marciahaydenUncategorized  January 25, 2021 4 Minutes

Being a Therapy Dog Team during a World Pandemic, leads to a few challenges. How do you keep your dog socialized, how do you help them adjust to the different requirements, when you do get to visit, how do you find different ways to fill in the gap?

Keeping them socialized is very important. They need that interaction with friendly strangers to keep them use to new situations and changing events. Again we used the local businesses that allow dogs to visit. We take Charlie to Tractor Supply and Lowes, which allows him to see different people and deal with different and changing experiences every time we go. That is always a good outing for him.

Our local assisted living center that Charlie use to visit has started doing “Sunshine Visits” which allows us as a team to visit one person at a time in an open area. We must wear N-95 masks and practice social distancing. That is a little harder to do, since Alliance of Therapy Dogs requires the dog to be on a 3ft leash. Again, changing situations require flexibility, and we are doing our best to meet the guidelines of both organizations.

Dogs Never Forget a Friend

What we have learned through the regular visiting of residents at the assisted living centers is that dogs build attachments to people. The learn their scents, facial expressions and mannerisms. Often times they both build lasting friendships. For Charlie, finally getting to re-visit his “Good Buddy” Floyd, was a wonderful experience. We wondered if Charlie would remember him, and then on top of it all, it was not a place in the facility he had ever been. In the past, Charlie visited Floyd in his private residence. Floyd was generally in a recliner when we would visit.

For this visit, Floyd approached Charlie in a motorized wheel chair. Since Charlie had been exposed to those before as a puppy, he was not surprised at all. He approached Floyd as Floyd was driving up to him; Charlie simply backed up until Floyd stopped. Floyd was wearing a mask, but was calling out to Charlie as he approached. Charlie’s tail wagging all the while. He knew his friend, no matter where he was. It was such a heart warming experience to see them reconnect. Floyd shared some treats with Charlie, and we brought some Vanilla Wafers, which Charlie only has when he would visit Floyd. Floyd actually introduced Charlie to this treat, and Charlie slobbers and drools with delight each time he gets one. Since we had been working on new tricks, Charlie also showed Floyd, and avid animal lover himself, his new tricks, and ended their time together by waving Bye, Bye. Needless to say, it was an Awesome visit for Charlie and Floyd, different, but Charlie nor Floyd seemed to care.

How a Bond Builds

I’ve written in previous articles, how Charlie and our neighbor, Pastor Asa developed a friendship from the time he was an 8 week old puppy. Charlie visited Pastor Asa and his wife, Debbie several times through the year. Sadly in November of 2019, Debbie passed away suddenly. At that point, Charlie and Asa became “Porch Buddies” as Charlie was there to help Asa during his grieving period.

Then in March of 2020, the world changed due to Covid 19 and a World Pandemic. Suddenly, Pastor Asa had no way to minister to his congregation except through the internet and phone calls. Charlie who was use to going and visiting three assisted living centers and the local schools four and five days a week, had no interaction beyond his family.

What took place was a truly amazing thing. We believe a gift from God. Charlie began to visit Asa on his porch almost daily. Sometimes, they’d play and go for walks, many times the two of them just sat together on Pastor Asa’s porch.https://www.instagram.com/p/CJe1A-5JXDO/embed/captioned/?cr=1&v=13&wp=658&rd=https%3A%2F%2Fpawprintsontheheart.blog&rp=%2F2021%2F01%2F25%2Ffilling-in-the-gap%2F#%7B%22ci%22%3A0%2C%22os%22%3A2213%7D

When we would go to take Charlie for his daily walks, he always looked over to see if Asa, was out. He still does that to this day. If for some reason he missed seeing Pastor Asa for a day or two, he would pull me over to the front of his yard, and sit there staring, or lie down and wait. Thankfully, I was able to message Pastor Asa through messenger, and send him a picture of Charlie in front of his house, and when possible, Pastor Asa would come out. The relationship which developed between these two was anything but Supernatural.

Slowly the world began to open back up, but the special bond was made. To this day, Charlie looks for Asa, and I have to admit, I’ve seen Pastor Asa look for Charlie. Many times I get a message that says, “What’s Charlie up to?” We generally go as quickly as possible.

In early January of 2021, Pastor Asa tested positive for Covid 19 and was pretty sick. He and Charlie were separated for over three weeks. This was a tough time for both of them. Finally, when it was safe for Pastor Asa to come back out of what he called “Time Out” the reunion between the two of them was so very heart warming. True joy was evident between the two.https://www.instagram.com/p/CKSSb6VpJHg/embed/captioned/?cr=1&v=13&wp=658&rd=https%3A%2F%2Fpawprintsontheheart.blog&rp=%2F2021%2F01%2F25%2Ffilling-in-the-gap%2F#%7B%22ci%22%3A1%2C%22os%22%3A2231%7D

Charlie is Our “Puppy With A Purpose”

I’ve mentioned many times throughout these pages how God opened doors to give us everything we prayed for and more. God continues to amaze us with this wonderful companion, not just for us, but to be shared with others. From beginning to the present, God has blessed our desire to have a “Puppy with a Purpose” to use however HE sees fit. If you haven’t read about Charlie’s journey please go back and read how we acquired him, trained him as well as ourselves to become a Therapy Dog Team. It is the most rewarding thing we’ve ever done.

One more thing, when Charlie isn’t doing therapy work, he is a very normal two year old, yes puppy. If you’d like to follow him he has a Facebook page, Charlie The Therapy Dog, and an Instagram Account @charliethetherapy You will be able to see his daily life with his brother Jack’son, his Norman the Cat, and the rest of our family.

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Published by marciahayden

Before retiring from the teaching profession, I was advised by a good friend, to find what I wanted to retire “to”. This lead to a lot of prayer and self-reflection, which then lead me to acquire a Golden Retriever Puppy, specifically to train/educate to become, a Therapy Dog. That was just the beginning of the journey, which my husband and I have begun to take, along with “Puppy with a Purpose”. View all posts by marciahaydenPublishedJanuary 25, 2021

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Being a Therapy Dog Team during a World Pandemic, leads to a few challenges. How do you keep your dog socialized, how do you help them adjust to the different requirements, when you do get to visit, how do you find different ways to fill in the gap?

Keeping them socialized is very important. They need that interaction with friendly strangers to keep them use to new situations and changing events. Again we used the local businesses that allow dogs to visit. We take Charlie to Tractor Supply and Lowes, which allows him to see different people and deal with different and changing experiences every time we go. That is always a good outing for him.

Our local assisted living center that Charlie use to visit has started doing “Sunshine Visits” which allows us as a team to visit one person at a time in an open area. We must wear N-95 masks and practice social distancing. That is a little harder to do, since Alliance of Therapy Dogs requires the dog to be on a 3ft leash. Again, changing situations require flexibility, and we are doing our best to meet the guidelines of both organizations.

Dogs Never Forget a Friend

What we have learned through the regular visiting of residents at the assisted living centers is that dogs build attachments to people. The learn their scents, facial expressions and mannerisms. Often times they both build lasting friendships. For Charlie, finally getting to re-visit his “Good Buddy” Floyd, was a wonderful experience. We wondered if Charlie would remember him, and then on top of it all, it was not a place in the facility he had ever been. In the past, Charlie visited Floyd in his private residence. Floyd was generally in a recliner when we would visit.

For this visit, Floyd approached Charlie in a motorized wheel chair. Since Charlie had been exposed to those before as a puppy, he was not surprised at all. He approached Floyd as Floyd was driving up to him; Charlie simply backed up until Floyd stopped. Floyd was wearing a mask, but was calling out to Charlie as he approached. Charlie’s tail wagging all the while. He knew his friend, no matter where he was. It was such a heart warming experience to see them reconnect. Floyd shared some treats with Charlie, and we brought some Vanilla Wafers, which Charlie only has when he would visit Floyd. Floyd actually introduced Charlie to this treat, and Charlie slobbers and drools with delight each time he gets one. Since we had been working on new tricks, Charlie also showed Floyd, and avid animal lover himself, his new tricks, and ended their time together by waving Bye, Bye. Needless to say, it was an Awesome visit for Charlie and Floyd, different, but Charlie nor Floyd seemed to care.

How a Bond Builds

I’ve written in previous articles, how Charlie and our neighbor, Pastor Asa developed a friendship from the time he was an 8 week old puppy. Charlie visited Pastor Asa and his wife, Debbie several times through the year. Sadly in November of 2019, Debbie passed away suddenly. At that point, Charlie and Asa became “Porch Buddies” as Charlie was there to help Asa during his grieving period.

Then in March of 2020, the world changed due to Covid 19 and a World Pandemic. Suddenly, Pastor Asa had no way to minister to his congregation except through the internet and phone calls. Charlie who was use to going and visiting three assisted living centers and the local schools four and five days a week, had no interaction beyond his family.

What took place was a truly amazing thing. We believe a gift from God. Charlie began to visit Asa on his porch almost daily. Sometimes, they’d play and go for walks, many times the two of them just sat together on Pastor Asa’s porch.

When we would go to take Charlie for his daily walks, he always looked over to see if Asa, was out. He still does that to this day. If for some reason he missed seeing Pastor Asa for a day or two, he would pull me over to the front of his yard, and sit there staring, or lie down and wait. Thankfully, I was able to message Pastor Asa through messenger, and send him a picture of Charlie in front of his house, and when possible, Pastor Asa would come out. The relationship which developed between these two was anything but Supernatural.

Slowly the world began to open back up, but the special bond was made. To this day, Charlie looks for Asa, and I have to admit, I’ve seen Pastor Asa look for Charlie. Many times I get a message that says, “What’s Charlie up to?” We generally go as quickly as possible.

In early January of 2021, Pastor Asa tested positive for Covid 19 and was pretty sick. He and Charlie were separated for over three weeks. This was a tough time for both of them. Finally, when it was safe for Pastor Asa to come back out of what he called “Time Out” the reunion between the two of them was so very heart warming. True joy was evident between the two.

Charlie is Our “Puppy With A Purpose”

I’ve mentioned many times throughout these pages how God opened doors to give us everything we prayed for and more. God continues to amaze us with this wonderful companion, not just for us, but to be shared with others. From beginning to the present, God has blessed our desire to have a “Puppy with a Purpose” to use however HE sees fit. If you haven’t read about Charlie’s journey please go back and read how we acquired him, trained him as well as ourselves to become a Therapy Dog Team. It is the most rewarding thing we’ve ever done.

One more thing, when Charlie isn’t doing therapy work, he is a very normal two year old, yes puppy. If you’d like to follow him he has a Facebook page, Charlie The Therapy Dog, and an Instagram Account @charliethetherapy You will be able to see his daily life with his brother Jack’son, his Norman the Cat, and the rest of our family.

Kaydee

Shinny, black, and soft, Kaydee was not your typical Labrador Retriever. She was So calm and easy going. She loved to snuggle and be close, yet was so happy to just lie at your feet.

Although we knew her from age 8 weeks, we didn’t have the privilege to call her ours until she was 7 and 1/2. After keeping her for a week, while her parents who were professionals were away on a trip, we fell in love with her, and knew we had the time for her that because of their professional and busy lives, they didn’t. They allowed us to have her and she stole our hearts.

She was ours for three years and almost four months, and she would have been 10 had she survived just one more month. We knew from her annual exams that her platelets had been low for the last 9 months. Searching for why, the vets discovered she had Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever, which we didn’t understand because she had been on flea and tick control. Never-the-less, in an effort to cure that, something went wrong, and in a week’s time, she was gone.

So how do you help your other pets and yourself move forward? A good question. It seems for us, learning how to be good dog parents is a journey. To go from a dog family of three, to two is a shock. Not just for us, but for the pups left behind. Animals grieve too.

In the past when we have lost a pet, my husband and I were both still working, so we had a distraction, and didn’t see the daily lives of our pets. Now home, and with Covid 19 a reality, home a lot, we saw first hand that our boys grieved for their missing sister and friend. For days they didn’t get the toys out and play, they didn’t engage much with one another. They just laid around and slept.

Let me back track to explain how despite my own sadness and grieving, I attempted to ease the pain for them. First, I brought some of Kaydee’s hair home with me. From the moment I came up the stairs and through the door, I let the boys smell the hair, and Kaydee all over me. They saw her leave, and they saw she didn’t come back. I sat on the floor, and let them smell as long as they needed to do it. My shoes, my shirt, my hands, and shorts, my face, tear stained and red, they smelled, and bless them, they licked.

That night they both laid in the bed with us, and we snuggled, and rubbed and petted. My husband had already taken her crate and bedding out. It was different for them, and us. We grieved together. It was hard, but we are a family, and we grieved together just like families do.

The next morning, I noticed them looking for her, and it broke my heart. They went to the places she would normally lay, and smelled. Our routines, slightly changed, because where there was three, there was now two. However, they were resilient, and adjusted to the difference. We added in more walks, and I started doing some training sessions to get their minds on new ideas and changes.

We started taking some adventures to the park, which we had not done in a good while because Kaydee wasn’t up to it. Oh so many smells, sights and sounds! It was sensory overload, and hard on these two parents, who were hurting inside. However, the park visits were good for all of us.

The slight changes to the routines, the training sessions, the extra love, and a few new adventures actually lifted all or our hearts, and I could see a difference. After four days, the toys came out again, they engaged with one another in play, and the enthusiasm for life once again showed in each of them.

To adjust from the beginning having two Golden Retrievers, to a sweet Black Labrador Retriever, was a fun change. Retrospectively, it was a new world, because we had never had a Lab before, and as I previously stated, Kaydee wasn’t like other Labs. Her gentle sweet spirit was something that just enveloped us. All of us, and to be quite honest, it’s that sweet spirit that we miss, but with life and love, come loss. And we are moving forward, while thanking God for allowing us to experience her sweet loving, gentle spiririt which will life forever in our hearts, as she will always be “The Sweetest Dog We Ever Owned” and has left, Paw Prints On Our Hearts forever.

We are adjusting to our life once again as a family with two Golden Boys, who have a new zeal for going to the park, playing with new toys, and training to be better at doing life with two retired adults, who still love living and exploring life with their four legged children.

Before the Pandemic hit the US, I had been working, officially training to be a therapy dog, at the age of 5 and 1/2 months. I was also taking training classes, and passed the Canine Good Citizen Test at 10 months of age. I worked at three assisted living centers and one elementary school, anywhere from four to five days a week, one to three hours a day. I was a VERY active, BUSY boy, until the end of February when the Pandemic hit our country and our area.

To go from being SO busy, seeing and interacting with children and senior adults almost daily, being touched and rubbed on, and in many cases at the school, laid on top of, to absolutely nothing outside of my home, was depressing. When mom would get dressed and leave the bathroom, I’d run to where my leash was, I was ready to go! Only to be told, “No Charlie, I’m sorry Buddy, we aren’t going today. After several weeks, I stopped running to get my leash. I pretty much just laid with my head between my paws.

My mom did all she could to help me. She recognized the signs of depression, and yes, dogs can be depressed. We took more walks, played more games, trained more which of course included treatos, which was a nice help. She even looked back at photos and videos of how the kids would love on me, and she tried to replicate that. The first time she did, I sort of purred like a cat. That was mom’s confirmation of HOW much I missed my friends.

My next door neighbor, Pastor Asa, who had recently lost his wife of many years, would come out on his porch, and love on me, take me for walks. I guess you could say we were therapy for one another. They say I am very soft to the touch, and he would love on me, and talk to me, hug on me, and even jump around with me like a kid. It helped a lot. It was the little extra beside the love I got at home that made the difference.

Fast forward four months, and the call finally came from one assisted living center, The Retreat at Jasper, with an invitation to come back and visit. However, it would have to be different. We would have to meet outside, and mom and dad would have to wear masks. Well, they were thrilled, and back to work I went.

When we got there, mom and dad had their temperatures taken. I’m glad they didn’t want to take mine! I am not a fan of that! Then we drove around to the back. It was a nice covered patio and there was a breeze, and you could see the mountains in the background. There were nice, comfy chairs for the residents to use. Only two came out the first time, but I was SO glad to see them. They were pleased that I remembered them. I was pleased they remembered me! It had been so long since I’d seen them. Mom let them give me treats, I gave them my paw, and sat beside them, so they could pet me. Then we played “find it” where mom hides treats and I search for them. Of course the ladies had a treat hidden in their hand, and I went to them first. Then I started hunting for where mom hid the other treats. I like this game. Mom had to do a little coaxing, and saying, “Up Charlie,” so I would look up on the chair or table, or down, or under, but when I found them all, the ladies clapped for me. That made me feel special. We also practiced some of my tricks, because they are entertaining. I can do high-five, leave it, which is when mom puts treats on my paws and I can’t have them until she says, “Ok, take it!” Oh and I can wave bye, bye. When it was time for us to leave, one lady was petting me, and she said, “I love you Charlie!” That is the best feeling in the world because, FINALLY, things are starting to get back to normal.

My next few visits were even better. More people came, and we played with some of my toys, I did my tricks, and they just loved on me, and I loved them back. One lady called Momma over, and whispered, “This morning, I was a little down, but this makes me feel so much better.”

Friends, being a therapy dog, is the BEST job in the world. I can’t wait until I can go see my other friends at Cameron Hall in Ellijay, The Blue Ridge Assisted Living, and be the Reading Dog for Clear Creek Elementary School again. Go Away Covid. I want to work!

Love, Charlie The Therapy

PS: One month after going back to the Retreat at Jasper, they had to lock down due to an outbreak. Sadly, I have not been able to visit my friends since then. I hope they haven’t forgotten me. I haven’t forgotten them.