[nagdu] 2 dogs in one

[Sarah]

That's a volunteer thing I have always wanted to do.  My pet dog 
would be the worst therapy dog in existence.  She's scared of 
kids, wheelchairs but not oxygen tanks.  but canes, wheelchairs, 
or walkers, forget it.  She would try to run away.

 ----- Original Message -----
From: "Criminal Justice Major" <orleans24 at comcast.net
To: <Undisclosed-Recipient:;
Date sent: Tue, 18 Sep 2012 21:47:28 -0600
Subject: [nagdu] 2 dogs in one

Sent: Monday, September 17, 2012 9:37 PM
Subject: 2 dogs in one
Two Dogs in One
If you grew up in the 1960's, you may remember a TV commercial 
that advertised a mint as being, "Two, two, two mints in one." A 
good friend and colleague, Joyce Driben, has a Black 
Labrador/Golden Retriever Seeing Eye(R) dog that is two dogs in 
one because he also volunteers with her in a therapeutic 
capacity.  The setting to which they go each week is the 
Southwestern VA Center in Pittsburgh, PA.
"A reader told me that this VA Center was looking for volunteers, 
and they especially wanted someone to bring a dog in," Joyce 
replied, when I asked how she and Tutor got started there.
"Though we first visited people on the Alzheimer's unit, we then 
added physical therapy where we encouraged movement by having the 
patients pet Tutor.  Now we go everywhere in the building and 
visit whoever wants to see us," Joyce concluded.  The vets also 
enjoy giving Tutor snacks--something Joyce monitors carefully.
"When I had a guide dog," I said "I often encountered people who 
were so afraid of dogs that they insisted mine would bite.  Have 
you experienced that fear with patients?"
Joyce said that some of the residents have expressed a dislike 
for dogs, but, regarding fear, it's mostly the staff.  "One 
worker even said, 'I'm afraid of that dog'," Joyce added.
Joyce also explained the importance of sighted assistance in what 
she does.  "So that Tutor can interact more with the residents, I 
have him out of harness, so I can't expect him to guide.  Also, 
with many of the patients being in wheelchairs, things like food 
and drinks need to be lower so they can reach them, but this also 
makes it easier for dogs to get them.  Another problem is that 
some of the patients with Alzheimer's can no longer speak, so 
they motion for the dog to come
visit--something I wouldn't know on my own," Joyce explained.
"What suggestions do you have for readers who might want to do 
similar volunteering with their dogs?" I asked.
"Part of it is exploring what's available in your community since 
every community is different," Joyce responded.  Joyce also 
emphasized how friendly, calm, and good with people a dog has to 
be.  "A dog also has to be comfortable with appliances like 
canes, oxygen, and wheelchairs," she said.  "My first dog 
couldn't have done this because she was scared to death of 
wheelchairs.  The slight hissing noise an oxygen tank makes can 
also scare some dogs."
Some final points are that the dog must be clean, well groomed, 
and in good health if they are to volunteer in a hospital.
"Tutor is so loveable that-when I had to miss a few weeks--guess 
who
the patients asked about? It wasn't me," Joyce ended with a 
laugh.
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