlfriend.
Spirituality - As Gods creatures, dogs should be treated with respect and love
Body Functions
Specific Mental Functions:
Higher-level cognition - Judgment: the ability to estimate the hours Chloe has not been outside, or realizing that it may be time to take her out and then making the decision to do so - Concept formation: necessary to think of a route to take where the grass will be on Chloes left side, later will remember this route and be able to categorize if this route was a successful and enjoyable route for her and I - Meta-cognition: being able to think about other thoughts during the walk where I also have to think about my surroundings - Cognitive flexibility: when the planned route is obstructed by another dog walking the same route, the ability to think of another route to take that will also give Chloe a good area and time to do her business - Insight/awareness: knowing limitations of how long the walk should take depending on the weather outside, depending my physical state; awareness of my surroundings: footsteps, other dogs/animals in the area, cars driving by
Attention - Sustained: maintain attention on Chloe so she can remain safe during the walk - Selective: maintaining attention on both myself and Chloe so both of us can remain safe during the walk; ignoring other environmental stimuli during the walk that OCCUPATIONAL ANALYSIS 4
could be disturbing such as the train passing by - Divided: when talking on the phone during the walk, my attention also goes towards the phone conversation; my divided attention goes to Chloe, the surroundings, myself and the phone conversation
Memory - Short-term: remembering where there was an obstruction at the beginning of the route and how to avoid it on the route back home - Working: remembering where a doggy bag station is and saving that memory for the next walk, or remembering that during this one specific route, there was not enough grass so it would not be a good choice to go this way next time - Long-term: how to properly fasten the leash on Chloe, that Chloe always has to walk on the left side so how to hold the leash appropriately during every walk
Perception - Auditory: discriminate a car that is driving by faster than it should be, listening if there are footsteps coming up from behind me - Tactile: feeling the different leashes Chloe has and determining which one I like prefer to use most, using plastic bag as a glove to pick up after Chloe - Visual: viewing the pathway I am walking, knowing to go around or to duck under lower tree branches, stepping over curbs, seeing if the dog that is coming up is nice for Chloe to say hi to - Olfactory: the smell of oncoming rain is different and stronger than what I am used to, so if I smell this I know that rain might be coming and my walk with Chloe needs to be cut short - Vestibular/Proprioception: holding my body upright is important during a walk, and also knowing how far my limbs can extend while walking Chloe on the leash - Multi-sensory processing: putting all the sensory together from above allows us to have a safe and successful walk; otherwise OCCUPATIONAL ANALYSIS 5
the walk would not be beneficial or safe for either me or Chloe; combining knowing how far to allow Chloe walk on the leash and where to walk or which areas to avoid will promote safety - Spatial relationship: must know how far the leash can extend vs. how long I want to extend the leash with my arm; cannot walk well when the leash is too long or if the leash is too short; knowing where the arm comfortably falls for a the walk - Temporal: knowing when to turn around and walk back home when the feeling of a sufficient walk is complete
Thought - Recognition: need to recognize the preferred leash, where and how to hook the leash, recognize a clear path, recognize a familiar face of a child that is not always kind to Chloe and to avoid him/her, recognizing neighbors and their dogs - Categorization: categorize certain areas to avoid, or certain dogs that are too jumpy, too barky, or ok for Chloe to say hi to - Generalization: generalize that walking a dog is like a walking exercise and being able to work on fitness while walking the dog; generalize walking the dog as a responsibility that has to be taken care of - Awareness of reality: know that it is real life when walking Chloe - Logical/coherent thought: being able to communicate to someone where I am on the walk with Chloe if he/she would want to meet up during the walk, being able to guide Chloe in the correct direction - Appropriate thought content: thinking about how much longer the walk should be, knowing to stop for a few minutes to allow Chloe to sniff, pee, etc., thinking about if I should take a longer walk depending if Chloe needs more time to find a spot to go bathroom OCCUPATIONAL ANALYSIS 6
Mental functions of sequencing complex movement - Execution of learned movement patterns: knowing to stop when there is a fallen branch in the middle of my path and finding a way around it to continue with my walk, or knowing to avoid a spot on the grass where somebody did not clean up after his/her own dog and have Chloe avoid that area as well as myself, knowing how to restrain Chloe from pulling on her own leash by stopping in midst of walk until she calms down
Emotional - Coping: learned to not get too irritated when Chloe does not go to the bathroom on her first walk (very stressful especially if I will be gone for a long time during the day), not get annoyed when so many people or kids stop and want to pet Chloe but be able to be kind and keep It in even though I may be in a hurry - Behavioral regulation: knowing not to be running or rushing through the walk because this will not be a successful walk for Chloe, knowing that screaming or yelling when Chloe gets the leash tangled or stays in one spot to sniff too long is not appropriate and has no need
Experience of self and time - Body image: exercising will be have a positive impact on my body and how it looks - Self-concept: know that I am the owner of Chloe, and it is my responsibility to take care of her - Self-esteem: have taken care of Chloe for over 3 years by myself; very confident as her owner Global Mental Functions:
Consciousness - Level of arousal: must have a high level of arousal during the walks to keep me and Chloe safe, need to be fully alert to hear noises such as a fast oncoming car, or noises such as footsteps coming up behind me, or hearing a leash and chain jingling that lets me know a dog is around the corner - Level of consciousness: need to be alert/awake to fully be aware of the entire OCCUPATIONAL ANALYSIS 7
surroundings
Orientation - Orientation to person, place, time, self, and others: understanding that it is the time in the day for Chloe to receive a walk and that she is depending on me to take her out; when outside knowing that she needs to be in an area with grass to be able to relieve herself
Temperament and personality - Emotional stability: need to have a relative calm and composed body while taking Chloe for a walk so she will feel calm and safe during the walk, if she senses I am angry she does not have a good walk
Energy and drive - Motivation: the internal motivation to take Chloe for a walk is knowing that she will be more relaxed at home, that she will be healthy if she is able to relieve her body, knowing that I may not be home for a while during the day and she having a morning walk will give her a better day and she will be more comfortable at home even when I am not there - Impulse control: need to resist the inner urge of making the walk a quick one when I am running late - Appetite: sometimes walking the dog works up an appetite for me in the morning and sometimes walking the dog at night time after dinner helps me to digest what I had Sensory functions and pain:
Seeing and related functions - Detection/registration: need to be able to identify objects that are in the way of our walking path, able to detect if the natural lighting is getting darker which tells me that it is about to be nighttime, registering that the car that is about to move out of a parking spot will be coming our way - Modulation: being able to take in the visual input of the sunlight, the branches on trees swinging above my head, the cars surrounding me that are either stationary or moving, curbs that are in my upcoming pathway - Integration of sensations: being able to take all the visual aspects of the walk in and OCCUPATIONAL ANALYSIS 8
having to modulate my steps, my eye sight, my cognitive process of which direction to take, etc. - Visual awareness of environment at various distances: seeing that there is another dog walking towards our direction, seeing that a lower branch on a tree will hit my head so I will need to tuck under it, seeing that an oncoming car will be turning and obstructing our path so will need to stop and wait for it to pass by
Hearing functions - Tolerance of ambient sounds: tolerating the sounds of gusting winds, a train going by, a loud car or motorcycle driving past, another dog barking, a baby crying when passing by an apartment building, sound of an airplane over head, birds chirping - Awareness of location and distance sounds: knowing the sound of the airplane or an oncoming train will not affect the walk with Chloe, but hearing a sound of a fast approaching car heightens my senses and will make me more cautious of where and when the car will be approaching
Vestibular functions - Sensations of securely moving against gravity: ability to have body stand upright throughout the walk, being able to know where my body is in association with a low branch on a tree or a parked car, when getting tangled with Chloes leash, need to be able to turn and twist my body around and still stay standing Taste functions - Association with taste: not applicable
Smell functions - Association of smell: can smell the wet pavement after a slight rainfall, can smell the odor of somebody smoking a cigarette in their patio, can smell the foul odor of a fire hydrant that has been marked by many dogs
Proprioceptive functions - Awareness of body position and space: knowing where my body is in association with the leash and Chloe, where my body is in association with a car or a pathway rail, OCCUPATIONAL ANALYSIS 9
knowing how to avoid running into the trash can that is in my path
Touch functions - Ability to utilize the sensation of touch: picking up after Chloe requires using my sensation of touch, petting another dog during the walk, holding on to the leash
Pain - Localization of pain: feeling a sensation on my foot during a walk can be a sting from a bee
Temperature and pressure - Thermal awareness: feeling the sun will make my body hot, or a walk out in the cold night air will require a jacket Neuromusculoskeletal and Movement-Related Functions: Joint movement
- Wrist extension and arm extension; ability to hold the leash and hold it out in front of me - Lower limbs; ability to walk
Joint stability - The ability to keep an upright posture while walking the dog is very important - The ability to freely move my upper extremities when holding the leash and most importantly when Chloe is pulling on the leash, my upper extremity can remain stable
Muscle power - Need upper arm strength to give the leash some tension when Chloe Is walking ahead of me - Need wrist strength to hold on the leash - Need leg strength to walk
Muscle tone - Rigid muscle tone when Chloe is pulling on the leash too hard and I need to resist that pull - Need to have fluid movements when Chloe decides to switch over to the other side of me to smell something; need to be able to transfer the leash from my left hand to the right hand
Muscle endurance - Need endurance to last during the walks; arms need to have endurance to keep pumping when walking and also to keep a tight hold on Chloes leash; legs need to have endurance to be able to keep going for long distance walks - Reflex to pull back on the leash when Chloe OCCUPATIONAL ANALYSIS 10
Motor reflexes suddenly decides to attempt to sprint - Sudden stops when cars approach too quickly - Sudden stop mid step on the grass when my foot almost steps on another dogs business - Avoiding jumping crickets/attempting to get out of their way - Abrupt stopping when Chloe suddenly decides to turn back around to sniff a bush - Ducking my head when I see a lower tree branch
Involuntary movement reactions - Swatting a bug away from my face; being able to keep my stance and composure when doing so
Control of voluntary movement - Eye-foot coordination is very important during walks to make sure I dont trip over rocks, curbs and also to avoid stepping on crickets - When Chloe decides to cross my path, my hand that is holding leash will have to cross my midline - Need to untangle myself by either switching hands to hold the leash or twist out of it
Gait patterns - Especially important during walking the dog - Normal gait patterns to keep up with Chloes quick steps Cardiovascular, Hematological, Immunological, and Respiratory System Function:
Cardiovascular system function - Must keep a constant heart rate to have a healthy and safe walk - Walking the dog daily can keep blood pressure low Hematological and immunological system function - Protection from allergies: pollens, dust
Respiratory system function - Knowing that if my breathing becomes heavy or even if Chloes breathing turns into loud panting, I will know that something is wrong or know to slow down my pace or stop for a break
Additional functions and sensations of the cardiovascular and respiratory systems - Knowing the aerobic capacity of Chloe is important being that she is only 4 lbs.; going for a light jog may tire her little body out, so knowing her aerobic capacity may not involve a light jog, I need to always make sure my pace is appropriate for her limits OCCUPATIONAL ANALYSIS 11
Voice and Speech Functions:
Voice functions - Need to use my voice to give Chloe verbal commands to go on the grass, to avoid a certain area to smell, to stop when there is a car coming, to hush her when she starts to bark or growl at another dog Fluency and rhythm - Use different tones when Chloe is being disobedient or when she has done something correct and I am praising her; she can tell by my different fluctuations whether she has done something good or has done something bad Alternative vocalization functions - Not applicable Digestive, Metabolic, and Endocrine System Function: Digestive system function
- Not applicable Metabolic system and endocrine system function - Not applicable Genitourinary and Reproductive Functions:
Urinary functions
- Not applicable Genital and reproductive functions - Not applicable Skin and Related-Structure Functions:
Skin functions
- Not applicable Hair and nail functions - Not applicable
Body Structures Structure of the nervous system - Being able to process sensory input (PNS and CNS) and responding Eyes, ear and related structures - Eyes for visual; lots of visual stimuli during the walk - Ears for taking in sounds that are unfamiliar and familiar which allows me to react a certain way Structures involved in voice and speech - Will need mouth, tongue, voice box, throat to speak; communicating with Chloe or others around me Structures of the cardiovascular, immunological, and respiratory systems - Heart - Lungs - Immune system to fight allergies Structures related to digestive, metabolic, and endocrine systems
- Not applicable Structure related to the genitourinary and OCCUPATIONAL ANALYSIS 12
reproductive systems - Not applicable Structures related to movement - Upper limbs; helps with walking, pumping arms for more movement - Lower limbs; necessary for walking - Axial skeleton to keep my body upright and in place while walking Skin and related structures - Skin protects my organs; also protects the organs from heat/cold in the outside environment
Activity Demands Objects and their properties
- Shoes - Leash - Dog - Keys - Doggy trash bag
Space demands - Large open space - Outdoors - Grassy area - Natural lighting - Bearable temperature (not too hot, not too cold) - Natural noises
Social demands - Appropriate behavior: not talking loudly when walking the dog early in the morning and late in the evening - Appropriate dress: wearing clothing appropriate to be seen outside with or appropriate for the weather - Cleaning up after the dog - Asking permission to other dog owners if the dogs can say hi to each other - Getting out of the way of a dog and dog walker approaching - Looking before crossing the street
- (1) Call Chloes name to get attention - (2) Get leash from coat closet - (3) Put leash onto Chloes collar - (4) Unlock front door - (5) Step outside - (6) Lock front door - (7) Determine which route I want to talk OCCUPATIONAL ANALYSIS 13
Sequence and timing - (8) Being walk - (9) Give Chloe command to use bathroom - (10) Walk at a pace that will be comfortable for me and Chloe - (11) Give Chloe enough stops and breaks to sniff around for about 2-3 minutes - (12) Watch the path for obstructions, cars approaching, other oncoming dog walkers - (13) Give Chloe at least 5 minutes to sniff around and find a good spot - (14) Go to dog pick up station - (15) Pull out doggy bag - (16) Open doggy bag - (17) Place hands inside the doggy bag - (18) Locate Chloes feces - (19) Pick up Chloes feces - (20) Tie the bag shut - (21) Go back to doggy pick up station - (22) Throw away doggy bag - (23) Continue on the walk - (24) Make frequent stops to let Chloe sniff - (25) Be aware of surroundings on walk back to home as well - (26) Unlock front door - (27) Go inside - (28) Take Chloes leash off of collar - (29) Put Chloes leash away in the closet - (30) Give Chloe a treat - (31) Put Chloes water and food bowl down
Required actions and performance skills - Feeling how tight to hold on to the leash where it has to be sturdy enough to keep Chloe close, but lose enough to give her enough room to roam - Holding onto the leash - Determining how to move my limbs when getting tangled in the leash - Juggling around the leash and keys in my hands - Adjusting my tone of voice between commands and praises - Choosing my shoes and appropriate clothing to wear outside - Being aware of my surroundings OCCUPATIONAL ANALYSIS 14
- Responding to questions about Chloe or general conversation questions from other people outside - Guiding Chloe away from obstructions in the road - Locking the door, opening and closing the door - Putting on the leash on Chloes collar - Walking down the stairs, walking along the sidewalk
Required body functions - Need to be awake to walk Chloe - Need to have upper and lower limb movements; mid body for holding my body upright when walking - Need to have grip holding onto the leash - Vision, auditory, cognitive processing
Motor and praxis skills - Turning the door knob to open the closet door - Bending down and picking up the leash from the closet floor - Fine motor skills to connect the leash hook to the collar hook - Manipulating my keys to lock and open the door - Maintaining my balance going up and down the stairs - Adjusting my body posture when walking under lower tree branches - Coordinating my footsteps to be in sync with Chloes OCCUPATIONAL ANALYSIS 15
- Holding onto the leash and then trading hands when Chloe crosses my path
Sensory-perceptual skills - Locating the hook connection with the leash and collar - Timing the correct moment to cross the street: making sure the street is safe from passing cars - Visually determining that I cannot pass under the lower tree branches
Emotional regulation skills - Responding to people who stop and walk to talk to me about Chloe, asking me questions about Chloe - Displaying emotions that are appropriate for walking a dog: (i.e. not screaming or yelling at Chloe while walking her) - Controlling my anger when a car speeds by in a residential area - Being apologetic if Chloe is growling at another dog
Cognitive skills - Judging which route would be the best depending on that time of day - Organizing the certain times of the day to take Chloe out - Deciding if Chloe would enjoy a small fetch and run session in the community dog park - Multitasking walking Chloe and drinking coffee; multitasking walking Chloe and talking on the phone - Selecting what the necessary or what preferred items I want to take on the walk (i.e. phone, coffee, water bottle, etc.)
Communication and social skills - Looking where Chloes ears perk up to - Gesturing to oncoming dog walkers that I will be going the other way so he/she does not have to change their path way - Acknowledging another person who passes by and comments on Chloe - Answering questions/having a conversation with a person that is interested in information about Chloe - Having the appropriate physical space between me and the other person who is having the conversation with me, also OCCUPATIONAL ANALYSIS 16
appropriate distance to his/her dog as well
Performance Patterns Person
Habits - Always check both ways for oncoming cars before crossing the street - Always put the leash inside coat closet - Automatically put keys on the entry table when first come inside - Always turn down the thermostat when leaving for the walk, always turn it back up when returning for the walk - Always checking if I have locked the door
Routines - Set coffee maker, and then go for a morning walk - Tell Chloe were going for walk, get leash, put leash on, and go for walk - When back from the walk, will go to treat jar and give Chloe a treat Rituals - Have Chloe give me a high-five before putting on the leash and rewarding her with a walk Roles - Owner of Chloe - Caretaker of Chloe - Best friend of Chloe
Organization Habits - Not applicable Routines - Not applicable Roles - Not applicable
Population
Routines - Follow animal health practices; keep dogs up to date with shots (i.e. rabies, bordetella) - Follow social customs of being aware that not all dogs will be kind to each other, thus OCCUPATIONAL ANALYSIS 17
asking for permission before two dogs can come close to each other - Always go on a walk with a leash for safety - Pick up after ones dog Rituals - None
Roles - Dog owners - Dog lovers
Contexts and Environments
Cultural - Taking care of a dog takes a lot of responsibility and needs to be done out of love - Dogs are part of the family too - Even though dogs are animals, they should be treated with respect - Animal/dog abuse is unacceptable
Personal - Belief that Chloe needs to be treated more like a child than a real dog - Spoiling Chloe
Temporal - Had Chloe for over 3 years; a deep relationship of trust has been built over these 3 years - Daily walks; at least 2x a day - Feeding 2x a day
Virtual - Since Chloe has moved away from her other owner, use webcam to allow her other owner to see her
Physical - Chloes home/my home; place of rest, food and water, play - Outside; for walks - Grass areas; for play time and potty time
Social - Friends of Chloes: dogs and humans - Dog parks; expected to pick up after own dog, expected to always keep an eye on your dog, initiating conversation with other dog owners, answering questions from other dog owners - Play dates at other friends houses; expectation that your dog will not have an accident inside friends house, expectation that socializing dogs will bring OCCUPATIONAL ANALYSIS 18
better behavior
OCCUPATIONAL ANALYSIS 19
Reference American Occupational Therapy Association. (2008). Occupational therapy practice framework: Domain and Process (2 nd ed.). American Journal of Occupational Therapy, 628-646.