At Work

Violet heads to the Hilltown Charter School this morning

Bright Spot Reading Buddies Violet, our Berkshire Hills Australian Labradoodle,  and Tucker, Ern Damon’s Great Dane, headed to the Hilltown Charter School this morning to launch our special Bright Spot Reading Buddies Program there in grades K-1 and 2-3.

Children in the K-1 classes meet their Reading Buddy Tucker

Today was arranged as a Meet-and-Greet session for the four classes piloting the program at the Charter School in Haydenville, Massachusetts.  Violet spent time in each of the two  2-3 grade classrooms.  And, Tucker was introduced to the two K-1 classrooms.  The children listened as we talked about our dogs, about their breeds, about their training and why they make such good therapy dogs.  We explained how the program would be run each week.  And, of course, all the children got to pet the dogs.  Each of the teachers modeled how the student would read to the dog by reading a story to the class, always showing the illustrations and explaining text.  As the teacher read, Violet and Tucker modeled their good listening skills as Bright Spot Reading Buddies.

Reading Buddy Violet meets one of her grade 2-3 classes

Our Reading Buddies Program at the Westhampton Elementary School is held in a special reading corner of the school’s library and the program takes place during the class library period.  At the Hilltown Charter School, we are holding the program in each of the classrooms in a quiet spot of the room during regular class time.  As always, the program is conducted with one-reader-at-a-time having his or her special time reading to the Reading Buddy who is a patient, non-threatening, comforting listener.

Teacher Paul Yolles models “reading-to-the-dog” and Violet models “listening” as the class looks on.

Bright Spot Therapy Dogs is pleased to bring our Reading Buddies Program to the Charter School.  Both the teachers and children are happy to have us.  Our Bright Spot Reading Buddies look forward to listening to many, many stories as the children develop their reading skills and a love of reading.

Want your dog to be a Certified Therapy Dog and share your friendly, well-trained dog with people in healthcare and educational facilities?  Bright Spot Therapy Dogs provides the training you need to certify your dog.  Our Therapy Dog Training Classes are held in two convenient locations:  True Blue Dog Training on Rte. 9 in Haydenville, MA, and NB Productions in Greenfield, MA.

March Therapy Dog Training classes are filling fast, but we still have a few spots left in both locations.  Our course at True Blue Dog Training is held in two 2-hour workshop sessions on Sundays, March 10 & 24, from 10:00-12:00.    Our course at NB Productions is taught in an 8-week format, starting on March 20, meeting Wednesday evenings from 6:00-7:00.  Therapy Dog Training Classes cover the skills and techniques both you and your dog need to know to pass your Therapy Dog Evaluation and visit successfully as a Bright Spot Therapy Dog Team.  For details, check out Therapy Dog Training on our Bright Spot website.

The Bright Spot Reading Buddies Program is back in full-swing after a week of school vacation.   Therapy Dog Tucker started off the week by listening to 3rd graders read to him, then visiting for awhile with the pre-schoolers.  Today, therapy dog Violet subbed for her pal Bright Spot Reading Buddy Lily who was under the weather after spending Monday at the vet having her teeth cleaned.  Yes – even therapy dog Reading Buddies need substitutes!

Violet was all-ears as three first graders each read their books to her one-on-one in the special reading corner of the school’s library.  Three second graders followed, each reading their prepared books.  None of the children had met Violet before, so they LOVED petting her fluffy coat and running their fingers through her silky hair.  Since Violet is scheduled to listen to 4th and 5th graders read books on Thursday (her regular time), therapy dog Lily will have the treat of meeting those students for the first time.  The children enjoy reading to the different breeds of dogs.  We have two Great Danes, one English Setter, one Border Collie, and one Australian Labradoodle in our Bright Spot Reading Buddies Program at the Westhampton Elementary School.  Along with improving their reading skills, the children are learning about these different breeds.

At the beginning of each New Year, Bright Spot Therapy Dogs publishes its annual newsletter.  This publication serves to highlight the meaningful work our Bright Spot Therapy Dog Teams have performed throughout the past year.

As I reflect on the events of last year, I can’t help thinking back to 2004 and the day I decided to quit my job and devote my time to expanding the work of Therapy Dogs throughout western Massachusetts.  I didn’t have a plan.  What I did have was a passion – and I have been following that passion ever since.  Within that year, I had founded Bright Spot Therapy Dogs, Inc. and the work commenced.

Bright Spot was started with just one Therapy Dog team – me and my sweet, gentle English Setter Trudi.  Together, Trudi  and I set out to expand Therapy Dog visiting beyond nursing homes, starting first with Cooley Dickinson Hospital in our local community.  Trudi sat at my side as we attended meeting after meeting for a two-year period until the hospital gave approval to start a visiting Therapy Dog Program with Trudi leading the way, first on the psychiatric floor and then a medical floor.  After a three-month trial period, we were given the green light to add on one, then two more teams making weekly visits to patients.  Soon after, Bright Spot Therapy Dogs were invited to visit the Fowler Unit at Noble Hospital in Westfield, Massachusetts.  As word spread, more doors opened to our Bright Spot dogs.

Now in our 9th year, we have certified over 125 Therapy Dogs Teams and have requests from over 80 facilities – both healthcare and educational.  Although our immediate service area is western Massachusetts, we have Bright Spot certified Therapy Dogs from Maine to Florida.  It never fails to amaze me how much our dedicated Bright Spot Therapy Dog Teams have done to bring comfort and caring to those in need.

It is with the greatest of pleasure that I sit at my laptop each January and write about the year in review.  If you are not already on our mailing list and would like to receive a copy of our newsletter, email me at:                        bright-spot@comcast.net and I will add your name to our mailing  list and send a copy out to you.

Do you have a friendly, outgoing dog who loves people and enjoys going into new places? Have you ever thought of doing Therapy Dog work with your dog?  Bright Spot Therapy Dogs provides the training both you and your dog need to visit in a variety of healthcare and educational settings.

Two Therapy Dog Training courses have been scheduled for March.  In the Northampton area, we will hold our Therapy Dog Training course at True Blue Dog Training, on Rte.9 in Haydenville, MA.  This course is held in two 2-hour workshop sessions on March 10 & 24.    In Greenfield, MA, our training course is held at NB Productions on Hope Street.  This course is taught in an 8-week format, starting on March 20, the course is held on Wednesday evenings from 6-7:00.  Classes will cover the skills and techniques both you and your dog need to know to pass your Therapy Dog evaluation and visit successfully as a Bright Spot Therapy Dog Team.

Is your dog ready to begin Therapy Dog training?  Dogs MUST be able to perform the following commands when given:  SIT, DOWN, STAY, COME, LEAVE IT, HEEL.  These commands and basic good manners are prerequisites to beginning Therapy Dog Training. To learn more about the Training, Evaluation, and Certification process, check out the Bright Spot website.  And, while you’re at it, click on Our Bright Spots.  There you will see all the happy faces of the many dogs certified with Bright Spot Therapy Dogs, Inc.

Bright Spot Therapy Dog Violet hamming it up with host Seth Stutman

Therapy Dog Violet made her debut on WWLP-22 TV today.  She and Mass Appeal host Seth Stutman became fast friends on and off the set.  In fact, even before she appeared on TV, she had everyone behind the scenes falling in love with her.

In typical Australian Labradoodle fashion, Violet was a clown and showed her friendly, comical personality as Seth asked me questions about therapy dogs and the type of training a therapy dog needs to get certified.  You can watch the complete Bright Spot segment by going to the Mass Appeal site and clicking on Benefits of Therapy Dogs! 

Live on the set of WWLP-22 Mass Appeal, February 15, 2013

After watching Therapy Dog Violet on Mass Appeal today and learning about our training and the meaningful work our Therapy Dogs do in heath care and educational facilities, we hope folks with friendly, outgoing dogs will consider volunteering with Bright Spot.  To learn how to become a Bright Spot Therapy Dog Team, check out our website.

On Tuesday evening, Westhampton Elementary School hosted a Literacy Night for students and their families.  Our Bright Spot Reading Buddies were invited to participate in the all-school event.  When the doors opened at 6:00 p.m., parents and children, pre-schoolers through sixth graders, streamed in armed with books to read aloud to one another.

Many children signed up ahead of time to read to one of the Reading Buddies.  Some read to Reading Buddies Zack and Lilo who were set up in corners of the library.  Some read to Reading Buddy Lily in the reading room.  Other children were in the gym where comfortable areas had been set up on the floor to sit on and listen to sixth graders (the oldest students in the school) and parents read aloud.

left to right: Bright Spot volunteer Susan Miller with Reading Buddy Zack, school librarian Karen Rousseau with Reading Buddy Lily, (Lily’s teammate Cynthia Hinckley taking photo), volunteer Ern Damon with Reading Buddy Lilo

All attendees were offered snacks and juice to enjoy as they sat back and enjoyed the wonderful books being read for the enjoyment of others.  The event ended with all gathered in the gym for the reading of everyone’s old time favorite, Good Night Moon.  As the children were leaving, they were offered a book of their choice to take home.  A love of reading could be felt throughout the school’s library, gymnasium, and reading room.

The event took months of planning by the school’s two reading teachers and school librarian.  It was the perfect opportunity for parents to meet the canine Reading Buddies they had heard so much about from their children.  Feedback on the Bright Spot Reading Buddies Program was overwhelmingly positive.   Bright Spot was honored to be included in this wonderful family event.

Bright Spot Therapy Dogs visited St. Stanislaus School in Chicopee this morning.  Children in Kindergarten through Third Grade gathered in the school’s gymnasium to learn what therapy dogs do in the community.

Bright Spot volunteer Sydney Flum-Stockwell spoke to the group about the extensive training she has done with her Australian Labradoodle Oscar to prepare him for therapy dog work.  She put Oscar through his paces, giving basic commands which the well-trained dog performed on cue.  In addition, Oscar added a few of his tricks that he does when he visits patients at Cooley Dickinson Hospital.  Oscar is one of several Bright Spot Therapy Dogs who are part of the Hospital’s Therapy Dog Program.

Bright Spot Therapy Dogs Lilo and Tucker, two docile Great Danes demonstrated by their good manners what Therapy Dogs are like while their teammate Ern Damon spoke to the group about the Children’s Reading Buddies Program at the Westhampton Elementary School.  Lilo and Tucker, joined by Bright Spots Lily, Zack, and Violet compose the team of Reading Buddies who listen as Pre-K through Grade Five students read one-on-one with a dog to improve their reading skills.

Bright Spot Brinkley stole the show with his repertoire of tricks.  What a smart dog!  He can read the command cards held in front of him by his teammate Ned Polan and perform the written command.  After reading and executing the Sit, Down, and Around commands, Brinkley took a Bow when Ned produced that cue card.  This elicited a round of applause from the lower school audience.  Brinkley ended his performance by bowling.  Using his muzzle to push the ball, Brinkley knocked down every pin on the second try.  More applause, louder this time!

All dogs are wonderful, but not all dogs can be Therapy Dogs.  I explained to the group how dogs are tested (evaluated) and show that they are able to work as certified Bright Spot Therapy Dogs.  It’s all about the friendly personality of the dog and how well the dog is trained.  In addition to the different breeds in attendance at today’s presentation, I explained that Therapy Dogs come in all sizes and breeds.  My sweet 3-year-old English Setter Lily sat patiently at my side, showing her proper therapy dog manners as I talked to the group.

Questions and Answers followed the talks.  Then the favorite part:   time to pet and hug these friendly, gentle Therapy Dogs.  Going into the talk today, we didn’t know what to expect from a group so young and so large.  We sincerely commend the young audience of 140 lower school children for being such a well-behaved, attentive group.  It was a pleasure speaking with the students at St. Stanislaus School.

Therapy Dog Violet has such a heavy coat – her entire body, including paws, is covered in thick hair about 2 inches in length.  Australian Labradoodles are a new breed for me.  I’m finding that Violet has much more of a tolerance for this frigid weather than my English Setters have.

While James, Lily, and Annabelle remained on cozy dog beds by the fire, Violet donned  her Bright Spot Therapy Dog vest and ID badge and the two of us headed to the nursing home to visit the residents.  She was met by smiles, laughter, hugs, and kisses.  The folks were so happy to see her.  She in turn enjoyed being the recipient of all this undivided attention.

After our visit, we headed to DAVE’S.  I went there with Violet for two reasons:  #1 – we were nearly out of dog food (OH, NO!) and #2 – I wanted to put Violet through some obedience drills, working with all the distractions at DAVE’S.  The dog treats in open bins and wide assortment of toys make for great training of the Leave It command.  In addition, Violet practiced her Heeling skills while walking at my side as I pushed the shopping cart up and down the aisles.

I resisted buying a new toy for Violet.  I knew Lily would end up taking it from her and, no matter how indestructible the label said it was, Lily would have it apart in minutes.  I put the $23.99 toy I had selected back on the rack and directed Violet over to the collar/leash area.  After trying several models on, we found the perfect collar for her.  Therapy dog Violet had done a good job – and she was happy with her reward.  (I promised to get the new marrow bones tomorrow when I go to the butcher.  Better than any toy I could buy her – and great for her teeth.)