I'm dog sitting this weekend. She's a very sweet Bichon, mellow with age, and loves nothing better than human attention. After collecting her, with permission, I thought I would take a chance and bring her with me for my regular trip to the care facility rather than driving her back to our place and adding another 30 miles to the commute. Other dogs had visited, so why not this well-behaved, lovable, and well-groomed pooch?
When we walked into the house together, the more lucid residents brightened up and asked if they could pet her. Well, of course! She really ate it up, and it was easy to see that it was love at first sight for the residents. There's just something about petting an animal that's soothing and relaxing and gentle and joyful.
My husband was just getting up from a nap, with a little coaxing and help from staff and me. Once we transferred him to a recliner, the dog jumped onto his lap and curled up. I thought he might be a little startled by that, but a beautiful smile spread across his face again and again as he scratched behind her ears and petted her. Naturally, I wasn't able to capture one for the camera, but it was the most thorough series of smiles I've seen from him in a long time. And he said, "Doggie!" Wow.
The staff let me know there hasn't been official "puppy therapy" at the house for a while. Volunteers can be hard to come by. So they encouraged me to bring her back when I can. That sounds like a good idea to me, assuming her owners will allow it. What do you think? Will they?
Dog therapy is a great idea. Try and find people who have therapy dogs in your area, maybe training dogs for the blind etc, who would be willing to spend an hour or two there. I see at my Mom's facility how the residents light up when someone comes in with a dog!
ReplyDeleteThey also have an old horse in a paddock right next to the housing, and it is a great source of entertainment and distraction to go for a walk and give the horse a carrot or an apple!
Yes, thanks! There were folks who were volunteering with their service dogs, but they are no longer available. The facility is trying to locate more volunteers. In the meantime, those of us spouses who have dogs are taking them to the facility regularly now.
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