Cora's Magic

Therapy dogs need time to enjoy just being themselves.  Here Cora engages in one of her favorite pasttimes, climbing trees!  Tomorrow back to Mayo to visit with our special friends.

Cora's smile tells it all!  A really good day at Mayo this afternoon.  Some of our good friends were finishing up their treatments this week.   One by one they came and said, "Thank you for being here with us". Just hearing them say those words puts a smile on our faces today!

Cora recieves a theraputic rub from a staff member today at Mayo.  Think it was "therapy" for both! Cora made her rounds today at Mayo easing some of the loneliness for those far from home and helping others cope with the fear of life changes.  Therapy dogs have an innate ability to recognize anxiety in humans.  When Cora senses this in someone we are visiting, she will lay pressed against their feet and legs.  One of the responses that person will have, is to reach down and start petting her.  In a matter of minutes, that anxiety level decreases. An amazing form of alternative medicine that comes packaged in fur! Cora showing off her Mardi Gras bling!

Cora got to spend yesterday afternoon at the Arabian Horse Show here in Scottsdale, AZ.  She loved watching them prance by and sat real quiet throught there time in the ring.  Today we off to Mayo to talk with our friends about all the fun we had yesterday!

Just a sample of a fun time at Mayo with Cora !

Rays of "hope" shine over Mayo Clinic Cora taking a well deserved break in the garden walk area at Mayo Clinic Two treasured pieces of art I've mentioned this before, but it amazes me that Cora can understand different languages.  We visited with a woman who grew up in Germany, but Spanish was her native language.  Cora nestled herself right against her leg and tilted her head back listening intently as our friend softly spoke to her.  A little girl sat waiting quietly for her mother, watching as Cora did her tricks.  "Perro"! she said pointing towards Cora, who then walked towards her and sat by her side.  Japanese was being spoken across the room and believe it or not , Cora "bowed" in front of the man who sat with his family. We spent time with a special lady who grew up in Texas.  That's where Cora was born and where we adopted her 5 years ago.  Cora enjoyed her company as much as she did Cora's visits.  

Caring Canine Cora Cora had a full day today at Mayo Hospital Speciality Building.  So many friends it was hard to decide which direction to take, so I let her decide.  But one by one she took on the entire room of our friends waiting for treatment with a tail that never stopped wagging and eyes and ears waiting for the next person to happily call her to their side.  We celebrated a "bell ringing" today to mark the last day of treatment for a special friend.  At the check in desk a small piece of paper was wrapped around 2 dog biscuits with Cora's name from an admirer.  We met again with an ex military young man that dubbed Cora as a "morale booster".  Visiting with our "special hat Lady" certainly boosted both her and our spirits as she prompted Cora into a "bottoms up"!  We had 2 special requests  today as we were ready to leave.  One of our friends was now an inpatient and was missing his dog at home.  Could we wait until after hi

Twice a month Cora and I visit a local Alzheimer's unit here in Scottsdale.  When we visit we're representing "divine canines", which is the Therapy dog group out of Austin, TX, where Cora and I first trained together.  Today, Cora exemplified  the motto for the group which is " heel to heal".  We met with a new resident of the unit who was confused and upset with his new surroundings.  His wife of 65yrs was at his side when Cora made her way to them.  I asked him if he would like to take Cora for a walk.  He looked at Cora and said "Yes".  Putting the one side of a double leash in his hand, I asked his wife if we could walk with them.  She was so happy to see her husband holding the leash as we all walked together into the atrium.  We continued walking the halls for the next 15 minutes and as we did our new gentleman friend relaxed and  began talking with his wife about how much he loved animals.  It was just a few minutes, but it meant the wor

http://smilebox.com/playBlog/4d7a41774d7a6b344d6a593d0d0a&blogview=true The link above is a short slideshow with one of my favorite songs, my favorite dog and my heart's work as a Therapy Dog handler. Happy Valentine's Day to Everyone, may the heart of an animal touch you today!

It was a good day today visiting our friends at Mayo.  Cora was excited to be with familiar faces and even happier to show off what a Therapy dog can bring into a small corner of a medical center.  Two bell ringings today, symbolizing the last day of treatment and the beginning of new horizons.  Cora quickly grabbed the tissue box for one courageous woman who rang that bell proudly.  Our gentlemen friend thanked us for being there during the times his wife sat waiting.  Hugs, goodbyes and very positive outlooks on their faces. Cora waved goodbye with her paw  but quickly turned her attention to the next group of people arriving.  She knows so well that adding some comfort and laughter to the group is her job.  Therapy dogs help to bring a smile, laughter or just a comforting touch, all adding to a person's ability to form positive outlooks on life.  

Goodbye's are sometimes hard to say.  But today at Mayo, it was a joyous one.  The spouse of one of our friends sat for the last time in the waiting room area, her husbands final treatment day.  As Cora greeted this gracious lady, the woman looked at us and said, "Thank you so much for being here."  "You've made the wait so much more bearable and Cora has certainly kept us entertained". They then said "Goodbye". But as they left a sense of pride overcame me.  Such simple gestures over the past few weeks with these folks now has lasting memories for everyone, me included.

Cora is resting up for her visit tomorrow with her friends at Mayo.

Cora's Magic has reached so many corners of the world.  Here in the United States and Canada where she is followed, we send a big "Hello" to all our English speaking friends.  But the interesting factor is her fan base across the globe.  "Zdravstvuj" to our Russian friends.  A warm "Hola" to friends in Argentina, "Kamusta" to our Philippine friends, "Guten Tag" to friends in Germany, "Hei" to our Norwegian friends, "Dzien dobry" to Polish friends and "Sveiki" to friends in Latvia.  It gives me such a good feeling knowing that even in different cultures, everyone has a common interest.  The thing that brings everyone together here, is a mere dog.  Just think if Therapy Dogs were at the United Nations sharing their unconditional love with World leaders.  It would then be a "small world", one that might be brought together with the same common interest, "comforting" people.

Cora the Therapy Dog I have been wondering for a while now just "who" the person was that initiated the concept of therapy dogs.  Found this article to be quite informative from "Wikipedia" and wanted to share with all of our readers. "During World War II, under combat operations against Japanese forces on the island of New Guinea, Corporal William Wynne came into possession of a young adult Yorkshire Terrier abandoned on the battlefield. He named the female dog Smoky . Smoky accompanied Wynne on numerous combat missions, provided comfort and entertainment for troops, and even assisted the Signal Corps in running a telegraph cable through an underground pipe, completing in minutes what might have been a dangerous, three-day construction job which would have exposed men and equipment to enemy bombers. Smoky's service as a therapy dog began when Corporal Wynne was hospitalized for a jungle disease. As Wynne recovered, Wynne's Army pals br

Well, again......a picture is worth a thousand words.  Location Mayo Hospital Speciality Building.....literally on the floor.   Cora met a special new friend on Friday, that took this picture with his cell phone.  Thanks Mike for sharing your love of animals with Cora.

So many questions today at Mayo Clinic regarding Cora's "job" as a therapy dog.  I looked at Cora this time to supply the answers.  Silly as that seems,  it doesn't take long to realize that her "job description" could fill a whole page.  To the woman that needed her dog fix because she had to leave her beloved pet hundreds of miles away, she was a "companion".  For the mother of a young girl who wanted to be a vet one day, Cora was a "teaching tool".  The "entertainer" part of her then kept a waiting room full of patients and their families grinning and laughing.   Showing her calm mannerism to a prospective therapy dog parent made her a good "role model".  Behind the scenes, the "therapist" in her licked at a teary eyed face that was remembering a loved one. One dog doing the job of so many, that's a therapy dog.

Play ball! Today is playtime with lots of excercise to get ready for our visit tomorrow at the Mayo Clinic!  Keeping any dog busy with an activity is vital in having a sound dog.  Dogs that are involved in AAT and AAA therapy programs perform much better when their stored energy is able to be releashed prior to a visit.  But don't worry, Cora will be wagging that tail and ready for all the hugs! Cora loves climbing trees!