2024 Reading Dog Fun
January 25th We had so much fun celebrating Spirit/s birthday with the Holy Name School kindergarteners last year, that I decided to do it again this year for her 9th birthday. I made Elephant Ears, which are like squashed cinnamon rolls, for everyone. Before we ate them Emily, the teacher, led the class in singing Happy Birthday to Spirit. Spirit wasn’t too impressed with the serenade, instead concentrating on the Elephant Ears on the tables. Several of the photos caught her “Hurry up!!!!” look. The kids had all made birthday cards for Spirit, and you can see several of them holding those in the photos.
After our party, we did our usual Reading Sessions. One of the kids insisted that I take his photo with Spirit.
February 5th Spirit celebrated her 200th therapy dog visit this morning at Tongue River Elementary School. Berakah is the only other one of my therapy dogs to reach 200 visits. I spayed her at two years when she came down with pannus, so she had a long therapy dog career. I have several who made it over 100 (Chaos & Lively come to mind), but it’s hard for a dog to get 200 visits in when I have 4-6 certified therapy dogs at a time and they take turns doing visits. The breeding bitches, especially, seldom get to 200 because they miss so many possible visits while in hear, pregnant or lactating. And only the ones who participate in Reading Dog have much of a chance. Lovely, for instance, even with doing Reading dog at TRE, at 7 3/4 years has only 80 visits. Hopeful, who is spayed, already at 3 3/4 years has 94 visits in, so she has a chance to make it to 200. So for Spirit, who raised two litters, to get to 200 visits is absolutely fantastic!!!
One of the TRE staff members took photos of two sets of kids reading to Spirit. I took some of a third group.
April 25th I took photos at today’s Reading Dog session with the Holy Name School kindergarteners. They will vote on which photos will be used to create their own set of trading cards. I include the link to last year’s trading cards so that you get an idea.
See all of today’s photos
See the 2023 Kindergarten Trading Cards
April 30th Jamboree from the JJ litter (Spirit’s niece and Mercy’s sister) is also a Reading Dog. She lives in Sundance, WY. I recently added a bunch of photos of her doing Reading Dog to the litter page. Jamboree is also a service dog, competes in Nosework and was the only Court Advocate Dog in Wyoming until recently, when the program was, sadly, discontinued. Court Advocate Dogs go to court with a child when he or she must testify in an abuse or neglect case, offering comfort and courage when the child must tell of what he or she endured. We are VERY sorry that Wyoming didn’t pursue this service. See Jamboree’s Reading Dog photos. Also, see Jamboree’s trading cards.