Puppy Therapy for the Elderly

Phew today has been an extremely busy day.  Spencer, Austin, and I just got back from the local retirement center.  It is our second time being invited back for our puppy therapy Sundays.  I really enjoy getting to take my guys and letting them show off and getting to receive all the attention from the residents.  Spencer did a mini-agility course for his performance and Austin did his terminator bit (I’ll elaborate on that in a different post)  Then Spencer and Austin went from room to room with me spending time with the different residents.  You would be amazed at the smiles the affection from these little dogs can get.  The DoN (director of nursing) also inquired about possibly placing one of my puppies there on a more permanent basis.  I’m still kind of in the air on this one.  Because Spencer and Austin are my performing dogs and I have spent many, many, many hours training and socializing them, hence their amazing temperaments.  But, putting one of my puppies in a situation on a permanent basis  that he/she may or may not receive the attention it deserves, that I’m not so sure of.

I’ve worked in nursing homes as a CNA before and seen what could happen to a puppy put in that situation. This week the puppy is all the rage and the next week everyone at the home forgets the dog even exists.  But then again I would make it my duty to visit every weekend to make sure the pup is adjusting well and that its situation is up to my standards.

Well that’s enough on that situation.  Tomorrow I go to the animal shelter and work with a beat Labrador to see if I can get him in shape to be adopted.  Otherwise he will be put to sleep and I don’t want that.  I see a Lab that has alot of potential but just started out with the wrong owners. (The owners were actually jailed and fined for the condition the Labrador was found in.  This is the first time in our county anyone has been jailed over the mistreatment of animals and I think its awesome)

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