Dogs Heal. Therapy Dogs in Children's Hospitals

When a beautiful dog approaches the hospital bed, the child just smiles. While stroking the dog's soft head, that smile spreads around the room, infectious. The focus switches from medical charts and beeping machines to the furry, four legged creature eagerly wagging his tail.

Finally the hospital visit is over and life has returned to a regular routine. Reflecting upon that painful time, one happy memory will not fade-that soft, furry dog. You can remember every detail about the therapy dog who visited the hospital and brought smiles and warmth to a cold, raw experience.

My parents bring their therapy dogs to children's hospitals every week, returning with amazing stories about very sick kids who sit up, stand up, and smile. Those sick kids ask when the dogs will visit again. They are distracted from the other hospital experiences and motivated by the positive energy of the therapy dogs.

You can train your dog to be a therapy dog. You can also call a therapy dog center to arrange a hospital visit.

Picture Courtesy of www.cafepress.com

If you are interested in having your dog tested to become a therapy dog, or if you would like to help the organization in another way, click on the picture. It is a link to the TDI website.

Photo: TDI

Josh and Nester

Josh is a huge Newfoundland. He is the handsome guy in my bio picture. Josh is so tall that his head can lie on the hospital bed without having to lean up. Most Newfoundlands are all black. Josh is a Landseer, which means he has some St. Bernard mixed in. He's hairy, and slobbery. People either love him right away- or not at all.

Nester is a yellow lab who was my parents' guide dog puppy. Unfortunately, he didn't pass the last part of his guide dog test. It was just too loud.

For the test, a huge motorcycle blew by while he sat at the corner. He was supposed to sit still. Ah shoot, I can't even do that. Those motorcycles make me jump, cover my ears, and grind my teeth.

Well, happy ending- Nester got to come "home" to his puppy raisers- who happen to be my parents! Now Nester and Josh are buddies, working together as therapy dogs at libraries and hospitals.

I know. I know. These dogs belong to my parents. ...But I love them too.

If you click on the picture above of Josh the Newfy and Nester the Lab, a link will take you to the "Southeastern Guide Dogs". My parents were puppy raisers for this non-profit organization. They have puppy training classes, community volunteer opportunities, and a great online gift shop.

Dogs Bring the Party to the Hospital

Therapy dogs are busy at the hospital during holiday season.

Of course dogs wear costumes and themed bandanas while on the job. There's the Valentine's Day red heart theme, reindeer outfits, pumpkin hats, and green all over for the St. Patty's Day Doggy Parade.

Before the dogs get dressed, they bathe, shampoo, and get hair-dried. If lucky, they get a pedicure too.

Those doggies look and smell just marvelous.

Photo: Josh and Nester

Two hours to get the hair done!

Every week Josh gets a shampoo with extra "Whiteners" to make him even more handsome. Grandpa takes him outside with the hose and lathers him up real good. Hey, it looks like Josh shrunk! With all that hair wet and matted, he looks downright skinny. Josh takes it like a man. Patiently getting rubbed, scrubbed, and rinsed. He only stops to shake about 3 times.

Grandpa takes Josh to work every day. He has a complicated schedule. Josh visits two hospitals and the Ronald McDonald House. He also visits two libraries. A typical day involves visiting a hospital in the morning to cheer up sick kids. In the afternoon, he goes to the library so more kids can read to him with the "Read to Dogs" program. Oh, I forgot...Josh starts every day at 6am when Grandpa goes for his 3 mile walk. Grandma and Nester come too.

Hot off the press from my Dad (Josh's Handler)

September 14, 2013 At the Children's Hospital

"Okay, I have to write about what just happened recently with Josh. There is a young girl that was life-flighted by helicopter to the hospital the night before Josh and I were scheduled to visit. I saw her mother in the lobby the following morning and she told me how terrified she was during the flight, both from fear of the flight itself and in worry about her daughter. We had visited this girl several times before in the hospital, and the girl really likes Josh. But I didn't expect to see her on this visit after such a traumatic event.

As we were ready to go home, a nurse called me from a patient's room down the hall and said that someone wanted to see Josh. It was that little girl. She had overruled her doctor and insisted on seeing Josh. We couldn't go in her room because it was under positive pressure, but we sat on the floor in the hall as the girl wheeled her IV stand to the door and then sat down. She picked up one of Josh's huge paws and held it between her hands as she told us how great the helicopter flight was.

What a brave little girl. No wonder Josh loves her!"

October 4, 2013

The last entry was written by my Dad. He just called me to tell me about his little friend. That little girl who Josh was visiting almost every week for the last year was named Megan. She had Cystic Fibrosis, and she passed away a couple of days ago. Josh is going to her funeral tonight as a guest of honor. This will be his first time attending an event of this nature. I suppose it comes with the territory. Things like this happen when visiting children's hospitals. My thoughts are with Megan and her family and everyone who loved her. I never met her, but she gave so much happiness to my father and Josh with her sunny personality and kind disposition.

Life is fragile. Feeling thankful for my friends and family.

The guest of honor is Levi, a loving Great Dane who has comforted many sick kids. Josh is in the video too.

Levi, a gentle giant of a Great Dane, was retiring from therapy work. Josh and friends at the children's hospital had a big party. This video was on the local news. So cute.

I love this. Therapy dogs are just amazing. So neat that the parents were able to raise the money to help their daughter afford this dog.

Article: www.huffingtonpost.com

photo:www.ckcoj.org

photo: deafdogsrock.com

Certified in Giving Love

Therapy dogs get a certificate with insurance when they pass a test from a special dog school called Therapy Dogs International. That certification allows them to go into schools, libraries and hospitals.

But many hospitals have their own application policies. For example, one hospital requires that handlers (owners) get blood tests. The handlers also need to get immunizations and a background check.

But wait, there's more. The applicant "shadows" another experienced dog handler- without his own dog. Next the applicant gets to take his own dog, but is still supervised while visiting hospital rooms. Finally (about a month has passed since getting the certificate), you have a fully credentialed hospital dog and handler. Phew.

Remember, these are all VOLUNTEERS. These people are dedicated.

Photo courtesy of KitchenSpot.com.

Positive reinforcement with a click.

These are recent articles about therapy dogs who are helping vets make the transition at home. The are amazing stories.

This really cool organization is completely dependent on donations. Training dogs includes sending them to boarding school for intense training (after the puppy raisers) for up to two years. Yep. Gets pricey.

Check out the link by clicking on the picture. Go ahead, just click. Those Vets really appreciate it.