Bideawee Tails from a Volunteer
Can a Racing Dog become a Therapy Dog?
by Florence Scarinci
People often ask me what kind of dog is best for "pet therapy"? They usually expect to hear me answer one of the retrievers or one of the fluffy toy breeds. The truth is, any dog with the right temperament and training can be a therapy dog: Afghan hounds, Jack Russell terriers, Poodles, Bassett Hounds, Pit Bulls, and even All-Americans can be found among the ranks of outstanding therapy dogs. In previous columns, I have featured dogs of different breeds who work in nursing homes, schools, hospitals. I have always wanted to write about Greyhounds involved in "pet therapy", but have never found the ideal scenario to write about. Fortunately, this month I've enlisted the help of a guest writer, Cathy Schuchman, who shares how Greyhounds make a great therapy dog. This piece is excerpted from a successful grant application to the Land of Pure Gold. Cathy and that organization have graciously given us permission to reprint it.
Alf began his working life as a racing Greyhound in Florida. His professional racing name was "Watch That Scene". Alf was his kennel name. I suspect he was given that name because of his long nose, much like that of the TV show puppet, Alf. Because he did not do well in his maiden races, Alf was retired at the age of two. That is when he came into my life. What experiences we have shared since then!
Less than a year after I adopted Alf, we moved to New York and became involved in Bideawee's "Pet Therapy" program. Many people think that Greyhounds are high activity dogs ill suited to be pets, much less therapy dogs. In reality, they are very calm dogs, used to being around a lot of different people. Alf is especially suited for therapy work. Calm is his middle name. Our first assignment was at an extended care facility where we worked on a rotating schedule so we visited different floors each time we visited.
Alf's favorite group was the section for men in early stage dementia. On our first visit, we met a group of men in the floor lounge. They made a big fuss over Alf, and Alf, who is partial to men, was in his glory. As we were walking around the room, Alf and I noticed a small man slumped over in a wheelchair. The facility representative who accompanied us during our visits explained the man in the wheelchair used to be a groom at nearby Belmont Race Track and he tended to many racehorses during his career. Alf slowly walked over to the wheelchair and the man began to massage Alf's neck. The nurses and aides began to gather at the lounge door in awe of the man's responses to Alf. I imagined him massaging the racehorses' necks as he massaged Alf. On our next visit, this gentleman met us at the ward's entrance and walked with us to the lounge.
Alf developed corns on his front feet and the tile floors in the nursing home proved to be too much for him. Not a quitter, Alf focused his therapy work on Bideawee's "Reading to Dogs" program. It has been proven that children who are behind in their reading skills are reluctant to read and can benefit from reading to an animal. Dogs are especially suited for this job. Alf first began this new task at local libraries with other dogs. Because Alf is so big and probably because he is black, many children would pick the smaller, lighter colored dogs first. But Alf and I soon came up with a sure fire tactic that worked best with boys. I would ask Alf's prospective reader if he liked professional sports, what his favorite team was, then who his favorite player was. As soon as I was given a team or a name I had them hooked. I would go on to tell them Alf was a professional athlete just like their hero, that his sport was racing, and that he raced in a large stadium under bright lights with people in the stands cheering him on. They usually plopped right down on the floor, opened their book and began reading. During one session two brothers approached. The older boy, clearly letting off the vibes that he thought this entire dog reading thing was far beneath him, nudged his brother forward. I went into our professional athlete spiel. The older brother listened, then quietly left the room. As the younger boy finished his book, I looked up to see the older brother standing quietly with a book in his hands as well. Softly he asked if he could read to Alf. Of course!
Next we were assigned an elementary school as our full time assignment. Alf worked with second grade students who needed extra help with reading. The first year each student read independently to Alf. After the first year, so many children needed and wanted the extra help, that groups of three or four needed to be formed. Not the ideal situation for the program, but again I made it work by explaining that since Alf used to be a professional athlete, they were his new team. Each group chose a team name and we decided on team rules including being quiet, respectful, and supportive when someone was reading. Typical team names were "Great Readers" and "Alf's Readers". These children who had trouble reading and didn't like to read soon became excited about reading because they were reading to Alf. It was humbling watching them improve throughout the year, helping each other and cheering each other on. There are so many stories to tell of Alf's time at the school. The most illustrative of Alf's personality and the temperament of a good therapy dog is the time the school held a fire drill. Remember that ear-splitting alarm? As it went off I panicked, sure that Alf would freak out and a freaked out racing dog is extremely hard to handle. Alf surprised me. He calmly got up, got in line, and followed the children out of the school. He quietly stood in line on the sidewalk until it was time to go back in. He stayed in line as we walked back into the building, laid down on his bed like nothing had happened, and waited for the children to continue their reading.
Alf was diagnosed with Transitional Cell Carcinoma of the bladder last fall and Alf began chemotherapy. Alf has had to take a "sabbatical" from school for now but the spirit of a therapy dog has not left him. He loves to walk up to strangers, gently nudging them with his nose and patiently waiting to be petted. He especially likes to go up to children. Alf's vet tech has requested that he be her therapy dog if she ever has to go to the hospital. While there is no cure for TCC, Alf is feeling much better since his treatments began and he will always be on medication for his tumor. Hopefully, in the near future he can resume his "Reading to Dogs" career. But no matter what his future holds, in his heart I know he sees himself as a Therapy Dog.
Thank you, Cathy. Our best wishes to you and Alf.
My New Grandkitty
Dog's Lives are Too Short. Their Only Fault Really
Not Just Another Pretty Face
Pet Therapy in the Classroom
Mothers and Daughters Bonding Through Bideawee
Sixth Sense
The Content of Her Character
All in a Day's Work
Size Does Not Count---or Pocket Pets as Therapy Animals
ON THE ROAD AGAIN WITH PET THERAPY
READING TO DOGS - IT WORKS!!!
BAW SENIOR DOG FOR A SENIOR
PET THERAPY - NOT JUST FOR GOLDEN RETRIEVERS ANYMORE
BIDEAWEE: A NEW VERSION OF READING TO DOGS
AN UNSCHEDULED THERAPY DOG VISIT
BIDEAWEE DOGS and CATS GO GREEN
BAD ECONOMY BAD FOR DOGS AND CATS
LIFE GOES ON: Bideawee's Pet Loss Support Group
A Therapy Dog at College Teaches Important Lessons
Part 2: ADOPTING AN OLDER DOG: Joys and Challenges
ADOPTING AN OLDER DOG: Joys and Challenges
The Cat Who Changed My Life
The Lonely Cat's Best Friends
Therapy Benefits: What's In It for Me?
