This class was by far my favorite! I love dogs and have always felt that they provide numerous benefits for people with and without disabilities. The main thing that I took away from this presentation and that I have agreed with for several years is that dogs are such excellent companions because they provide unconditional love, support, and never pass judgment. I agreed with Renee when she talked about the thorough process they go through for accepting dogs into the program even when it means having to turn someone away. I admit that for me it would be very difficult to say “no thank you” to someone who wanted to put their time and effort into such a great cause, however if the dog is not able to adapt to high stress situations or is not properly trained, this could put the patient or client at risk. I also enjoyed the powerful story that Renee told where there was one incident that she felt that she did not protect her dog well enough and she vowed to never let that happen again. This just shows are strong the bond is between an owner and their dog. This bond then translates to whomever the dog is working with and really allows for the patient or client to make a connection to that particular dog. The other story she shared about her dog’s neck being grabbed by an individual with special needs and how the dog did not attack also proved the strong trust between her and Renee. Even though it was a high stress situation the dog trusted Renee so much that she did not lose control. What really surprised me and something I had never heard of before was using therapy dogs for kids that have trouble reading. This makes sense because calm dogs like Gus who just sit next to a child pass no judgment, do not get irritated or frustrated, and do not intimidate can really allow a child to practice reading in a non stressful environment. I was shocked when they shared that the kids who used this program improved their reading skills so much that they were reading at several higher grade levels in one semester. Finally the last thing that really struck me was when I was looking at the pictures and one stood out among the rest. It was a picture of a woman in a hospital bed with a dog lying right beside her. This reminded me of when we brought our dog, Petunia, to see my grandma while she spent the few last weeks of her life in a hospice home. When she saw Petunia her eyes lit up more than they had in weeks and this was the only day where she seemed like old self again. I truly believe that Petunia was the reason for her brief turn around.
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