On Saturday, Sophie passed her evaluation to become a Bright Spot Therapy Dog. There is great reason to celebrate this accomplishment for sweet, friendly, outgoing Sophie because she, like many, was a dog surrendered to a shelter. In fact, Sophie was due to be euthanized because she had gotten kennel cough and the shelter did not have the space to quarantine animals. Sophie was three years old at the time.
Lucky for Sophie, Michelle, a Bright Spot volunteer, spotted her photo online. In February 2014, Michelle had started looking online for a lab she could adopt that would become a therapy dog. She and her husband had adopted their dog Coco over a year before, and because Coco, currently a Bright Spot Therapy Dog, is older, Michelle wanted another potential therapy dog. Michelle called Denise who runs the rescue to get Sophie’s story and find out about her temperament. Denise described Sophie as loving and sweet, and thought she could become a therapy dog. In fact, she had taken Sophie to visit her husband in a nursing home and Sophie did a great job. On March 8, 2014, Denise brought Sophie to the couple’s home to see if it was a match. Aside from being a bit jumpy, Sophie was great. She and the couple’s other two dogs (Coco and an older Lab named Toby) accepted one another and that was that. Sophie’s new life began.
I met Sophie about a month after she had been adopted and I saw right away that she had what it takes to be a good therapy dog. I look for a dog that connects with people, that joyfully interacts with everyone, that gently moves closer to a person, doesn’t shy away. Sophie was smiling, her eyes were twinkling, she was happy to meet me and engage with me. That’s potential. And, the rest is training.
Michelle understands the importance of training a dog, especially one with aspirations of becoming a therapy dog. Training with Sophie began right away. Between March and September 2014, Sophie and Michelle went through beginner obedience, then intermediate obedience, repeating this class five times. Many of the same people continued with intermediate and the instructor kept adding more advanced exercises. Some Rally exercises were added, as well. Sophie loved working with Michelle and building the bond between them.
Toward the end of last summer, Michelle started taking Sophie to visit her friend Bev, a resident at Charlene Manor. While there, she visited with lots of other residents, too. Well on her way to becoming a therapy dog, Michelle started bringing Sophie to school with her on days that Coco stayed home. She loved the kids and they loved her. In addition, Michelle took her to dog-friendly places like Dave’s and Tractor Supply to offer Sophie more exposure to new places, sounds, smells, and people of all ages.
In February, Sophie began her formal Therapy Dog Training Class. In April, one week after completing her training, Sophie, now four years old, having lived with Michelle for one full year, passed her evaluation with high marks. With patience, hard work, and lots of love, great things can happen. Congratulations, Sophie!