Today Matilda and I passed the test for Matilda and me to be an official DELTA Society Pet Partners therapy dog team. She already comes to school with me. Now she will be able to do READ programs at libraries and visit retirement homes, hospitals, and any other places that might benefit from animal therapy.
This morning Matilda and I drove out to the Janet Goeske Senior/Disabled Center in Riverside. We arrived about an hour early which was fine. I was very nervous and it gave me a chance to talk with another waiting handler. It gave me a chance to calm down. I hadn't been able to sleep at all last night. Part of the test was a series of obedience exercises. We did fine with those. The rest of the test involved our both staying calm and happy while we walked by and talked with people with walkers and wheelchairs. As we walked by someone dropped a metal pie tin on the floor. With Matilda by my side I had to walk up to and talk with someone walking a neutral dog. She was petted and hugged by the evaluators. She did fine with all of those. She was also gang petted, hugged and bumped by a group of four adults. This last exercise proved a little stressful for her. She loves her adult friends, but all these strangers at once were a little too much. If it had been kids she would have been fine. The evaluator, who was very nice, suggested that I ease Matilda into very busy settings gradually.
This morning Matilda and I drove out to the Janet Goeske Senior/Disabled Center in Riverside. We arrived about an hour early which was fine. I was very nervous and it gave me a chance to talk with another waiting handler. It gave me a chance to calm down. I hadn't been able to sleep at all last night. Part of the test was a series of obedience exercises. We did fine with those. The rest of the test involved our both staying calm and happy while we walked by and talked with people with walkers and wheelchairs. As we walked by someone dropped a metal pie tin on the floor. With Matilda by my side I had to walk up to and talk with someone walking a neutral dog. She was petted and hugged by the evaluators. She did fine with all of those. She was also gang petted, hugged and bumped by a group of four adults. This last exercise proved a little stressful for her. She loves her adult friends, but all these strangers at once were a little too much. If it had been kids she would have been fine. The evaluator, who was very nice, suggested that I ease Matilda into very busy settings gradually.
...but of course there was no doubt in my mind she would pass with flying colors
Congratulations to you we (the Oopster and myself) are very proud!!