Blue Ridge Country March/April 2020 - 10
MILL CREEK STORIES
The
Power
of
the
Paw
It may well be impossible to underestimate the reach of a therapy dog.
I
By MOLLY DUGGER BRENNAN | Art by JOSEPH MACKARETH
have been around dogs all my life. Mama tells me
that the first thing I ever demanded for myself was
a puppy, unless of course you want to count cookies
because evidently I was born asking for cookies. My
first puppy arrived when I was just three, a fat, wiggly beagle for a fat, wiggly toddler. He was named
Choc and I thought he was the best dog who ever
lived. I am pretty sure I was right in that assessment because he was a great playmate for me and enthusiastically
played any role I imagined for him, for as long as I cared
to play.
So through observation and play, I have learned a lot
from the dogs in my life. You can trust a dog not to steer
you wrong. Drink lots of water. Play whenever you get a
chance. Be loyal to those who love you. You don't need
to bite if a simple growl will make your point. Take walks.
If something isn't right for you, kick dirt over it and walk
away. Take naps. Go outside every day. Enjoy your food.
All good life lessons, but there is one truly powerful,
even miraculous, thing I've learned by watching dogs. It's
what my friend Cammie refers to as the "power of the
paw." Dogs, through their unconditional love and complete lack of criticism, can reach people no one else can.
Cammie's dog, Memphis, is a therapy dog working in
10
BLUERIDGECOUNTRY.COM
the Rockingham County school system. My dog Biscuit is
a certified therapy dog with the Alliance of Therapy Dogs.
In fact, I am now the tester/observer for the Alliance of
Therapy Dogs in the Harrisonburg, Virginia area, which
means I have seen dozens of therapy dogs do their thing.
It is always nothing short of amazing.
Children will open up to a dog in ways that they would
never consider doing with an adult. A small girl, bawling
and refusing to get off the bus at school, stops crying and
exits the bus so she can pet the therapy dog who then
walks her to her classroom. Special-needs children in the
midst of a meltdown pull themselves together so they
won't scare the therapy dog. Children who struggle to
read will practice in front of a therapy dog, because dogs
just appreciate their attention and don't care how many
times they stumble over a word.
Just this year, a non-verbal student, a 7-year-old boy,
walked up to Biscuit and started talking to her. I had no
idea he was non-verbal, but the look on his teacher's face
said it all. The teacher even videotaped his conversation
because she said his mother would not believe it. He
opened up to Biscuit, who sat there and patiently listened
to all his opinions, which it turned out were many.
Year after year of doing therapy visits, Biscuit is still al-
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Blue Ridge Country March/April 2020
Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Blue Ridge Country March/April 2020
Blue Ridge Country March/April 2020 - Intro
Blue Ridge Country March/April 2020 - Cover1
Blue Ridge Country March/April 2020 - Cover2
Blue Ridge Country March/April 2020 - 3
Blue Ridge Country March/April 2020 - 4
Blue Ridge Country March/April 2020 - 5
Blue Ridge Country March/April 2020 - 6
Blue Ridge Country March/April 2020 - 7
Blue Ridge Country March/April 2020 - 8
Blue Ridge Country March/April 2020 - 9
Blue Ridge Country March/April 2020 - 10
Blue Ridge Country March/April 2020 - 11
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Blue Ridge Country March/April 2020 - 27
Blue Ridge Country March/April 2020 - 28
Blue Ridge Country March/April 2020 - 29
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Blue Ridge Country March/April 2020 - Cover3
Blue Ridge Country March/April 2020 - Cover4
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