A Sense of Normalcy

Relaxation is one of the biggest benefits for anyone engaging with a Therapy Dog. Here Cora shows how easily it can be done.

Visiting with Cora who is a member of the Caring Canines program at Mayo brings one big factor into the picture, "a sense of normalcy".
That was evident yesterday when Cora met with a young boy waiting outside radiation for his Mom to finish her treatment. His face quickly broke out into a smile when Cora and I walked into the waiting area. Hesitant but with a young boys curiosity he approached us. Cora's tail was wagging like a metronome, knowing that she would have an opportunity to play with this youngster. It only took a few seconds for the boy to relax and kneel down with Cora on the floor for some "one on one" boy to dog talk. Out came the piano and Cora showed off her musical skills to boys giggles. "High five" was a sure hit as she repeatedly raised her paw to meet his little hand. When his mother arrived after treatment she smiled and thanked us for keeping her son company and giving him a reason to laugh during her visit today. Small gesture on our part, but a huge impact on a Mother and young son. Good job Cora!

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Origin of Therapy Dogs

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...

Happy Valentine's Day

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!

Therapy Dog Journey

Question is always the same. How did you get your dog to become a Therapy Dog. Answer is never short. I begin telling them that Cora was a rescue, 1 yr of age and a victim of neglect and abuse. Started out with some home loving, good food and socialization skills. Then off to the local PetSmart where I met with the trainer. Julie Eskoff introduced me to the world of dogs like I'd never known. Several classes under our belts and we applied to be tested for the AKC Canine Good Citizen test. After passing that Cora and I were elvaluated for "divine canines" a therapy dog group out of Austin, TX that we hold near to our hearts. We passed our evaluation after 6 weeks of training at the Austin State Hospital. For the next 2 years Cora and I visited Life Skill classrooms and worked with the most wonderful special needs children. We were also welcomed at a local Alzhiemers unit weekly. There the residents became young men and women, t...

Cora's Magic

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