KANGA KANGA KANGA!!!! The Wonder Dog!!! READ ALL ABOUT IT! *******************THERAPY DOGS ROCK!!!****************************************

My dog Kanga is not only the best friend I have ever had and the container I keep my heart in, she is also a certified therapy dog. Together we go to hospitals, day care centers, nursing homes and special events. One of the main purposes of a therapy dog is to bring cheer and smiles to people. Therapy dogs also help children learn how to read. Sounds crazy, but true! A therapy dog can assist a child who is shy about reading in front of someone, because maybe they studder, or any number of other reasons, by sitting quietly beside them with their human partner. The dog is trained to sit patiently as the child reads to them. It's a non-judgemental atmosphere and has helped many children overcome their fear of reading outloud. Laura Bush was involved in bringing this form of learning to read to the public eye.

To be a therapy dog team with your best friend you take a weekend course and then you bring your dog to be tested. They test for basic obedience, how you interact with your dog, And how your dog reacts to various stimuli, such as wheelchairs, people pulling on his ears, lound clanky noises, someone yelling, to name a few. They want to see if your pet acts aggressively to these things. You can also be a therapy team with a cat, bunny, kangaroo, even pony! Each test is tailored to each species. It does cost money though. I paid about $400 for course, test, uniform for me, vest for my dog and yearly dues. Each state will probably vary. Next time I have to re-test I am going to try to find a business to sponsor us. In exchange make a nice sign they can put out that says something like " Horrible Harry's Hog's are the proud sponsors of Neena and Kanga, animal therapy team". Then a have little spiel such as this one that tells what we do. Just an idea for those of you who want to try it. And I sincerely recommend it. Of all the volunteer jobs I have had, this one is by the far the best. I even enjoy it more than many activities. I would almost rather go do a therapy dog isit with Kanga then go to Disneyland. Almost. I haven't been since I was underage, I forgot what it's like.