Dog trains man, part 2

At one point, Jake’s puppy trainer indicated that she thought he’d make a great therapy dog. He was a smart and very gentle puppy. I was so proud and had visions of my little doggie bringing joy to the local hospitals and nursing homes. That vision began to fade shortly after Jake’s testosterone kicked in and he began lifting his leg. By the time he growled at a select group of visitors to my front door, I let go of this dream. And, yes, Jake is neutered.

So, I took interest in a story today about a border collie who looks quite a bit like Jake. This particular dog was renamed “Hero” after he was rescued shortly before he was scheduled to be euthanized. A medical psychologist decided to take him in and only six months later Hero was certified as a therapy dog. The once abandoned Hero now works with and has helped a wide range of people, including the Virginia Tech campus after the April campus shootings, as well as folks in hospice and hospitals. He has a purpose – and there is nothing better for a dog than having a purpose.

There are various organizations dedicated to developing therapy dogs. If you’re interested, this includes Therapy Dogs International (http://www.tdi-dog.org/) and Therapy Dogs Inc. (http://www.therapydogs.com/Become_A_Member.aspx).

As for Jake and me, we’ll be thrilled if he can pass the Good Canine Citizenship test. (http://www.akc.org/events/cgc/training_testing.cfm). We’re working on it.

Ironically, the Wall Street Journal published a report today on “therapy babies.” http://online.wsj.com/article/SB120217269044942825.html?mod=todays_us_page_one This is part of a decade-old program designed to reduce bullying in the classrooms while raising social/emotional competence and increasing empathy. Seems that by educating children in classroom about how to take care of an infant, the children learn to treat one another with more respect. There is clinical evidence to support these claims. To learn more about this program go to http://rootsofempathy.org/

Some people think of their dogs as if they are children. I’m not one of them. Mr. Jake is, most definitely, a dog. Nothing more or less. But children and dogs do have something common. They are totally dependent on us. With dogs, that never changes. It is all the more amazing to see how they can do so much for so many.

Just another instance of dog trains man, women and children.