Is there a therapist in the house?

Proudly wearing my TDI scarf

Well, it wasn't a full 8-hour day, but I put in my first shift in as a therapy dog at Sarah Todd Memorial Home yesterday. I had a really nice time chatting with the all the staff and residents while letting them pet me. I have a feeling that this gig might end up being as therapeutic for me as it is the residents! In addition to being fun, another perk is that my hours of volunteering will count towards earning my Dog Scout Community Service and Therapy Dog badges.

Community Service and Therapy Dog DSA Badges

Having M&D accompany me to orientation was a little embarrassing, but rules dictate that I must have a human attached to the other end of my leash when visiting. I did find the part when M&D had to demonstrate proper hand washing procedures kind of humorous. They passed with flying colors unlike Roger who recently flunked his Therapy Dog International (TDI) test.

TDI Flunky and Proud of It

While never expecting perfection, M&D always encourage us to do our best. It doesn't matter if we finish last in a race so long as we put our best paw forward. What really upset Mom about Roger bombing the down/stay portion of the test is that he didn't even try. He sat there like a bump on a log — never once  budging when Mom gave him both the verbal and hand signal cue to lie down (not once, not twice, but at least 25 times). Oh well. Maybe in a future test he won't be such a stubborn little bully. Yeah right! That will be the day when bat pig-dogs fly.

The Gift of Giving

Today was a good day! In addition to it being Martin Luther King Jr. Day, this morning for breakfast we polished off the last of the latest 30 lb. bag of Taste of the Wild which means the opening of a fresh bag and a pre-dinner crunchy scramble. Yee-ha! I knew that Dad would have something special planned for us on this historical day. He is so good at coordinating fun activities for us that I think his next job might be as an activities director at a nursing home -- except he's not looking for one!

Newman demonstrates how to properly empty a bag a food

While we are on the subject of nursing homes and in the spirit of MLK Day, Roger fulfilled an hour and half of community service yesterday by spreading cheer at a local nursing home. 

Roger takes a break from visiting Manor Care residents

I think it's great that MLK Day reminds people that community service is important, but community service is important every day of the year. Since day one, M&D have stressed the value of providing community service.

For instance, as part of Dog Scout Troop 161, I helped ring the bell for the Salvation Army and we brought in a record $1,138.32. See post 'Tis the Season for Sharing.

Erinne turns her dad into a snowman

Thelma Lou made her second debut as Buckley Beaver at the ACNB bank in Newville last weekend for Kids Day. One of the activities was for kids to dress their humans up as snowman by wrapping them in toilet paper and adding snowman-like gear (gloves, hats, etc.), so Mom thought it would be fun to dress Thelma Lou up as a "snow-dog."

Thelma Lou as Frosty Paws the Snow Pup

I hope that you do something good for someone today and every day! In the words of Edmund Burke, "Nobody made a greater mistake than he who did nothing because he could only do a little."