Running head: OCCUPATIONAL ANALYSIS 1 1

Occupational Analysis: Walking the dog

Tiffany Poon
Touro University Nevada


OCCUPATIONAL ANALYSIS 2

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



Required body structures
- Upper limbs
- Lower limbs
- Head, eyes, nose, ears
- Feet
- Hands
- Spinal cord
- Neck
- Heart
- Lungs
- Brain

Performance Skills








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.