how cool is it ..

yesterday at the Hospital when I was doing my TD visit for Hospice a gentleman came into teh nurses station to talk to the nurses about how they liked his treat he made for them ,fresh homemade banana bread. At first he didn't see me just sitting there patiently and then when he did his face just lit up he was so happy to see me. Then he went on to say how he has told his bible study group and different people at his church how Alex the cute little white dog stops by Hospice to lift up sad people and what a difference i make. I couldn't believe my little doggie ears somebody i don't even know is spreading the word about me. I didn't knwo I was that special but I guess i am. I just don't want people to be sad is all. If that means rubbing my head or just talking to me and then they don't feel as bad that`s fine with me. I'm a good at listening to people . Mommy says if this keeps up she won't be surprised if I get asked to go more places. BOL I do get a weekend away this weekend i get to go camping but mommy says she won't be surprised if I end up making somebody happy over the weekend. BOL

Awards for being a TD

In my last entry I furgot to say that so far within a year and half time I have gotten an award for being a TD it is the TDIA award or Therapy Dogs International Award active that means I had to have 50 documented visits well I did that b/f Christmas now my next award I am working toward is the outstanding Active I need another 100 visits on top of the 50 I already have. My long term goal is to get the gold award which at the rate I'm going shouldn't be too long. BOL I also was nominated along with mommy for an outstanding volunteer award for Hospice of Cincinnati, we didn't win but WOW what an honor just to be nominated. When we found out my first words were who me ? I'm just a therapy dog i love going and making people happy I don't do nothing special. Then it was explained to me that being a TD is something special in and of itself. That not all dogs can be TD. Well that is ok but I still don't understand what i did that was so special to have me nominated for an award. Mommy says I'm just a special dog is all.

Life as a Therapy dog

Little did I know that when mommy signed em up and took me to training class to be a Therapy dog that my life would change for the better. I passed all my classes and test with flying colors and had fun doing it too. See mommy found out that Hospice of Cincinnati over here on the west side could use a Therapy dog she thought about me and how laid back and good i am. You can do just about anything to me and i just don't care. Well mommy thought I would be perfect for the job and I am. I have been doing this job for about a year and half now and i love every minute of it. I started off with just going to the Hospital to the Inpatient Unit (IPU) for Hospice but then since grandma does filing on Thursdays for Hospice mommy was asked to bring me to the office to help relieve the stress of the workers so naturally she said of course she would. then came my 3rd assignment and that is going to an assisted living place about 15 min from home. Boy was a hit there from day 1. They all love me there and i go visit the Alzheimer's unit. Mostly tho I concentrate on the assisted living people. I was invited to the Halloween party in October and mommy got to go by "default" since I can't drive. I am also considered part of the "family" at hospice and the assisted living place. everyone looks forward to my weekly visits even the nurses. I go to Hospice IPU every Monday, to the Hospice west side office every Thursday and to the assisted living place twice a month on Wed. Mommy has been asked several times if I go to Children's Hospital and she has said no not yet. I guess that will be my next place to go. Gosh am I a busy pup but i love it. Some people might think that starting off as a 6 year old doing therapy dog work is a bit late in a furs life but I say it is never too late. I was doing Therapy Dog work b/f I was a certified TD. Being a TD is very rewarding esp to see how the people cheer up when I come around. It can be hard but it is fun too. I have started to keep a journal of all my visits on our computer mommy has been told that I should write a book, I'm not sure about that one.

I`m working Hard

Well i not only have a TD job working twice a week for Hospice of Cincinnati(HOC) I also have a new TD job working for a place called Bridgeway Pointe which is a really cool assisted living place close to home about maybe 10 min away. I went for a job interview there and was such a big hit that they asked how often I wanted to come and mommy said twice a month. The people who live there are so nice and they just want to love on me and can`t wait to see how many tricks I can do. right now mommy is working on how to teach me to play "dead" BOL I love being a TD it is so rewarding and so much fun to help people feel better even at a place like Hospice. Even if the patients there can`t respond for what ever reason the families always like seeing me and visiting with me. I used to be able to go right on in to Hospice now I have to stop and say Hi to all the people in the lobby. It is great to see people smile.I went to Hospice on Thanksgiving Day b/c I knew it was hard for people and families being in a place like that on a Holiday. The people were so happy to see me it made my little heart happy. I plan on going on Christmas day if I can.

Doggie School

Well mommy has been taking me to doggie school for the past 7 weeks and tonight I graduate from doggies school. The teachers are so nice and I was recommended to go onto the next level. Can you believe it ?? Little old me. I have done so well in school that the teachers are impressed with me esp considering I`m in a class with all BIG dogs. Mommy only put me in class b/c I want to be a therapy dog and I need my paper for that. Mommy keeps saying she is thinking of putting me in the next level class. I hope so I`ve been having so much fun I don`t want it to end.Watch out world here i come BOL

Fall

Well Fall is here and that means getting every thing ready for winter including raking leaves. Well Mommy and Grandma and uncle Kevin raked up leaves and mad BIG piles to scoop up how ever b/f they got scooped up I got gently tossed into this ginormous pile of leaves and then to top it all off I had my picture taken. I was happy just watching and supervising but instead I got tossed in the leaves. Mommy said I had to check things out. What things it was a pile of leaves!! if have my picture taken several times wasn`t enough mommy went and put the pictures on my page. Then Halloween night came and it was cold out and mommy made me be a prisoner and Nikki was my guard !!1 I wanted to be an Ewok but NOOO I had to be a prisoner. I did get attention tho so i guess it wasn`t too bad plus I got to sit on mommy`s lap and be nice and warm under a blanket. Plus i did get some snacks for being good . Next year I will be an Ewok and I will not go outside when the leaves are being raked up. I just thought of something next the snow will be here UGH !!!

I have been tagged

his is the Getting to know you Tag. Learn about me and then copy and paste into your diary and lets learn about you.

1. What color is your collar? red with an indian print on it

2. What kind of food do you eat? Right now I`m on prescription food b/c of "health" problems but I love Bentiful that comes in a plastic container

3. What are your favorite treats? anything with peanutbutter in it

4. Do you have a Valentine or significant other? Not yet

5. Do you get table scraps? Just a little taste now and then

6. What is your favorite toy? My AKC stuffed anumals I lost track of how many i have

7. When is your birthday? June 25

8. How many times a day do you eat? 2 times

9. Do you have a favorite color? Yes black b/c I`m a Harley pup at heart

10. Do you hope all your pals put this in their diary? Yes I hope they do


My Pals I want to do this

Virgie
Tinker
Binx
Zeus
Buster

Life`s so hard

Well i went o teh vet about 2 weekls agao to get my teeth cleaned and for a check up. Well everything was looking good until tehy took a urine sample from me. How of them to that w/o consulting me first. Well they found crystals in it so now I have to eat special food and have cranberry juice mixed in with it. I don`t mind too much the juice is pretty good minus the fact that it makes my face pibnk. BOL Not only do I have this "problem" as mommy calls it but I am also on a diet the dumb scale at teh vets office says I weigh close to 20 pounds so now I am on a diet my treats got cut waaay back and I have to start goign for a walk if the weather is nice. Gosh is there an end to this mommy wanst em to loose 10 pounds Yipes !! I knwo it will probally be better for my health and all but I just don`t like the idea is all. Mommy is tryiong to figure out why I am scared ot eb around a bunch of otehr dogs so she says she is thinking abotu asking a trainer what is up with that. Gosh life is hard.

The computer

Well I can say one thing for sure things are never borning around my house. First right after Christmas my big brother Nikki got real sick and had to have emergency surgery to remove his spleen. Then Jan rolls around and my mommy got busy. Every year she works on a play at a local middle school. No problem at least I got my grandma to give me all the loving I can get that is if Nikki don`t hog it all BOL Well Then in Feb my grandma got a new knee so that ment she wasn`t home for a few days and when she did get home I wasn`t alloud in her lap for about 2 weeks. What a bummer. Well I asked my mommy since she is so busy and my grandma is busy all the time too if I could play on the computer when she isn`t home or is busy . She said no absulty not. Can you believe it !!! I told her I was only going to play on Dogster but she still said no. I mean come on it`s not like I`m going to play on other web sites esp since Dogster is my absolute favorate. Besides what elese would I want to do I`m a dog a very spoiled dog but still a dog. I think I can handle playing on dogster for a little bit while mommy is busy. I have begged and begged but she still tells me no. Always has an excuse things like if the computer gets fleas or has a problem she`s not here to take care of it. Of course her favorate excuse is that I should be outside getting fresh air and sunshine and excersing. I told her it`s not as much fun to be outside when she`s not home to play with me. Oh well I`m not going to give up trying to get on the computer to play on dogster when she`s not home. Hmm maybe I can sneek it one day when she`s not home and grandma is busy.

I`ve been tagged

Ok I have been tagged by some of my friends. I have to say 7 things about myself and tag 7 friends.

1. I love to snuggle
2. I love greenies
3. I have a mohawk
4. I love AKC stuffed animals
5. I am very much a momma boy
6. blitzing is one of my favorate things to do
7. I am being trained to be a therepy dog

Now my 7 frinds I have taged

Molly
Daisy Mae
Bitty
JR Angel
Nalah
Ringo
Scamper