A Reward Far Greater

I've been meaning to start this blog for a while now.  Finding the time to do it has been the tough part.  But I think just taking that first step is always the hardest part.  My intention is to be very regular about posting here.  So I am going to do my darndest to stay true to that intention.

I feel very fortunate to do what I do - work with dogs and people.  I am fascinated by dogs and how they think and learn.  But I am also very interested in people.  So it works out well for me - especially since us homo sapiens aren't all that different than our canine pals in how we learn and in what motivates us.  But one of the best parts of what I do is watching clients start to really see the things their dogs are capable of learning and doing.  And to not only see it, but be thrilled by it.  Success breeds success.  Especially when it comes to dog training.  This is actually true with all types of learning - dog or otherwise.  But that's another post...

I have worked on and off for a few years now with a client named Sallie McWilliams.  She is a lovely woman who has a genuine, kind, infectiously fun type of personality.  I originally met her when she enrolled her Weimaraner, Eli, in my No Jump class.  She then took the Basic Family Dog Manners class.  Sallie and Eli had fun but also worked hard together and 'graduated' the class.  She then brought him through my Better Family Dog Manners class.  This one wasn't easy but, again, they proved to be a great team and were able to get their AKC Canine Good Citizen Certification.  The AKC's CGC test is given on the last class session.  Sallie also worked with me one on one from time to time to fine tune some of Eli's behavior.  

Her goal, all along, was to hopefully one day have Eli certified as a Therapy Dog.  This means that she and Eli would be able to go as a team and visit, specifically, places like nursing homes and children's hospitals.  Sallie, you see, works in the health care field.  And she knows the amazing effect getting to interact with a dog can have on a sick child or a withdrawn elderly person.  It is sometimes miraculous.   I have seen it firsthand.  Sometimes the unconditional loving nature of a canine can bring out things us humans cannot.  In my humble opinion, dogs are the living embodiment of unconditional love so it makes complete sense.  And it is an incredibly beautiful and heartwarming thing to see.  

There was another reason, by the way, that Sallie felt so strongly that Eli would make a great therapy dog.  I'll let her words take it from here in a piece she recently wrote for the Weimaraner Rescue of the South Newsletter.  What follows is one of the best parts about what I do.  I feel so privileged that I got to play even a small role in helping Sallie and Eli.

It has been said that dogs don’t hold grudges against humanity, but become people’s most enduring friends, and are the masters of forgiveness.

Eli was a 3 year old Weimaraner that was found wandering in a small town in Mississippi. He was then taken to a kill shelter that contacted Weimaraner Rescue of the South. Meggan and Chris Reisch went to pick him up and have him checked out by the veterinarian only to find out he was heartworm positive. Meggan nursed him through the heartworm treatment and he was posted on the website for almost a year with only one inquiry on him that never followed up. Meggan's house was then hit by Hurricane Katrina and after 4 days of no electricity and the amazing sweltering Mississippi heat, Eli was then transported to Memphis to another foster home. 

My husband and I had recently lost our dog of many years and decided to start looking for another dog. I was on the WRS when I saw the most magnificent Weimaraner head I had ever seen. When I clicked on the image there was Eli sitting in front of some beautiful flowers in a garden looking very stoic. As I examined the picture and read the story, it described what a good boy he was and could get into his  bed on his own even though he was “missing a leg”. As I took a second look, the description was correct, he was missing his right front leg. After much discussion and consideration we made the trip to Memphis where Eli became a member of our family.

It was very apparent early on, he was very sweet, obedient, and always seemed to have a smile on his face. I had always wanted to do animal therapy and decided he would be a great therapy dog.

I then enrolled and completed a no jump class (his only bad habit), obedience 101, and obtained his Canine Good Citizenship Certificate. Eli then passed the screening and we officially had made it into the Therapy ARC/Delta training program.

After 2 eight hour Saturdays going over Delta policies and procedures without your pet partner, we then started 4 one hour sessions with our pet partners discussing different clinical situations, most importantly how to keep your animal safe during visits and what would be required to pass the Delta examination.

The morning of our examination I was a wreck. As usual, Eli just seemed to take it all in stride, and instead of me trying to reassure him, he was reassuring me! The test is an extensive two part test that consists of 21 different commands and situations. As we completed the second portion of the test the evaluator looked at me and said “Congratulations, you and Eli have passed.” I had to fight back the tears for both of us but mainly Eli. The 3 year old weimaraner, that came from a kill shelter, was heartworm positive, missing his right front  leg, survived Hurricane Katrina, and appeared as though he might not get a forever home  was now a registered Delta Pet Partner!!!

We currently are going to Vanderbilt Children’s Hospital to a Pediatric Infusion Clinic. I thought this was where we were meant to be and pursued the opportunity. When I have the privilege of putting his Delta vest on and our ID badges, you can see that he knows what he is about to do. The children in this clinic are very sick, but after our first visit, it confirmed why we go. One little girl undergoing treatment, who had already lost her hair, with amazing big brown eyes danced for Eli, shared her Sponge Bob Square Pants socks with him, and then blew him a kiss. You see she was unable to touch him because of her isolation but was elated at his visit. Eli then got on his back and wiggled around with his feet in the air as she giggled at him and said he made her happy.

Eli is such a blessing to us and everyone who has had the opportunity to meet him. He has endured so much in his lifetime and continues to teach me life lessons every day. He also proves to us that dogs don’t hold grudges and do become our most enduring friends and are masters of forgiveness.

Thank you Weimaraner Rescue of the South for all you do! A special thanks to Meggan and Chris Reisch, Vanessa Brown, Allison Williams, Kat Martin, Ken Walker, Mindy Whitley, Debbie Glover for doing the photos, Sara Reynolds, and the Volunteer Services of Vanderbilt Childrens Hospital.

Sallie and Eli at Vanderbilt Children's Hospital

 

My thanks to Sallie for sharing her journey with me and agreeing to let me share it with you.  And thank you, also, to Sallie, Eli, and all the other people and their pups who allow me to share in your journeys.  It is an honor and a privilege.