Dr. Jenny

It's already time to start another year of therapy work and I haven't even gotten around to telling any of Jenny's therapy dog stories.

When I had been looking into therapy dog work I had seen an interesting organization called "Coach Dog".  The dogs went to elementary schools and worked with children.  This seemed like something Jenny would like because she really loved children and was completely at ease with them. It stayed in the back of my mind until one night when an announcement was made at a Humane Society meeting that they (Coach Dog) were interested in therapy teams to go to local schools.

Jenny was certified through Therapy Dogs Inc. and we went to the Humane Society of the Treasure Coast to see if we could get involved with the Paws to Read program.  That program is usually in libraries and Boys & Girls Clubs.  A dog patiently listens while a child reads to them.  It's less intimidating to read to a dog and some dogs seem to enjoy it.  I'm not sure Jenny would like it because she is a talker herself and she can get kind of squirmey.  She always has a lot to say and sometimes she can be a little too noisy for the library!   Somehow we never connected on that program.  There were plenty of nursing home opportunities but the children's programs through the humane society were more difficult to get into.  The Coach Dog program seemed to be right up our alley anyway so I made contact and very soon after Jenny was a wonderful Coach Dog. We also have our own gig at an alzhiemers unit.

Our first meeting was with the man himself - Coach!

Here he is - very handsome - and always properly attired:

We love Coach!!!

Lizard Swimming

Here's Jenny swimming with her lizard, who, sorry to say, is no longer with us.  She kept him in her mouth while she did at least ten laps in the pool.

A Dog-Gone Art Show

This is just FYI - Both of these paintings were entered into a local show called "A Dog-Gone Art Show" at the Lighthouse ArtCenter (formerly known as the Lighthouse Center for the Arts) in Tequesta, FL, but only one was accepted - the oil painting of Jenny - called "Let's Play Ball"

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The pastel of Jintsy should have been accepted too because it really says "Old Faithful", which is the title, doesn't it? She's our 16 yr. old beagle and the back legs are always a little bent. She sort of leans on one leg and lets the other one fall against the other.  She was always a yoga dog, so maybe this is tree pose.  Maybe it doesn't look right to anyone else but me.

Couldn't get one of Tangie finished in time, but it probably wouldn't have been accepted anyway.  There's only so much room is what they tell you. How nice of them to spare our feelings.

Move Over Jenny

As usual I've procrastinated and not been keeping up to date on Jenny's blog!

I'm not even sure where I left off because as usual life is unpredictable and we've taken a new dog into our lives - yes, in spite of the fact that we have Jenny, the perfect dog, living here!


Our old beagle was going through a hard time - seeming to be nearing the end of her very long and fairly fun filled life and I started feeling sentimental about losing her and thinking Jenny would want some company.  I started looking at adoptable dogs - bad idea.  There was a wonderful springer that was on the small side and I thought I'd be able to handle the two springers, although a smaller dog would be better.  The dog was spoken for and my search changed to a smaller breed, another English Cocker would be great!

Well, Jintsy, our old beagle is still here and so is Tangia, we call her Tangie or sometimes Tangelina!  We're back to having a little pack and Tangie's story is truly a rescue story.

Cute - isn't she?  She likes to lunge and bite men! She's a fear biter.  Tangie got into big trouble when she was "rescued".  Poor dog didn't really understand she was being rescued.  She was just trying to stay alive and the best thing she knew was to go on the offense.

The first time I saw her picture on Facebook she reminded me of Mini - our little Diva Dog, who was an English Cocker.  The same sweet girl that we had lost last April.  So, I couldn't help myself and made an inquiry.  She was at the Miami Shelter and they responded with an email that she was no longer in the shelter but we could adopt another dog. Since we liked English Cockers, and the smaller size would be easier to handle, I filled out an adoption form on the english cocker rescue site.  Shortly after they contacted me and said there was a little girl that they just took in from Miami that we might be interested in named Tangia.  This was the same dog that was in the Miami shelter, I couldn't believe I found her!  So of course my answer was yes, we're interested!  They said they'd get back to me.  A couple of days went by and I received an email saying that Tangie had bit the foster people, the husband actually, and that they couldn't adopt Tangie out.

I thought they must be mistaken, how sweet she looked and all reports were that she was sweet and even good with other animals.  No, they weren't mistaken, as we would find out.  Some time went by and one night the phone rang and it was the head of the rescue group.  She explained what had happened.  Tangie had first been picked up by the mother of the foster parent. Tangie was fine - very sweet, but when the woman's husband came home Tangie was lunging and biting his pant legs and shoes.  That night they moved her to the actual foster home and Tangie was out in the yard and seemed fine but when she came in the house she lunged and nipped the husband's knee.  Then she was growling and biting her cage.  They couldn't get her under control and had to bring her back to the vet.  They actually considered or maybe tried to get animal control to get her and have her put down that week end!  When the vet received her back and the orders were given to put her to sleep, he asked if they couldn't give her another chance.  He thought she was sweet and with the right person would be a good dog. Hence the phone call.  Since I had expressed an interest in her, was I willing to actually save her?  The adoption would be outside of the rescue group.  The general consensus was that she was a fearful dog, a fear biter. It would require a lot of work to change her behavior.

So, for the third time Tangie was calling out to me - how could I not save her?  Of course I talked to my husband, explaining that she seemed to be especially fearful of men, but he felt the same way - she needed saving.

Off I went to Hollywood, FL to pick up Tangia!  Since they said she was afraid of cages, I didn't put a wire crate in the car but instead put up a bar barricade behind the front seats of my Ford Escape. It's a two hour drive to Hollywood from Hobe Sound and was uneventful.  The vet's office was right off the highway and easy to find.  Everyone there was very nice and they brought Tangie out as if she was mine all along - and we all said Tangie - are you ready to go home? ..... and she was!!!!  She jumped into the back and was happily squirming around, so I just hopped back on the highway and we were headed home.  My first surprise was that she had a tail! (A very pretty tail!)  My second surprise was that she continued squirming back there until she wiggled her way through the bars and up to the front passenger seat.  She leaned over and gave me some kisses and laid her head on my shoulder as if to say thanks for taking me home! Then she settled in and slept in the passenger seat all the way home.