Harrington passed his therapy dog test!
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Woohoo!!! Go, Harry!    
Kristine |
CONGRATS!   |
| Judi-----
CONGRATULATION TO YOU AND HARRY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I know how hard the program is and how stressful the final tests are so I applaud you both for your dedication to this most rewarding program. You will see what a difference you will both make in many, many peoples lives. Hopefully, we can go on a couple visits together in the future....can you imagine the looks we will get when not 1 but 2 beautiful sheepies walk into a room??????????  |
| Yay!! |
congratulations  |
| Congratulations Judy! I know how hard you and Harry worked for this. Congratulations! |
| WOW that is great. |
sheepieshake wrote: Judi-----
CONGRATULATION TO YOU AND HARRY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I know how hard the program is and how stressful the final tests are so I applaud you both for your dedication to this most rewarding program. You will see what a difference you will both make in many, many peoples lives. Hopefully, we can go on a couple visits together in the future....can you imagine the looks we will get when not 1 but 2 beautiful sheepies walk into a room?????????? Congrats to both of you guys!! What type of therapy will you be doing? Hospital and nursing home visits? What does TOUCH stand for? |
| Yay Harry and Judi!!!
What excellent news!! The world needs more therapy dog sheepies!! |
Pepsi's Mommy wrote: CONGRATS!
Woo hoo Harry! |
| Way to go Harry! Barney and Maggie need all the support they can get. |
1st Time OES Mommy wrote: What type of therapy will you be doing? Hospital and nursing home visits? What does TOUCH stand for?
Touch therapy is a division of Support Dogs, Inc. (they train support dogs for handicapped people) and is "teams" of a dog and handler who visit nursing homes, hospitals and children's facilities (including special needs schools). The dogs are expected to behave and remain calm while they provide "therapy" to the patients/residents who visit with them and pet them. We will be given one of three rankings at graduation which will determine what kind of facilities we can visit. They do not award the highest (to work in children's hospitals for example) until you choose to be revaluated after working for 12 consecutive visits (at least 6 months). TOUCH stands for Therapy of Unique Canine Helpers My son Brian, told me I could not make Harry an agility dog AND a therapy dog. He thought that the jumping Harrington was in direct contrast with a supposedly calm Harrington and could not be accomplished. But we proved him wrong! |
| Judi----
Just an additional comment..................No matter how active and "jumpy" the therapy dog is, after a just couple weeks of visits, they quickly understand that when the harness goes on, they are "working" --- Pearl is perfect on every visit ...however, when we come home and I take her harness off and she goes outside, she runs and jumps and barks and gets all of the energy I'm sure she is feeling while visiting and let's it out!!!! It's very funny to see. I have always said, that once the harness goes on, all therapy dogs know they are doing a very important job and they are there for the clients. The begin to sense what the client needs and then they give it to them. Pearl hardly every licks, but, every once in a while, although she knows she is not suppose to, she will lick a hand or a face. I always correct her and then I get corrected by the client......."NO!NO! I really wanted a kiss!!" She knows better than me!!!!! 
I don't volunteer because it's nice or because I feel I should.............I do it (and have done it for the past 20 years) because I get twice as much out of it than they do!!!!! Sorry this is so wordy.............but this is my passion!!!!! |
| Congratulations Judi & Harry!! |
| Val, Harry is the same way about knowing which "collar" he is wearing and what is expected of him. He is really well behaved at Dog Scouts and actually knows that agility is not "play time" either when it comes to the other dogs. I did not have my doubts about this - it was his brother who questioned Harry's capabilities. LOL
I also wanted to share with you a funny thing that happened last night. After we passed, we were leaving the building at the same time as a German Shepherd that took and passed the test. This dog had NEVER tried to interact with the other dogs BUT the minute we got out the door she turned to Harry and did the play bow! It was as if she knew: I graduated and they can't tell me what to do out in the parking lot! |
sheepieshake wrote: Judi----
Just an additional comment..................No matter how active and "jumpy" the therapy dog is, after a just couple weeks of visits, they quickly understand that when the harness goes on, they are "working" --- Yup - they definitely know the difference. Belle was working with Ahlzheimer's patients, while also working in obedience, agility and even herding, and she never had any problems switching from one mode to the other. Dogs are very contextual. They read the situation and, with a little exposure, quickly figure out what is expected of them. Now, had she herded the patients and cuddled with the sheep, I would have been worried... But they're smarter than we often give them credit for. Harry will be a big hit.
Kristine |
| Woohoo! Go Harry! |
| Good job Harry! |
Quote: Dogs are very contextual. They read the situation and, with a little exposure, quickly figure out what is expected of them.
ohhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!!!!! I LIKE that word..............contextual........you are sooooooooooooooooooooo right!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! |
| Alright Harry!!!!
Congratulations guys! |
| Woo Hoo! I just got off the phone with another St. Louis OES Club member and her dog, Jake passed too!
So now there will be three sheepdogs as Touch therapy dogs!  |
| hopefully 4 by next august.............................. |
| Definitely 4! With her very own harness and no need to wear her "big" sisters! |
Judi--you said that Harrington passed his test...so does that mean we have to call him Harrington when he's working? And save Harry for the playground?  |
barney1 wrote: Does that mean we have to call him Harrington when he's working? And save Harry for the playground?
LOL Yes, I call him Harrington for "official" things and when I am very serious about correcting him! Oh and when we sing his name to him - then he comes running! One of his agility teachers likes to say his full name too. Sometimes his daddy likes to call him Harrington Bear. All of his friends call him Harry - that includes all the forum people.  |
| YAY HARRY, way to go Congratulations to both of ewe. |
As usual I'm a week behind  but great job Harry! You're handsome and smart  |
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