My New Job as a Therapy Dog

By winter we had gotten all but three of the baby pigs. Those three just disappeared- one day they were there and the next day they were gone and we never saw them again. Mommy and Daddy figured that something must have gotten them- either poachers, or maybe, coyotes. Mommy hoped it was the coyotes, 'cause she does not like poachers!

It looked as if it was going to be a slow winter around our place, so Mommy decided to sign me up as a Therapy Dog. Our local pet rescue group, PAWS, was just starting a therapy dog program and they were looking for volunteers. We went to a meeting and found out that Mommy's job was to drive me to the nursing home, and my job was to entertain the residents and to cheer them up if they were sad. Since I like all people a whole lot, Mommy thought I would be perfect for the job, and since Mommy can drive our van so good I thought SHE'D be perfect, so we gladly accepted. Now we go visiting once every month on a Sunday afternoon. I do all my tricks for the people and they really seem to like that. I can shake hands (either paw!), sit, sit pretty (that's like sitting up and begging), lie down, and crawl. And of course, I can always find things but no one ever asks me to do that one.

Some of the people like to read books so we take them Mommy's favorite ones so they can read them, too. One lady can't talk and hardly moves at all, but I know she loves dogs like me 'cause she knows how to rub my ears just the way I like. Another lady has lots and lots of stuffed animals on her bed and I always want to play with them because stuffed animals are my absolute favorite toys. The lady says it's okay for me to get up on her bed to get the toys- she wants me to- but Mommy never lets me. She says she doesn't think the lady knows that my idea of playing is to rip the stuffed animals apart! Well, Mommy always gives me a new stuffed animal of my very own after so I guess it's okay if I can't play with them at the nursing home. sigh. The best part about being a Therapy Dog is that everyone is sooo nice to me and they all want to pet me and visit with me. I have a lot of fun visiting all of my new friends.