Opinion

My two Praying Manits egg cases stored in the refrigerator, as the instructions say to do, until it’s warm enough to bring them out to room temperature, prompting hatching within four to six weeks.

Praying Mantises love ticks, providing a natural means of eradicating this nasty pest. Since we live in an area in western Massachusetts heavily inhabited by ticks, they are a menace to both dogs and humans, possibly causing debilitating Lyme Disease.

Some of my readers may remember my praying mantis experiment last year. After I contracted Lyme Disease four years ago, I became super-concerned about this annoying insect. When a friend told me about hatching praying mantises and spreading them around the yard to feast on the ticks, once fully grown, I immediately headed out and bought a praying mantis egg case. The experiment was on.

I almost gave up when the babies took forever to hatch. I held out… giving the dead-looking egg case and extra week to hatch. It was an exciting moment when hundreds of miniature praying mantises started hatching right in front of my eyes. As instructed, I immediately took the container outside to place the minutes-old babies on the foliage of plants and bushes. That was the last time I laid eyes on the insects.

Photo: Wikipedia – An adult Praying Mantis can be four to five inches long when fully grown

It takes about three months for praying mantises to grow full-size (four to five inches). I had visions of seeing hundreds of these large insects all over my yard doing their good work eating the ticks.

I never saw a single one. I feared all the youngsters had perished in the  extreme heat we had last summer. BUT, I never saw a single tick either. No ticks on me as I worked in the garden and no ticks on the dogs as they ran around the mowed-down hayfield in the backyard and up into the woods. Perhaps they were there, so well camouflaged, their brilliant green coloring matching that of their surroundings.

At the end of the day, their work was done. So, here we are again, spring is coming, and this year I purchased two egg cases.

Maybe I will be lucky and see one or two this summer. With a second case, I’ve increased my chances of success by approximately 300 mantises! The egg cases, glued to the bottom of a clear plastic cup (see top photo), remain in the refrigerator until April 15th or some, depending on weather conditions. You want to be certain that when the babies hatch, four to six weeks after you place them at room temperature in a safe location in your house, that there will be no chance of frost when you put them outside. For us, that means May 31st. I should be okay taking the cases out of the refrigerator on, or a week after, April 15th. I’ll keep you posted. Right now, the only thing to do is watch that we don’t tip the containers over when we load food into the refrigerator.

Lily sits motionless as she surveys the woods for creatures scurrying through the snow.

Last weekend I started culling photos out of necessity. I have over 20,000 photos stored on my laptop.

Many are repeats. Many simply pose after pose of the same thing – trees in Colorado, or the same person – one of my grandchildren, or one of my dogs. At the time of taking the  photos, I can’t decide which shot is the best shot, and wind up keeping all. After years of this habit, I’ve dug myself into a hole! I need to be more disciplined about this.

So, last weekend I started and unearthed the photo of Phoebe, my favorite pose of her lying on the couch with her front legs crossed looking across at me.

That dog communicated with me through her eyes… All sorts of memories sprung into my head as I sat staring at her photo… Then, I prompted myself to get back to the task at hand. That day I succeeded in eliminating about 200 unnecessary photos. In the process, I realized what a wonderful experience it was to look back over my old photos. I knew then, since I had easily spend two hours taking this initial trip down memory lane, that I better save this enjoyable project exclusively for weekend time, not during weekday work time.

This weekend, we had lots of snow dumped on us here in western Massachusetts. This meant lots of shoveling.

Although we have the driveway and walkway leading to the door plowed, we are left with areas we need to shovel for the dogs and a 90′ path to shovel so the propane guy can deliver to our tank out back. Without the path, he won’t deliver, and our tank was reading 10%. I didn’t have lots of time to get lost in my memories this weekend. But, determined to stick to it, I allotted one hour for my photo culling project this weekend.

Lily sitting in the snow, deep in concentration, surveying the woods for creatures scurrying about.

This time I can upon a series of photos I took of Lily in the snow. I absolutely love this series of photos.

First, for the contrast. Lily is a dark blue Belton English Setter. Her spotting looks striking against the snow. And second, the photos captured her intense concentration as she surveyed the woods for creatures which stand out more vividly in snow-covered terrain. Lily was totally oblivious to me as I snapped shot after shoot moving around her. I went completely unnoticed, as though I weren’t there at all.

Lily sits in the snow oblivious to anyone around her… watching for creatures in the woods beyond.

It’s amazing how a person can get transported back in time while gazing on a photo… able to relive the scene at hand as though it happened yesterday.

I didn’t get to far with my allotted one hour this weekend. Just 59 photos eliminated. Next weekend… more wonderful memories to enjoy. I’m loving this. Nice thing to be doing in the wintertime!

Lily is being taught the Heel command in training class.

Whatever happened to having your dog walk at your side in heel position while out in public where other people and dogs are present?

Heel is a basic command taught in beginner training classes. Anyone who takes a Canine Good Citizen Class with her dog needs to demonstrate this skill to pass the CGC Test. Being a Canine Good Citizen is what your dog should be when he’s out in public. It’s the dog owner who needs to take on the responsiblity of insuring the dog’s good behavior.

I was feeling a bit annoyed the other day after a dog came out of nowhere at the end of a 6′ leash running around the reception area at the veterinary clinic. He zeroed in on King who was settled down by my feet as we waited our turn to be seen by the vet.

The dog startled King, but I held him close using my body as a block between the two dogs. All the while, the owner was oblivious to her dog’s behavior as she proceeded to check-out at the counter – her dog continuing to disrupt the rest of the animals, a cat and two other dogs, waiting with their owners. After King’s appointment, it was my turn to step up to the counter to check-out, but two other people with their dogs were there ahead of us. The scene was a repeat, but this time two dogs were involved – jumping on each other at the end of 6′ leads. The waiting room was filled. Seriously! King and I by-passed the duo wrestling in the middle of the waiting room. I took him to the car, then went back inside to check out.

This scene brought to mind the time I was visiting my daughter in San Francisco. She and I were seated outside at a cafe eating lunch. We both noticed a woman walking by, her French Bulldog trailing behind.

The woman was in deep conversation on her cell phone and didn’t notice that her dog had stopped at a tree to pee. She just kept on walking and talking. Meanwhile, the flexi-lead the dog was attached to kept extending. And extending… until it reached full length. The women, oblivious to what her dog was doing from behind, kept on walking and talking. Suddenly, my daughter and I noticed that we weren’t the only ones watching this scene. Every diner seated outside had turned, mouths gaping. The dog had now slipped it’s collar, as the woman continued onward, empty collar dragging behind. Oops!….I guess she suddenly felt the lack of weight attached to the flexi-lead she held in her hand. Fortunately, the dog had stopped to receive some petting from an onlooker, giving the owner time to collect her dog.

A dog deserves his owner’s undivided attention. He needs to be told what he should be doing in the situation at hand.

At the vet’s office, with no direction from their owners, the dogs were disrupting animals that may have serious health issues or are simply nervous about being at the vet. And, the dog walking on the streets of San Francisco could have been killed by passing cars, had a diner at the cafe not stopped him until his distracted owner finally realized he was missing.

A dog’s behavior and safety is the responsibility of the dog owner. How about paying attention to his behavior? Is your dog acting appropriately? Is your dog actually still with you? What is your dog doing while you’re not paying attention to him? A well-trained dog is a happy dog. And, a dog receiving attention from his owner is even happier!

Bright Spot Therapy Dog Faith and her handler Jim Hogan at Bay Path University during Final Exams Stress-Relief Event.

I love this time of year when I look back over the previous year and reflect upon the accomplishments Bright Spot Therapy Dogs has made. I can’t help but let my mind wander way, way back to 1992 when I began visiting with my first therapy dog Beatrice.

Here in western Massachusetts just a few nursing homes were open to visiting teams at that time. By founding Bright Spot Therapy Dogs in 2004, my hope was twofold: to involve more people and dogs in therapy dog visiting and to open more doors to healthcare and educational facilities.

Bright Spot Reading Buddy King listens attentively as a child reads a story to him during our Eric Carle Museum School Vacation Week Reading Buddy Program.

The energy and dedication of those who have joined Bright Spot over the past twelve years have made what was simply a vision, a reality. Our highly successful Therapy Dog Team Training Program attracts people with their dogs from all over New England, and we have requests from over 175 healthcare and educational facilities seeking our well-trained certified therapy dog teams. We have now certified over 300 therapy dog teams. That translates into thousands and thousands of visits to people in hospitals, mental health facilities, nursing homes, hospice care, Alzheimer’s units, specialized programs for children, schools, libraries, college campuses, and more.

Graduates of a recent Therapy Dog Team Training Class pose for a photo.

Each year we break new ground, first in healthcare, then education, wellness in the workplace, providing stress-relief on college campuses, now comforting mourners at funeral homes. Our Bright Spot therapy dog teams offer companionship wherever therapy dogs can be of help.

In the month of January, as part of my reflection process, I choose a sampling from the many accomplishments made in the past year to write about for our annual print publication, Bright Spot News. This publication offers our readers a glimpse into the wonderful work this organization does by featuring some of our special volunteers who make this all happen. This process of reflecting and writing deepens my joy of working with so many caring and dedicated people who live our mission daily by sharing their treasured dog with others.

Each week, Bright Spot Therapy Dog Julia visits her special friends in their room at the nursing home.

I cannot write about our great success without mentioning our wonderful donors. None of our continued growth would be possibly without our loyal donors who support our mission with the necessary funds needed to strengthen our meaningful programs helping people of all ages.

If you are not on our Bright Spot Therapy Dogs mailing list, please complete the form located on the righthand sidebar of the screen to receive a copy of the Bright Spot News. Perhaps you, too, have a wonderful dog you’d like to share with others, or you would like to make a donation to our work. We would love to hear from you.

Bright Spot Therapy Dog Cadence visits with her special friend at an assisted living facility.

Many of us take the start of a new year to make changes in our lives. Maybe start something you’ve always wanted to do but kept putting off. Or, maybe you’ve resolved to do community service in 2017. Perhaps you’ve wanted to do something special with your canine family member.

Why not combine your desire to do community service with doing something special with your wonderful dog? Together you and your dog can train to be a therapy dog team and visit those in need of companionship, comfort, or simply a warm, fuzzy dog to pet. Nothing is more rewarding than to watch your dog bring a smile to the face of someone who is sad or elicit conversation from a person who hasn’t spoken in years. Perhaps your dog enjoys interacting with young children. As a certified therapy dog, your dog can train to be a Reading Buddy for a child learning to read.

Class participants practice the skills and techniques they’ll use when making visits.

Lots of volunteer possibilities exist for you and your dog as a certified therapy dog team. Interested? I invite you to checkout our Bright Spot Therapy Dogs website where you will read about the steps involved to become certified with Bright Spot.

If you have a friendly, outgoing dog who enjoys meeting new people and going into unfamiliar places, and you have a desire to volunteer by sharing your special dog with others, now is the perfect time to get started. Our first Therapy Dog Team Training Class starts on January 22nd. Go to our website and read all about our highly successful training program. Our classes are kept small to allow plenty of interaction and practice, lots of personal attention, and time for questions. Sign up today and you and your dog will soon be enjoying the experience of bringing comfort and caring to those in need.

Hi Everyone! Happy New Year! To start 2017 off, I’m officially launching the New Look for Say Hello Spot. I’m very excited about this New Look… For over a year, I have wanted to upgrade the look of my blog.

When I started Say Hello Spot back in 2010, the very fact that I was starting a blog to write about my experiences living and working with therapy dogs was a big deal for me. I have always enjoyed sharing my work with others and encouraging them to become involved with their own dogs and this was a way to expand my audience. Thanks to my son-in-law Jay Stebbins, the blog was set-up and he took a nice photo of my dogs and me walking on the bike path to use in the header. With my posts appearing on Facebook and Twitter, I began to hear from readers all over the United States and other parts of the world.

After six years and a readership of 65,000, the time had come for a New Look for Say Hello Spot. But, I needed some really good photos to use – not just the quick ones I snapped on the-go with my phone, plus I didn’t have any photos of myself with the dogs. And, I needed someone who would create the New Look.

Last spring, I located Ashli Konieczny, a talented photographer who came to my house and spent the entire afternoon snapping photos of King, Lily, Annie, and me. It’s no easy fete to capture three dogs and a person and have them all look picture-perfect. Throughout the afternoon, Ashli snapped continuously. By the end of the day, I just hoped for a few photos that I could use to launch my New Look. I couldn’t wait to receive the finished product. Late August, a package containing three CDs was waiting for me in my mailbox. Turned out, each CD contained 500 photos. I had 1500 photos in all to choose from! Surely, there would be some good ones I could use. I was elated!

Now, who to use for my New Look. Luck had it, my long-time friend, Nancy Fields of Fields Graphic Design, had started adding development of Word Press websites to her offerings. I checked-out her website and signed up to receive her e-newsletter full of tips on having an engaging website. I liked what I saw and what I read. Nancy is someone I have worked with professionally off-and-on since 1998 and she helped me set up my website when I founded Bright Spot Therapy Dogs in 2004. We work well together. She “gets” what I’m striving to convey to my readers in visual form and she’s got great advice to share, as well.

The creation of the New Look for Say Hello Spot didn’t happen overnight. Selecting great photos for my homepage slider (most are Ashli’s, a few were taken by me!), selecting the right font for the header and the perfect Word Press theme, took hours of time.

It was all worth it. I am thrilled with the outcome. For me, a website needs to draw the viewer in by being visually attractive and easy to navigate. I feel the New Say Hello Spot does just that. I hope you enjoy viewing it as much as I have enjoyed creating it for the purpose of sharing the meaningful work of therapy dogs with you.

If you like my posts, please consider signing up to receive posts as soon as they come out.

The new Say Hello Spot has a convenient SUBSCRIBE TO MY POSTS form for you to fill out, located along the righthand sidebar. I’d really appreciate it if you would fill it out and be among the first to receive posts and other announcments about Living and Working with Therapy Dogs. I look forward to sharing my work and my wonderful dogs with you in 2017 and beyond. Thanks for reading my posts – and, if you will, please SHARE them with your friends!

A single visit from a certified therapy dog team can have powerful results. Your visit can bring a smile to the face of a distraught patient in a psychiatric facility. It can elicit memories in a person afflicted with Alzheimer’s disease. It can offer the companionship to a nursing home resident she once enjoyed from her own beloved dog she had to relinquish to a shelter when entering the home. It can help a young child build self-esteem and find success in school. Therapy dogs can do amazing things for the people whose lives they touch.

What a gift it is to become a certified therapy dog team and make visits that touch the lives of people in need. Over the past twenty-four years, seven of my dogs have been therapy dogs and together we have made over 30,000 visits to people of all ages in hospitals, nursing homes, Alzheimer’s units, hospice care, and schools. I have never left a visit without feeling that my dog has made at least one person feel happier, less lonely, and comforted. The high I receive from a single visit has been addictive. I simply can’t stop.

In founding Bright Spot Therapy Dogs in 2004, my hope has been to make people aware of the meaningful impact therapy dogs have on the lives of those they visit and involve more and more people in this work. It’s such a win-win endeavor for all involved-the person receiving the visit, the person making the visit, and-wow-the dog absolutely LOVES his job! It couldn’t get any better than that!

If you like to volunteer in your community and have a well trained, friendly, outgoing dog who brings you great enjoyment, why not consider becoming involved with work that can be so rewarding. Witness for yourself the power of the human-canine bond at work. To learn all about becoming certified, visit our website and sign-up to take our next Therapy Dog Team Training Class starting on May 22nd.

Through the years I have searched for the perfect toy for my dogs. For me that means a toy they can’t destroy after the first 5 minutes it hits their mouth. My English Setters are tough on toys. If it has a squeaker inside, forget it! I’m sure they think some live creature is buried inside and they have that toy ripped apart instantly in pursuit of their prey. I envy my friends with dogs that play for hours tossing one of those fuzzy, squeaking toys in the air or carry it around softly in their mouths.

Once I thought I had the toy dilema solved. As I walked up and down the dog toy aisle, examining every toy, carefully reading the labels, my eyes spotted the words guaranteed indestructible. I picked up the bone-shaped toy constructed of super-ultra-strengh material. It looked like a tennis ball-shaped like a bone, but it was hard-as-a-rock. It was priced at $20. At that price, I felt it had to be as advertised. And, well, I had nothing to lose. It had a money-back guarantee. I decided to spring for the $20 and get the dogs this perfect toy for Christmas.

Pictured above is my beloved English Setter Phoebe on Christmas morning after she was presented with her gift. She immediately took to the toy. She moved aside, away from the rest of the family who were consumed by a sea of wrapping paper and gifts. She was in her glory gnawing on the hard, indestructible toy. For a moment, I thought – perhaps I should keep my eye on her – but dismissed the thought remembering the labeling of guaranteed indestructible. Relax, I told myself. She’s enjoying herself. On with watching the family open their gifts. Fast forward 20 minutes… I cast an eye toward Phoebe, who was now surrounded by bits and pieces of the indestructible toy. It was shredded to pieces! I’ll give it this much… it outlasted all other toys I’ve bought by 15 minutes.

I had never returned a toy my dogs destroyed, figuring the fault lay with my dogs. This time, however, the advertised line that lured me in, plus the price tag of $20, found me at the returns desk of my pet food and supplies store the day after Christmas.

It’s been many years since Phoebe made short order of the indestructible toy and once again this Christmas I’ve given in again. I really want my dogs to have something to chew on and play with. So, I’m giving the Bionic Bone (large) a try. This time it’s labeled: dog toy for aggressive chewers. And, this time – on Christmas morning – I won’t take the labeling at face value.