Doggone Therapy!

I would like to share some fantastic news with all of you. Chynna was recently selected as a pet therapy dog. What this entails is that on a regular basis, we will visit old-aged pensioners in a residential home. Some people prefer to go to hospices, hospitals or schools but as I had a very close and loving relationship with my paternal grandmother when she was alive, my first preference was to work with people in the twilight of their lives.

Late last year, Chynna went through a rigorous assessment where she was tested for temperament and obedience. They wanted to see if she was suitable for this type of visiting role where she would be handled by many different people. Well, what can I say? Our little baby was just a delight and passed with flying colours!

After my own references were done (thanks to my two lovely friends who did this for me, you know who you are), we got a letter of acceptance from the charity this past week. We didn't waste any time and Chynna and I went on our first visit today!

P drove us and was very sweet, acting as my 'assistant' and carrying all our bags. Due to the rules of the charity, he can't handle Chynna on visits as he will not be covered by their insurance should any incidents occur. However, it was a great help to have him around and the Matron who runs the home made us both feel very welcomed. We found her to be a very warm and lovely person.

I had to bring a small quilt for the residents in case they wanted Chynna to sit on their laps. And boy, did they want her to do that! There are 36 residents in total at the home and I would say that she visited with about 20 of them. Not all of them like dogs and some are happy to just look at her from a distance. A few are also quite poorly and don't often leave their rooms.

But those that loved dogs absolutely adored her. As it was our introduction visit, we kept it short and spent just a few minutes with each person. All of them kept saying how beautiful and lovely she was and how soft her coat felt, etc. They even asked me if I put special conditioner on her fur! You could see their eyes light up at the sight of her and it really was a wonderful feeling.

Although Chynna was very curious about the different noises, she took to each and every single one of them. Even the staff cooed over her and they all wanted to take her home!

I feel incredibly proud and happy and it is one of the best things that P, Chynna and I have done together as a family. We have committed to visiting every Sunday morning and I look forward to it.

What did crack me up though was that the Matron tried to disinfect every OAP's hands after they stroked Chynna. But that went out the window after a while because they kept coming back for more and some even encouraged Chynna to lick them on their faces!

One of the residents thought that Chynna was a male dog and didn't like her pink collar and leash. She said to me, "He's beautiful but I'm not sure about the pink. It makes him look like a poof!". Ha ha ha.

I'm not saying this because I'm biased, but Chynna is the most amazing dog that I've ever come across. She is laid back, so well behaved and loves everyone she meets. What I said to P today was that it would be a real waste if we just kept her all to ourselves. I know that the residents would have let us stay all day if we wanted but we just didn't have the time. Next week, we will stay longer so that everyone can get their fill of her.

The Matron loved Chynna as well and before we left, she gave all three of us in turn a big cuddle! I really hope we see more of her on our visits. I know that with time, I'll also get to know the residents a bit better. Today was a blurr of stroking hands, numerous names and passing faces. I will definitely blog when I get funny comments or hear special stories from the residents.

On this wonderful note, I wish all of you a great rest of the weekend!