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Blog Entry 4 of 22 A Therapy Dog's Journal
I was curious about pet therapy when I first learned about it in the mid-90s. Pets can have an important role in the well-being of children, the elderly and hospitalized patients. In 2002, I was ready to look for the dog which would be compatible with me as a therapy dog. I wanted a smooth-haired dog; clean and easy to groom. I wanted it to be small enough to carry in my arms, hold on my lap, and travel in a little crate in the car. It must also be trainable, healthy and have a people-pleasing, forgiving temperament. I liked many of the characteristics of dachshunds. I owned one before, but she passed away in 1997, at age sixteen. This dog won an AKC obedience title. I narrowed my search for another dachshund. There were puppies available, but I didn’t want one from a pet store or puppy mill. In 2004, I heard about a litter in Utah. After several long distance calls and emails, I was excited about the runt. I drove to meet the breeder at a dog show in Greeley. Jewel and I were a good match. We visited for a while then I bought the puppy and brought her home. Jewel is a ten pound, smooth-coated, black and tan daughter of AKC champions. Jewel was sold to me as a pet, and has never been a show dog. But she’s a very healthy, happy and pretty little girl. Some day I might write her story as a book for young children, but am starting with this blog. It tells the adventures of Jewel: Therapy Dog.

Blog Url: http://denver.yourhub.com/~JewelWeekly

Jewel's therapy

Contributed by: Gail Kirkegaard   on 10/13/2007

When I tell people Jewel's a therapy dog, some, jokingly, I'm sure, ask, "Oh, is she getting therapy?"

Actually, it wouldn't hurt. Now, don't start with me about how therapists are supposed to have life all figured out and have no problems. We know they all have an issue or two to deal with like the rest of us. Hers is that she over-reacts to other dogs. She'll bark and sometimes lunge at them on walks and at the pet store. I don't think she's trying to protect me from them; the hero concept doesn't occur to her. I think she's scared. You might have heard of the "fight or flight mechanism." I learned about it in college, when my first major was psychology. We react to stress either by resisting (fight), or by turning tail (flight). On a leash beside me when we encounter other canines, Jewel has only one option. Untethered, I'm sure she'd bee-line for the exit.

We've recently started our little class that I brought up in the last blog. Called Family Dog 1, it's a remedial kindergarten for Jewel, because she had the same lessons over three years ago at another facility. All six other dogs in her class are pups, or quite young. She's the oldest, and the smallest. Doesn't seem fair, does it? My intention for the schooling is two-fold: to improve her social skills, and to prepare her to earn a Canine Good Citizen certificate. So this class serves as part group therapy, part CGC fast track. I didn't consult her about the idea, after all, I'm the decision-maker. She can't tell me that school just doesn't fit into her career plans. I simply push her onto the bus and tell her I'm sure she'll learn a lot and make new friends. She hasn't been invited to any sleep-overs, so maybe there's credibility to her insecurities. We'll have a little talk about that, you know, the one we all hear at some point: "if you want a friend, you have to be a friend."

Once we're done with the last class, the plan is to sign up for the CGC evaluation. She does most of the lessons well enough outside of class, whenever we get around to the homework. In class, distractions and fears are the challenge. My fear for her fears just travels down the leash. So my job is to relax and try to relay that warm, fuzzy, safe feeling to her. Funny, she does that for her clients.

By the way, I don't have any pics from class, so I put one in of her with our kitten.

Later!



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Showing 1-7 of 7 comments
Submitted By: Katherine Jerome
posted on 10/17/2007 @ 7:11:21 PM
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Gail thanks so much for taking the time to look for and read my "Beau" story, and thanks also to you Erin for telling Gail. I am also a big fan of Petfinder, and find myself looking at the creatures that need homes. Right now, we really have our hands full with Beau and his energy, plus we have 2 grandbabies that we spend a lot of time with as well. Keep sharing your heartwarming stories of Jewel.
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Submitted By: Gail Kirkegaard
posted on 10/17/2007 @ 1:59:55 PM
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Erin, I did some searching and found Katherine's story about Beau! Thanks!
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Submitted By: Erin Feese
posted on 10/17/2007 @ 12:00:03 PM
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Thanks, Gail, that's really interesting. I think all dogs should be taught "basic good manners." Oh, and since you're a fellow pet-lover, if you haven't read Katherine's column about her dog Beau, I'd recommend it!
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Submitted By: Gail Kirkegaard
posted on 10/16/2007 @ 11:32:57 AM
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Katherine, you're right about Jewel! I don't know how to train a cat to do all the things dogs can do, but I know that cats are involved in therapy programs. There's one who visits at Lakewood's Total Longterm Care!
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Submitted By: Gail Kirkegaard
posted on 10/16/2007 @ 11:21:00 AM
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Hello Erin! Jewel gets along with our two cats. She pretty much ignores our older cat, who is one year younger than Jewel, but is now larger and more dominant. Here's a quote from the American Kennel Club about the CGC program: "Started in 1989, CGC is a certification program that is designed to reward dogs who have good manners at home and in the community. The Canine Good Citizen Program is a two-part program that stresses responsible pet ownership for owners and basic good manners for dogs. All dogs who pass the 10-step CGC test may receive a certificate from the American Kennel Club." Details can be found here: http://www.akc.org/events/cgc/index.cfm
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Submitted By: Erin Feese
posted on 10/15/2007 @ 5:00:36 PM
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Wait, that's Jewel with a kitten? She is tiny! Good luck on earning the certificate, what are the requirements?
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Submitted By: Katherine Jerome
posted on 10/14/2007 @ 12:10:09 PM
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Cat's have it so easy. They don't have to go to obedience training. Don't tell Jewel though, or she'll really put up a fuss.
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Showing 1-7 of 7 comments
CONTRIBUTOR INFORMATION

Gail Kirkegaard

Lakewood , CO

Gail Kirkegaard has posted 22 blog entries and 241 comments since joining on 3/2/2006. Gail Kirkegaard 's average blog rating is 4.85.
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