Dogster

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My life as a rescue.... a.k.a. rescues rock!

My journey to becoming a Therapy Dog - final chapter

Is this the final chapter?

Or is it perhaps the FIRST chapter in a long, happy, and hopefully successful volunteer career as a therapy dog. I guess you could say I got my doctorate in Therapy. Did it come easy? Well, maybe not for mom.

But I had my final supervised visit this past week, and the work of the past 3 months or so has come to an end, or more appropriately, a beginning. Mom is proud of me. Sis, the one who refers to me as "the Rock Star" is proud of me. Dad is proud of me (I think...). My paperwork has been sent, and I await the mail with great anticipation for my official tag and identification.

It's a job, and one that I look forward to with zest. I love to go, and all it takes is mom putting on her tennis shoes in the evening for me to know I'm going somewhere. The shoes go on, and I bark at her. I bounce up and down in the dining room until mom comes and puts the collar on me, then bounce up and down, all the way out of the house. Once out of the house I run to the the back door of mom's car, sit and wait, impatiently, until the car door opens and I get to jump in and GO!! I love my work, I love the people, and mom loves to be making a difference. (Doesn't she know, it's not HER...)

A person whom I am proud to call a friend here told me, "Call it the laying on of paws, the counsel of quiet or the ministry of just plain reassuring presence, Therapy Dogs help heal the heart". Words that I can live the rest of my spoiled, happy, wonderful Golden life by.

So, this book is closed.

But another has opened.

I've been tagged!!

FOUR JOBS THAT I HAVE:


1. Greeter/Wecome Wagon
2. Therapy Dog/Bringer of Joy
3. Alarm Clock (it's time to get UP! it's 5:30!)
4. Teddy bear for my sister - hugs hugs hugs!


FOUR PLACES I HAVE LIVED AT (OR STAYED);

1. Broken Arrow, OK
2. Oklahoma City, OK
3. Bartlesville, OK
4. ???



FOUR PLACES I HAVE BEEN:

1. The Dog Dish, Tulsa, OK
2. GreenTree Retirement Home, Sand Springs, OK
3. Southern Agriculture, Tulsa, OK
4. West Bank of the Arkansas River, Tulsa, OK


4 PLACES I'D RATHER BE:

1. Riding somewhere in the car
2. Sitting in sister's lap
3. The Vet's office (like Annie, I love the vet)
4. Sleeping on mom & dad's bed


SEVEN THINGS ABOUT ME:

1. I was found stray and roaming the streets
2. I've had three (known) surgeries
3. I love FOOD FOOD FOOD!!
4. I help mom cook dinner every night (that she cooks)
5. My favorite person in the whole is my skin sister
6. I ate an entire plate full of homemade cream puffs one day when I was counter-surfing
7. I snore like crazy!

Now, it's my turn to tag friends...let's see....I tag

Casey
Kiara
Jake
Kai
Emma

My journey to becoming a Therapy Dog - part IV

Normally we wouldn't post another entry so soon, but mom had a touching evening on Thursday. Thursday was my 2nd supervised Therapy visit - two down and one to go. I'm guessing that those of you who have done Therapy have had this happen to you before, but it took mom by surprise, and reiterated the entire reason I have this job, and confirmed to mom that it's God's calling that I do this.

Visit #2 was at another nursing facility. The group of people was a little less ambulatory than my first visit, with the majority of folks being in wheelchairs or scooters. One gentleman was in a hospital bed, and he was incoherent. Mom was not sure if she should approach or not, as there was really no sign of lucidity.

We had been visiting around in a common area for about half an hour, and were visiting the lady next to him, chatting it up and all. The man in the hospital bed was on the other side of me - 2 or 3 feet away. Out of the corner of her eye, mom saw him reach his hand out to me, all at the same time not appearing to be concious of what he was doing. Mom pardoned us from the lady we were visiting, and she repositioned me under the man's hand. Again, being the giant I am, no one has to reach to pet me, and as he sensed my presence, he began to stroke the top of my head. As he stroked, he began to talk. Mom saw just a split second of vague lucidity as he stroked and spoke. Although we could not understand him we listened and conversed back. He stroked for a few minutes and placed his hand back onto his hospital bed, all the while disappearing once again into the dark void that his mind was trapped in. I gently nudged the hand - letting him know that I was still there. He stroked me once again, and poked at my nose and forehead. Keeping a close eye on my for my protection, mom allowed him to prod and touch. Shortly thereafter, the man 'left' again, and was finished for the night.

We have learned that what I do is to help heal, and bring joy to those who are lonely and sick. What we didn't expect was to see someone, trapped in the binds of their own mind, free themselves from their private world to emerge into the light... if only for a brief moment.