Photo Challenge for Working Dog Teams

Take a photo of your working dog (or service dog in training) with each item. Practice appropriate public access skills, engagement, and teamwork while having fun exploring your community!

Photos will be posted in our C2C Working Paws Facebook Group!

Week 1: Community Explorers

Focus: Awareness & Observation

1. A cupcake or decorated cookie

Practice a calm settle around tempting food.

2. A statue of an animal larger than your dog

Bonus: Tell us if your dog has ever seen that animal in real life.

3. A community bulletin board

(Coffee shop, library, grocery store, community center, etc.)

4. A vehicle with emergency lights

(Police car, fire truck, ambulance, utility vehicle, etc. Photograph from a safe distance, lights do not have to be flashing at the time of the photograph.)

5. Something that represents "Awareness"

Interpret this however you'd like.

6. A bench that shares a color with our C2C logo

(green, light blue, black, white)

TEAM Bonus: Practice a settle for 30 seconds while taking the photo.

Week 2: CAKES in Action

Focus: Compassion, Empathy & Support

1. A Little Free Library or public book exchange

2. A sign promoting a community event or charity

3. A flower that is not red

4. Something that represents "Support"

(Could be a support beam, helping hands sculpture, accessibility sign, etc.)

5. Water that is falling

(Could be a waterfall, display fountain, drinking fountain, sprinkler, etc.)

6. A place where people gather together

(Park pavilion, community center, church, recreation center, etc.)

CAKES Bonus: Bonus points if another working team joins you in at least one of these pictures.

Week 3: Working Dog Adventures

Focus: Adapt & Empower

1. A shopping aide

(cart, basket, reusable shopping bag, etc.)

2. A handicapped accessible door

(automatic door, elevator door, etc)

3. A display with more than 20 almost identical items

(20+ collars of varying colors, 20+ pairs of shoes, 20+ packages of dog treats)

4. Life-size statue or poster

(statues, seasonal displays, movie poster, etc)

5. Something that represents "Adapt"

(Construction detour, temporary sign, ramp, alternate entrance, etc.)

6. A piece of equipment with wheels

(Not a car—think wagon, stroller, wheelchair, cart, scooter, bike, etc.)

TEAM Bonus: Practice navigating a novel environment calmly and confidently.

Week 4: Summer Fun Finale

Focus: Knowledge & Motivation

1. An ice cream cone 

(Can be actual ice cream or some type of sign or poster)

2. A map of any kind

(Park map, trail map, mall directory, transit map, etc.)

3. Something your dog would put on their birthday wishlist. 

(a new toy, comfy bed, cooling mat, special treat, training gear, tug toy, or adventure destination)

4. Something that teaches people

(Informational sign, museum display, educational exhibit, historical marker, etc.)

5. Something that is the same color as your dog’s gear

(For example, Belle wears pink so Penny will be looking for pink items and Nick wears green so Cindy will be looking for green items.)

6. Something that represents "Motivation"

(Trophy, finish line, inspirational quote, exercise equipment, etc.)

CAKES Bonus: Share one thing you've learned with your dog this month.

Grand Finale Challenge

Complete at any point during June.

Take a photo with:

🐾 A location you've never visited with your working dog before

🐾 Something that represents all four TEAM principles:
Teach • Empower • Adapt • Motivate

🐾 Something that has helped or continues to help you and your working dog be successful as a team. (water bowl, cooling mat, treats, etc.)

Point System

• Weekly Item = 1 point each

• Weekly Bonus = 2 points

• Grand Finale Item = 3 points each (you can submit as many of these as you wish)

• Creative Interpretation Award = Bonus 5 points (can be awarded by any of the C2C Coaches!)

Remember: Safety and your dog's well-being always come first. Skip any challenge that isn't appropriate for your dog, training level, health needs, weather conditions, or access requirements. The goal is to build confidence, teamwork, and positive experiences together. 🐾

The list will post each Sunday in the Working Paws Facebook Group, add your first picture of the week in a comment on that post and all additional pictures in a reply to your comment.

❤️Weekly list post

❤️❤️Start your comment thread with the first picture you take from the list.

❤️❤️❤️Add more pictures to your thread as the week goes on and you find more items.