Dogs That Work - Literacy Dogs

There are lots of ways that dogs help people. They see for people with vision problems, they hear for those who can't and they help those who are unable to move around on their own by performing many useful tasks. But do dogs help us read? The answer is yes.



There are several organizations that use dogs to help children learn to read.



One of the organizations is R.E.A.D. Reading Education Assistance Dogs.
It is designed to improve childrens' reading and communication skills by having the children read to a dog.



The idea is that dogs are non-judgmental don't criticize and don't laugh if you make a mistake. Besides, it's fun to read to a dog. Have you tried it?

The program was started in 1999 by Sandi Martin and her Portuguese Water Dog, Olivia (You knew I had to slip that in there), and was the first such program in the country.



R.E.A.D. was so successful that there are now other similar programs all across the country. Reading With Rover is one that began on the west coast.


Handlers take their dogs into schools, libraries, pediatric clinic waiting rooms,after school latch-key programs, hospitals, detention centers and boys and girls clubs. They are also useful in programs where children are learning English as a second language.



The handler sits with the child and dog to assist and assess how well the child comprehends what he or she is reading. This is done by asking the child to explain to the dog what was read.



The results of these programs have been positive. The children become more self confident, they show more interest in reading on their own for fun, reading scores improve and hygiene improves. All in all the children demonstrate higher self esteem.



Reading therapy dogs must meet certain qualifications. They must be registered therapy dogs. You can begin by attending a basic obedience course with your dog. The next step is passing the CGC (Canine Good Citizen) test which was discussed on an earlier Dogs-N-More post. Then contact either Delta Society or Therapy Dogs International for specific directions on becoming a registered therapy dog. They will assist you in finding an instructor in your locale.



Once you and your canine partner have fulfilled the requirements, there are many possibilities open to you for making a difference in the lives of others. Most therapy teams find their work not only rewarding, but a lot of fun. What a great way to spend quality time with your dog.

Choosing A Vet

Are you happy with your vet? Does he listen to you? Does he answer your questions? Does he explain things in understandable terms? Does he demonstrate how to give treatments? Will he make referrals? Will he do research and make phone calls for additional information? How does he handle your pet? What about the staff? Are they friendly and helpful? Are they interested in your pet?


One additional question that Samba insists I post, does he have a supply of good treats within easy access?

If you are looking for a new vet, there are some things you might want to consider. Is the facility clean and well organized? Request a tour of the facility at a time when they are least busy.

How many veterinarians are in the practice? Who covers if your vet is unavailable? Check their licenses.


Does the vet have special interests such as dentistry, geriatrics, etc?


Is the staff caring, calm, competent and courteous and do they communicate effectively?
When we lived in Maryland we had a vet we liked a lot and he was good with our dogs, but the staff was so unfriendly and difficult to deal with that we changed vets.

Are x-rays, ultrasound, bloodwork, EKG and other diagnostics done in house or referred to a specialist? If not done in-house, where is it done?


What emergency services are available. If an emergency vet is recommended, which one do they use and how well do they communicate?

Discuss fees. Is there a multi-pet discount. Will they price match on medications or will they write prescriptions so you can shop around for the best price?
With ten dogs, it's necessary for me to shop for the best price. For awhile we did price matching, but now my vet writes prescriptions for maintenance drugs such as heartworm preventative.


Does the vet speak to your pet and act as if he really likes the animal?
At one time we had a vet who acted as if he was afraid of dogs. Obviously we went elsewhere.

You want to build a good relationship with your vet. There are some responsibilities the owner must accept in order to keep that relationship running smoothly.

See your vet regularly for preventive visits, not just when your animal is sick.

Learn what is normal for your pet so you can recognize the early signs of illness. Remember you know your pet best. If you think something is wrong, seek medical help and insist on the proper tests being done. Trust your instincts.

Schedule appointments and be on time. When you enter the office be sure your animal is confined with a leash or a carrier.

Don't expect your vet to make a diagnosis over the phone.

Discuss the treatment with your vet and follow the agreed upon treatment. If you don't follow thru with medication or other treatment, you can't expect the vet to make your pet well.


Write down your questions ahead of time and if necessary write down the answers as you talk with the vet.

Take a friend along. Two sets of ears are better than one. They might catch something you missed.

Ask lots of questions. If you don't understand the directions or the reason for something, ask about it. Ask to be shown how to administer meds, such as eye drops. A good vet will be happy to teach you how.

Remember, you are the advocate for your pet. His life is in your hands. Choose a vet you are comfortable with and who shows real concern for your pet.

Pets and Allergies

Hello out there! I am still alive and well...

We've spent the last few weeks on another adventure with Sissy. We now have a new to us vet with a special interest in nutrition and digestive issues, a new diet (for the dogs, thanks much) and we might finally be making progress on Sissy's life-long problem with her anal glands. Along the way, our friend AllyB and her dog Sam introduced us to allergy testing for pets. Her vet used The Spectrum Group, but I'd love to hear any experiences you've had with similar services and/or other types of allergy testing for pets.

(See that super-pink belly?! That's not ideal... no wonder the girl always wants someone to rub her belly.)

I'll be asking New Vet about the blood testing on Monday when the girls go in for follow-up on Sissy and a "meet and greet" plus annual exam for Gretchen. I've had a dog with seasonal allergies and he spent his last years on assorted allergy pills, but this is a whole new adventure for me. How many of you have had pets with allergies, and what sorts? How did you manage them?

Rainbow Week - Fourth Day

Just this side of heaven is a place called Rainbow Bridge.....

All the animals in this post shared their lives with me.



Blondie

She was my pal. We roamed thru the fields together and watched Hopalong Cassidy together. She slept beside me and she ate the veggies I didn't like.



Snowball, Dusty and Spot

My three rabbits taught me about the daily routines and responsibilities of taking care of an animal.


Boots died in 1958

Boots was an adult dog when my pleading for a dog paid off and she became mine. She was patient and gentle, a perfect dog for a little girl. She put up with my dressing her up and she went everywhere with me. (no picture of Boots is available, this resembles her)


Cookie died in 1960

Cookie taught me a lot about life with a hound. She chewed everything and never outgrew it. She liked to bark and chase squirrels.

Cherry 1957 to 1965

Cherry was a small blue Budgie. He was the first bird I ever owned and I spent hours watching him and laughing at his antics. He was very tame and went all around the house perched on my shoulder. He loved molasses cookies and I used them to bribe him back into his cage.



Zelda Louise 5/9/1961 to 8/19/1978

Zelda was one of the puppies from my accidental litter. When you breed animals you learn that not all of them survive. Zelda's sister, Penny, didn't make it to her first birthday, but Zelda made up for it living to be 17 years old.

She was the smartest dog I've ever known. Show her something once and she got it. Zelda went swimming every morning in the pond, then spent the rest of the day with me, unless she got the chance to go hunting with her friend Chip. Zelda never barked until she was eight years old, then surprised us all, we didn't think she could bark. It was my privilege to have known her.



Burton 1961 to 1967

Burton grew up with Zelda and was much tougher than the dog. He chased dogs away from the house, caught rabbits and chased squirrels right up the tree. He was a big cat that liked to eat and learned to open the cabinet where we kept the cat food to help himself. I believe he thought he was a dog. (no picture of Burton is available, this resembles him)



Libby 9/12/1972 to 2/28/1988

Her name was Liberation. She was the first dog after I was on my own. I was young and single and living at the beach and she was my dog. She slept on my bed, she went to work with me. We walked on the beach everyday and she chased gulls and dug for crabs. She was happy in a car, a boat or on a train. She adjusted to living in a beach house, on a farm or in a high rise apartment as long as we were together.

She checked out my dates and let me and them know if she approved or not. She loved Rob.

I'm so glad we were able to make your last years comfortable with a house and a yard and a sunny window to sleep in and watch the world around you. You went to the park and chased squirrels that morning before your stroke. We all miss you.



Pylon 9/15/1986 to 12/3/1999

Our wedding dog. We found her the evening before we got our marriage license. She was a stubborn puppy that grew into a wonderful dog. I never heard her growl, though she had nightmares almost every night of her life. She could be trusted with the smallest child or animal. She was gentle and sweet.



Porsche 4/25/1988 to 8/31/1988

She was a mischievous little girl who would do something silly, then lower her head and roll her eyes up to look at me. I called her Mouse and was looking forward to lots of time together.

We didn't have enough time with her. We only had her for two days when she got sick. She had picked up Parvo virus in the shelter where we found her and after being in the hospital for six days she died.

We have A Secret
We have a secret, you and I
that no one else shall know,
for who but I can see you lie
each night in fire glow?


And who but I can reach my hand
before we go to bed
and feel the living warmth of you
and touch your silken head?
And only I walk woodland paths
and see ahead of me.
your small form racing with the wind
so young again and free.


And only I can see you swim
in every brook I pass
ans when I call, no one but I
can see the bending grass.
Author Unknown



Bentley 9/15/1988 to 12/17/2001

My heart. He was known as Boo to those who loved him and everyone who met him loved him. He was dignified, but had a silly streak. He had a sense of humor and liked to play tricks on people and other animals. There was never a more gentle dog. He's the reason I have Portuguese Water Dogs today and why I call my kennel Legacy. When he died I was in despair and I still think of him every day and see him in Samba and her pups. He owned my heart and always will.



Schroeder and Vandal

Schroeder was a gift in 1994. Rob had heard me speak fondly of Cherry and surprised me with a little blue Budgie. He was sweet and fairly tame but seemed lonely so Vandal came to live with him. She was named Vandal for a reason. She tried to destroy everything she came in contact with. I remember the day I gave her a strawberry and left the house for a while. When I came home she was red, the inside of the cage was red and the white wall behind the cage was red. We had to repaint the wall, but I bet she enjoyed that strawberry.


Peri and Broc

We were having so much fun with Schroeder and Vandal that Rob surpried me with a pair of green Budgies. I called them Peridot and Broccoli. They weren't as tame as the other two, but we bought a huge cage and put them all together and they seemed to have a great time together. They were always a pair and died within a few months of each other.



Flirt and Bean

Bean was a joy. He was tiny and he loved to swing. Each morning when I uncovered them he would head for his swing and you could see his little head bobbing as he swung higher and higher. We made the mistake of putting him with Flirt who was homicidal. She had been brought in as a mate for Schroeder after Vandal died, but then Schroeder died mysteriously. Then one night we came home just as she was killing Bean. She lived the rest of her life in solitary. I'm sorry, Bean.


Buckley (the yellow one) died 2005

Buckley and Cloud were brother and sister. They joined our little group of birds and fit right in. Cloud still lives in the dining room.



Holly and Buddy

Buddy's owner gave him up because he had learned to call the cats and he wasn't safe. We took him in and he was a real character. He loved the ladies and any woman who came to visit us would hear, "Hello, pretty baby." He had a funny little voice and he would see the dogs and call, "Here kitty, kitty." He died in 2007 at the age of 25 years.

Holly came to keep Buddy company and they were a strange couple. She was quite fat and wore herself out laying eggs. Buddy loved those eggs and sat on them for hours, but none ever hatched. She was much to young when she died from breaking her neck against the perch.



Lucy 11/20/1994 to 8/12/2008

She was the smallest dog I ever had and taught me to respect small animals. Their life is not easy. Imagine living in a world of giants. Lucy quickly took over the house and bossed everyone around. Nobody messed with Lucy. Boo was her very best friend and they went everywhere together. He protected her from bigger dogs. After Boo died, Monty took over the job of Lucy's guardian.

Lucy let it be known that she was Rob's dog. They bonded the first day on the ride home and nothing ever changed that. She was a very obedient girl who loved to go for rides and to sleep in the sunshine.


Monty 3/5/1999 to 12/23/2008

He had a traumatic puppyhood, suffering disfiguring beatings before he was six weeks old. He never was able to trust people except for his immediate family and a couple of women who earned his trust. He was our self appointed guard dog and taught all the other dogs the rules of the house.

He adored puppies and forgot his fears when he was with a puppy. He would let them crawl all over him and pull his ears and tail. It was wonderful to see him play with Samba's pups. He never was rough with them.

He left us much too soon. It all happened so fast, then he was gone. I think about him every day and I miss him so much. The pain is still too fresh.

Somewhere Over The Rainbow

When all the world is a hopeless jumble
And the raindrops tumble all around,
Heaven opens a magic lane
When all the clouds darken up the skyway,
There's a rainbow highway to be found
Leading from your window pane
To a place behind the sun,
Just a step beyond the rain.


Somewhere over the rainbow
Way up high.
There's a land that I heard of
Once in a lullaby.
Somewhere over the rainbow
Skies are blue,
And the dreams that you dare to dream
Really do come true.


Someday I'll wish upon a star
And wake up where the clouds are far
Behind me.
Where troubles melt like lemon drops
Away above the chimney tops
That's where you'll find me.


Somewhere over the rainbow
Bluebirds fly.
Birds fly over the rainbow.
Why then, oh why can't I?
If happy little bluebirds fly
Beyond the rainbow
Why, oh why can't I?

Someday I'll wake and rub my eyes
And in that land beyond the skies,
You'll find me.
I'll be a laughing daffodil
And leave the silly cares that fill
My mind behind me.

E. Y. Harburg

Rainbow Week - Third Day

Just this side of heaven is a place called Rainbow Bridge.......



Otis

Otis had a back yard to play in and a great walk to the lake during the summer. No problem behavior and no fear of anything. On walks he would meet some dog four times his size, and he would stop and greet with his wagging tail, then march on.

He loved to play and made up lots of games. He would place his ball on the kitchen rug, then pull the rug over it. He would go off, wait a few minutes, then come back to the kitchen and grabbing the rug in his teeth, give a pull. The ball would fly off and he would give chase, then start over again.

One day I gave him a biscuit. His pal, Eddie, a Lhasa mix, heard the crunch and came looking for his. Otis dropped half on the floor and nosed it over to Eddie. It was the first time I had seen a dog share food.

I've loved every dog I've ever had, but Otis was the dog of my heart.



Casey

Casey belonged to my aunt. My aunt lived on a farm and always had working dogs. When she retired, her granddaughter was looking for a home for a little poodle mix and Aunty said she'd take him. She said she had never had a 'play dog' before. He was full of fun and the two of them adored each other. He lived to be 14. Every dog she ever met got compared to Casey and was always found wanting. (Though no picture of Casey is available, he looked much like this)



Beau sometime before 12/19/1996 to 12/21/2009

He wagged his tail to the very last
And he smiles in his last, long sleep;
The troubles of life, for him, are past!
A shrine in my heart I'll keep.
His soul -- for I feel that he had a soul
And he thought real thoughts, I know--
Has found the ultimate end, life's goal,
In the heaven where good dogs go.

He has lived with me and suffered with me
Shed tears, in his dog like way;
He has placed his paw at times on my knee,
In a vain attempt to say;
"God never gave us that wondrous power,
To tell all the things we feel,
But, I want to say, in my canine way,
That my sympathy is real."

So I loved my dog to the very end,
And he in our daily walk,
Was never just a dog, but a constant friend
And we had no need to talk.
And I hope, when the summons comes, for me
To embark on the unknown tide,
I shall find his eyes in the Paradise
They say is the other side.

James Clarence Harvey

Beau, you were there when there wasn't anyone else. You always provided me with companionship and a good laugh. I tried to provide you with everything you ever needed; but this time I just couldn't fix it. I'm sorry, Buddy.

I will forever miss you, my friend. May you always have a warm place in the sun.



Nibbles died 12/22/2008

Nibby was one of those kitties who loved everyone, very dog-like. She was as adorable as she was loving.



Kiwi 9/19/2007 to 4/26/2009

From day one, she lit up our lives. I knew the day I met her that she was supposed to come home with us. The connection was instant and the moment I met her I knew I could not live without her. I knew I needed her as much as she needed us. I was right.



Shelby died 8/3/2009

There will never be another Shelby, my heart rat. Shelby wasn't like a rat, she was like a mini-dog in a rat's body. We lost her much too soon and very unexpectedly.




Trixie died in May 2009

Trixie was our foster dog. It makes me happy to know that we found her the perfect home, with a retired couple who adored her more than words can say. Trixie really needed to be an only dog and they really needed a dog to adore.




Toby

Morgan's best friend, he let her lead him around on his leash when she was only a tiny pup. He was always patient with her and she loved to run away to visit him across the street. She'd race up the front steps and scratch on his front door. He'd come running to welcome her.

When Tsar came along, he and Toby became best buds. They would sit side by side on the hill looking out over the neighborhood and seemed to understand each others need for space.


Fred 5/2/1996 to 10/5/2007

A big, sweet boy who accepted that pesky pup, Mugsy, into his life and became his best buddy. They shared a love for games and trips to the beach and even snow.



Mugsy 10/5/1995 to 8/23/2008

The little guy who captured so many hearts. He was ready for any adventure as long as his people were there beside him. When he lost his friend Fred, he happily accepted a crazy new puppy, Sissy, into his life. Although he will always be his Mom's heart-dog, he took pieces of many other hearts when he left us, too soon.

I'm Still Here

Friend, please don't mourn for me,
I'm still here, though you don't see.
I'm right by your side each night and day,
And within your heart I long to stay.

My body is gone but I'm always near,
I'm everything you feel, see or hear.
My spirit is free, but I'll never depart,
As long as you keep me alive in your heart.

I'll never wander out of your sight.
I'm the brightest star on a summer night.
I'll never be beyond your reach.
I'm the warm moist sand when you're at the beach.

I'm the colorful leaves when fall comes around,
And the pure white snow that blankets the ground.
I'm the beautiful flowers of which you're so fond,
The clear cool water in a quiet pond.

I'm the first bright blossom you'll see in the spring,
The first warm raindrop that April will bring.
I'm the first ray of light when the sun starts to shine,
And you'll see that the face in the moon is mine.

I'm the hot salty tears that flow when you weep,
And the beautiful dreams that come while you sleep.
I'm the smile you see on a baby's face.
Just look for me, friend, I'm everyplace.

Author Unknown