When Susan brought Shadow home as a young pup, she had a goal in mind. She wanted Shadow to become a Therapy Dog. Right from the start, he demonstrated the qualities and temperament that indicated he might make a good Therapy Dog. He was even-keeled, loving, and easily acclimated to new people and situations.
Shadow’s training began when he arrived home, at just nine weeks old. He learned to sit, down, stay, heel – and, give kisses! As he got older, Susan and Shadow attended training classes at MSPCA/Angell Animal Medical Center where Shadow continued to exhibit a calm temperament, picking up new skills, quickly and easily. This encouragement prompted Susan to take the next step. She and Shadow signed up for our Bright Spot Therapy Dog Team Training Course in May 2013.
I was the instructor for the course at that time. I, too, saw that Shadow had what it takes to be a terrific therapy dog. He was friendly, outgoing, and interested in meeting new people. Still young, Shadow retained quite a bit of puppy spirit; his skills lacked polish, but he loved being there. He was a happy dog, and that’s what I’m looking for in a therapy dog. Susan, I saw, was dedicated to her goal and willing to work – and work hard – to make it happen. And so the work, that started when Shadow arrived home with Susan at nine weeks, continued.
Between sessions of our 2-session workshop course, participants are given homework to practice the skills and techniques taught in the workshop that day. I wasn’t surprised when Susan and Shadow returned two weeks later with all their homework accomplished. If I had been handing out gold stars, this duo would have received a super-sized star. I saw a huge change in Shadows training skills and Susan’s ability to handle him. This team had definitely made progress.
Susan and Shadow in background waiting for a turn with the equipment used in class.
Needless to say, they passed the class with high marks and were ready for their evaluation. Susan, however, didn’t jump into scheduling that evaluation date. She wanted to spend more time practicing to hone all the skills and techniques they had been taught. Once satisfied, Susan contacted me to take the training one step further. She wanted one of my private on-site lessons. These private lessons are designed for those who have completed our Bright Spot Therapy Dog Training Course and want to test-drive their ability in an actual nursing home setting. Susan and Shadow traveled from the Boston Area where they live one weekday morning to run-through their routine in a one-hour private lesson. Had I been evaluating them, rather than instructing them, that day, they would have passed. Lots of hard work and dedication were evident.
Susan and Shadow working on the long sit command in class.
The duo went on to receive their Bright Spot Certification, then searched for an opportunity where they could make a difference. Susan learned about the Boston Children’s Hospital therapy dog visitation program, Pawprints. Pawprints provides children, and their families, with a healthy diversion from the regular hospital routine (see details at http://www.childrenshospital.org/patient-resources/family-resources/pawprints).
Susan emailed me in November saying, We had to learn a lot in order to keep both Shadow and the children safe and comfortable. I am so excited, after all that rigorous training, we passed the Pawprints evaluation process!
I heard from Susan last Friday, telling me that Shadow is doing very well as a therapy dog at Children’s Hospital. He is now the first and only dog that visits the Waltham location in a special department for patients (ages 8 – 18) who suffer from chronic pain diseases. The children are there from 8am to 4pm every day. They have therapy (OT, PT, Psych) and do homework and then go home (to hotels if they live far away) with their parents at the end of the day. Treatments last one week to as many as 3 weeks. She said, It’s a fabulous program and we are so pleased to be part of it!
I love getting reports from our volunteers telling about the meaningful work they are doing to help others in need. Susan and Shadow traveled a long journey together to reach their goal. Shadow is now three years old. The patients at Children’s Hospital, both Boston and Waltham locations, are benefiting from their hard work. Thank you for sharing your journey with us at Bright Spot Therapy Dogs.