Cody
has started working at a hospital as a Therapy Dog.
His job is to visit patients and help them feel better.
On
these pages, you can read about Cody's visits.
Keep in mind that Cody has had a lot of training
to become a Therapy Dog and that his owner is always
holding on to his leash during these visits.
Therapy visit #1
Cody
went into a room where there was a man named Jack. At first,
Jack didn't seem very interested in Cody. After a few
minutes, it was apparent
that Jack was blind. Cody's front feet were on the
bed so that Jack could
reach him. Jack put his fingers around Cody's nose
and exclaimed,
"Oh, he's a Collie!" Touching Cody's
long, narrow nose gave Jack the clue
he needed to see in his mind what Cody really looked like
.
Therapy visit #2
Cody
was walking down the hall. Linda, a woman sitting in a wheelchair,
saw Cody and started crying. No, she wasn't afraid;
Linda was so happy
to see Cody because she loves animals! She had been
away from her home
in Japan for a long time and missed her own animals
very much.
She hugged and kissed Cody for a very long time. Cody
enjoyed the attention
very much.
Therapy visit #3
Cody
visited in a lounge where all of the patients visit and watch TV.
A man named George was in a wheelchair. He couldn't
move his hands
very well so Cody raised his paw to shake hands with
George. Then Cody
did some tricks to make George laugh. Cody did these
tricks:
play dead (we call it 'Take a Nap'), crawl, turn around,
and take a bow.
George enjoyed Cody's show!
Therapy visit #4
Today
Cody went into a room where Fred was waiting for him. Fred had seen
Cody a couple of times before and this week he had
a surprise for Cody!
Fred had Apple Fritters (a delicious pastry from the
bakery). Cody loved
eating them. It was a "Thank you" to Cody for visiting him. Usually,
Cody
does not get those kinds of treats because too many
would not be healthy.
But on this special occassion, we allowed it. While
Cody ate his treats,
Fred petted him and felt much better!
Therapy visit #5
Cody
has always loved kids best! Today as Cody walked down the hall of the hospital,
he was greeted by a Mom and Dad who were going to visit their
daughter.
They asked if Cody could come visit Maria.
Maria
was in her room, sitting in a wheelchair looking very sad. She was only
15 years old. Cody must have thought she was lonely because he
went up to her
and laid his head on her lap. Maria smiled.
After
petting Cody for a while and talking to him, Maria asked if she could
take Cody for a walk. Maria took Cody's leash and along
with her parents,
wheeled herself to the end of the hall where there
was a beautiful outdoor patio.
Cody spent a nice long time outside, next to Maria
and her family, while they talked about all kinds of things. What a great time
Cody had today!
Therapy visit #6
Jeannie
is a woman who missed her own dog very much. When Cody entered
her room, Jeannie immediately wanted Cody up in the
bed with her!
Since Cody is bathed before every visit, it was okay
for him to do that.
Cody
first put his front feet on the edge of the bed. Then he is lifted very gently
onto the edge of the bed so that he does not lean on Jeannie
at all. Cody snuggled
right up against Jeannie, put his head down and went
to sleep. Jeannie was
so happy to have a big, furry dog next to her! She
spent the next 20 minutes gently
stroking Cody's soft fur. That made her feel lots better!
Therapy visit #7
When
Cody arrived at the hospital today, he was very excited. He seems to know
when it is his day to go to work. The first place that Cody visited
was a room
with six people in it! There were more people than
usual, but Cody didn't seem to
mind. The patients were sitting around a table just
visiting with each other.
There was Grace, Bill, George, Agnes, Jeanine, and
Tom. Cody went to each person
and said hello. Bill gave Cody a treat. Grace used
a brush to gently smooth
the hair on Cody's back. Agnes put her arms around Cody's neck
for a big hug.
Jeanine shook hands with Cody. Tom kissed Cody on the
top of his head. George
asked if Cody could come back next week. Of course
Cody will come back next week. He had a great time!
Don't miss our Therapy
Dog Photo Album!
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![]() How To Love Your Dog...A Kid's Guide to Dog Care http://www.loveyourdog.com Copyright ©1998 - 2009 by Janet Wall and Rick Wall May be reproduced for individual or classroom use only. Photographs, graphics, and backgrounds may not be reproduced to other websites or for any other purpose. |