Reading to Your Dog

 

Azul Loves to Read!

OK, so dog's can't read, but they can enjoy hearing people read and there is great value for both the dog and the human. I could go on and on about the human animal bond and how strong connections with positive associations can increase health and happiness for both the human and the dog. But instead I want to take a moment to talk about the Bow Wows & Books program at our local library.

Once a month Therapy Dogs show up at the library to listen to kids read stories. Reading out loud can be very stressful for kids (and many adults) but can be a super important life skill. Students are often asked to read in front of classmates which can be scary and cause mistakes. Reading to a non-judgmental dog can be calming and create positive associations for the child which helps them build confidence. This can improve the child's oral reading skills helping them to become a better student.

This program isn't all able the children who sign up to read. The dogs benefit from the program too! Therapy Dogs are always very social dogs and find human interaction enjoyable. But often Therapy Dogs participate in activities that are less then relaxing. Some Therapy Dogs work in an office or school environment where emotions or stress might be extreme at times. Some Therapy Dogs work in hospital or nursing home settings where health issues in clients can be challenging. In essence, Therapy Dogs do jobs that are designed to comfort humans and bring them happiness, which isn't always easy for the dogs. Azul being a Service Dog, sometimes has a stressful job to do taking care of me. But the reading program helps the dogs to bring cheer in a relaxing environment where they can be a bit silly, inviting belly rubs, giving chin rests, and spreading cheer in their own ways. 

Another way that reading to dogs is beneficial to both human and dog is the act of listening. We tend to tell our dogs what to do quite a bit during the day. We talk to our dogs quite a bit when we are feeling stressed or trying to figure something out. Our dogs all hear other people talking throughout the day. But there is something different that comes out in the voice when we read something we love. Some kids choose books that have jokes, action heroes, or rhyming sentences and these make the kids smile and giggle as they read. That giggle and happiness relaxes the dogs and brings out their inner puppy. 

Adults can read too! I wonder just how many people practice giving a speech or teaching a class by doing so at home with their dog hanging out nearby. One of my Christmas activities to do with your dog is read a book and that is because it will be a great opportunity to share some time doing nothing and enjoying each other's company. So please pick up your favorite book, snuggle into a comfortable spot and instead of reading in your head read out loud to your dog. After 10-15 minutes check to see how you and your dog are feeling? Are you relaxed? Are you comfortable? Is your dog?

Therapy Dog Teams from the Bow Wows & Books Program

Team Diogee with Hannah

Team Azul with Penny

The Dickinson County Library hosts the Bow Wows & Books Program on the 2nd Wednesday of the Month from 5-6 PM at the Main Branch. Parents can call the library to schedule a time for their child.

We also have Therapy Dog Maverick who is now attending the Library's teen program, SHH...Out! This event is geared to supporting the LGBTQ community to help teens that might be struggling at other social events. There Maverick can play with the kids and provide a feeling of safety and comfort for teens in the library setting.

In January, I'm joining a day of activity where library staff from around the U.P. will be visiting Dickinson County Library to discuss programming opportunities.  Azul and I will be there presenting information about Therapy Dogs and how they can add this to library programming in other communities.  I'm excited about the possibilities that 2023 bring to the Therapy Dog teams and the youth of our community. We hope to be scheduling some activities at the Norway branch in the near future.

Team Azul, Team Diogee, & Team Maverick are all Certified Therapy Dogs with the Alliance of Therapy Dogs. If you'd like to learn more about becoming a Therapy Dog Team, check out this website: https://www.therapydogs.com/  Then reach out to Yooper Paws for help getting ready for the Therapy Dog Test and Application Process.  We'd love to add more Therapy Dogs into the community.

Therapy Dog Visits

 Azul and Maverick went on their first official Therapy Dog visit at the Dickinson County Library.  Both dogs are registered with the Alliance of Therapy Dogs and about to start the Bow Wow Books program where kids can practice their reading skills by reading to the dogs.

I thought I'd take a moment to clear up some confusion about Service Dogs & Therapy Dogs, as both dogs are dual trained to do both jobs.  Therapy Dogs must enjoy social experiences with strangers and be trained in basic manners that ensure they can conduct themselves safely.  Service Dogs also most be trained in basic manners that ensure they can conduct themselves safely however they also must be task trained to provide assistance to disabled individuals.  Not all Therapy Dogs are Service Dogs and not all Service Dogs are Therapy Dogs, but some dogs can do both roles.

Azul was trained as a Medical Alert Service Dog as his primary job.  He does 3 types of medical alerts and a whole ton of response tasks including retrieval tasks and light mobility tasks.  It was very apparent at a young age, that Azul loves children.  By 8 months old, he was able to ignore people in public situations according to general Service Dog standards but we often visited with friendly people in outdooor environments.  Being able to greet people with permission is a highlight is a highlight in his daily adventures.  Therefore by the time Azul was 1 year old we started working toward becoming a Therapy Dog to provide him with an opportunity to have some fun.

Maverick on the other hand has been raised and trained for Therapy Dog work as his primary role working with his handler at a Child Advocacy Center.  However as Maverick matured, he started alerting to his handler's medical conditions so we also started task training to become a Service Dog as well.

It's important to note that not all Therapy Dogs would make good Service Dogs and not all Service Dogs would make good Therapy Dogs.  Each job has a specific skill set and training standard.  But some dogs have the personality and skills to be able to manage both jobs at the same time.

It's also important to note that Therapy Dogs do not have access to public places such as Service Dogs.  The American's with Disabilities Act (ADA) states that disabled individuals shall be granted access to public places with their trained Service Dog.  (There are a few exceptions to places that must all this access.)  However Therapy Dogs are only allowed in non-pet friendly places when in invited by the owner, management, and/or staff.  Health codes prohibit places that sell open food from inviting dogs into these areas, so restaurants and grocery stores can't invite a Therapy Dog into the store to go shopping with their handler.  However hospitals, nursing homes, schools and libraries are not pet friendly establishments, but they can invite Therapy Dogs in to provide services to clients and/or staff.

The other important note of distinction between Therapy Dogs and Service Dogs is who they are trained to help and how.  Service Dogs, according to ADA, are there to support their handler by doing things that the handler can not do by themselves.  Therapy Dogs on the other hand are there to support all the people around them in a specific situation.  Often Therapy Dogs will visit hospitals and nursing homes to help spread cheer and uplift the spirits of those who might be in a stressful situation.  Therapy Dogs often visit schools, libraries, and other places where they can do educational things such as reading programs, mentoring programs and animal welfare programs.

Both Service Dogs & Therapy Dogs need to have great manners in public environments and remain under their handler control at all times.  Both dogs can be asked to leave any business if their behavior is not acceptable or gives an appearance of aggression or other safety concerns.  Dogs are not robots and sometimes make mistakes such as sniffing items that are not theirs, moving in for a kiss, or other impulsive act.  However it's the handler's responsibility for knowing their dog's weaknesses and taking appropriate measures to prevent these mistakes.  For example, if young kids often get the dog excited the handler would ask their dog to sit or lay down before allowing the children to approach so the dog doesn't accidently know the child over.  In both situations, handlers are responsible for the safety of their dog and ensuring the dog has acceptable manners for the environment they are working in.

If you'd like to learn more about Service Dogs, check out my SD Tips  page.  

If you'd like to learn more about Therapy Dogs, I suggest you visit the Alliance of Therapy Dogs website.