GOOD NEWS!

I am sooo excited !!

I was offered yesterday to bring Harly to a Nursing home for 5 Dimentia patients to socialise him. The owners replyed to an advertisment I posted and spoke for quite some time with them. They had been only talking very recently about getting another little puppy..but wasnt really keen on going thru all that "puppy" stuff...hehehe then I came along with my invite and when we return from our Alaska Trip we will go and visit with them . She also offered to give me other contacts. Her and her husband have been nurses for almost 20 years . God is sooo GOOD ! His timing is always perfect !!!

ALso..... starting from today we are going to use a new email address. please add this one :

harly7@gmail.com

Pray your week is a blessed one...will post again once we get home 31st August..and the BIG day is September 1st...we go get HARLY !! YAYY !!

Blessings friends !

HAVANESE ABC !!

This ABC is really cute....and thought I would share it with you all...ENJOY !!

Remembering your ABC's,
Is easy if you're Havanese;
Forget the Apple, Boat and Car
Just tell the whole world who you are.
When "What's a Havanese?" they quiz;
A to Z, The answer is.....


Amusing, Bouncy, Cuddly, Devoted, Endearing, Fun, Gentle, Happy,
Intelligent, Joyful, Kind, Loving, Mischievous, Nimble,
Outgoing, Playful, Quiet, Rare, Sweet, Tiny, Unique,
Vibrant, Winsome, Xtraordinary, Young-at-heart, Zesty.!!

Dogster..A Forum for Therapy Dogs

Good morning friends !

I discovered this wonderful site...a forum to discuss issues referring to Therapy Dogs...found some great sites...read some good advice from others who already are using thier dogs as Therapy Dogs. This is a great way to learn from others...and also from authors of training books..anything at this stage is very helpful. I will weed thru and take what I think is useful for now and save these sites on my computer..for future reference ! :)

here is the link to Harlys profile :)



And this one is a link to a really neat article, titled "Healing,Recovery and Love" ... all things that make Therapy Dogs soo special :)


Feel free to leave comments..I really enjoy your feedback.

Have a great day...

Blessings!

Training a Therapy Dog....

I was reading some really interesting information online today...about a few things to do before registering a dog as a Therapy Dog...here is a few good pointers...

Help Your Dog Get Ready for Therapy Work

How Can I Help My Dog Become A Good Visitor?

A good basic obedience class is a good start but it is not enough. Your dog needs to feel comfortable amidst unfamiliar sights and sounds. A dropping bed pan or the slam of a door should elicit no more than casual curiosity from your dog. If your dog has good potential as a therapy dog it is possible to help your dog get ready by building your dog's confidence and trust in you.

Take Your Dog Into a Variety of Situations

Before you commit your time and ego to a formal evaluation you can enhance your dog's natural skills. Essentially this means building your dog's trust and confidence. You can commit yourself to taking your dog to a wide variety of environments and situations. I ask my dog to walk on a wobbly board, to sit on a grate, to climb bleachers or stadium stairs (because they are so open). The important thing is that the dog learns to trust my judgment. Go to a shopping area and walk around pushing a noisy shopping cart. Stand where people pushing carts will pass you. Your dog's trust in you is, perhaps, the most important factor for a safe enjoyable experience.

One of my favorite places to train is at the farmer's market. It is outdoors and very very busy. Unlike the local park, the dogs we come across are always on leash so it makes for good practice. Also people tend not to ask before petting the dog, and it is often so crowded that passing people brush up against the dog. If your dog would have any problems in this situation, then your dog is not ready for visiting
There are classes designed to help introduce your dog to the unusual sights, sounds and smells encountered during therapy dog visits. Some books and other publications provide training guidelines. One popular book is Therapy Dogs: Training Your Dog To Reach Others
by: Kathy Diamond Davis, another is Pets In Therapy edited by Margaret N. Abdill and Denise Juppe. If you are a professional counselor or therapist planning on including pets are part of your theraputic program a more appropriate book is Handbook On Animal-Assisted Therapy
by Aubrey H. Fine (Editor). Joining a group helps provide impartial and personal guidance and evaluation.

I have already purchased and read most of Kathy Diamond Davis's book, "Therapy Dogs: Training your dog to reach others" ..a really wonderful informative book...one i will definitely be putting into practise, and an added bonus...she is a Christian.. God is awesome how He directs to you the right people for the right information .. *GRINS*

Have a blessed day...

...countdown to Sept 1st !

WOW! What an awesome last week I have had....was away at a special camp for Foster Kids ..working to ensure they had a very JOYOUS and FUN time ! GOd was sooo awesome there...lots of JOY and UNITY all thru out the whole camp..24/7. !!

I arrived home on Friday...and Saturday we went to visit our little Harly. We are both so smitten and in love with this little guy. He is soo sweet..cuddly..and fur like soft silk. He cuddled right into my chest and there he stayed for next 45 minutes. We had a really neat chat with the Breeder ( Bryan) . He is very nice and always full of wonderful advice..sharing all his expertise in raising and breeding Havanese Dogs.

We then went shopping on Monday to get our home puppy ready *wink*. that was great FUN !

I took my manual on raising/training a Havanese with me on camp and read thru it all.. I learnt many wonderful things...like what to feed him..and not...how to potty train with little/no accidents...(I will add a few posts in next few days on what I have been reading ..soo keep your eyes peeled ! :)

We are just soo excited to see God opening new doors for this ministry..and the peopel He is placing in our lives....lady who we just ordered his " Therapy Dog in Training " vest...she is local to Portland..and was so sweet in sharing her experiences with Training Therapy Dogs..and confirmed the lady we have chosen is the best around for obedience classes :)

I posted on Craigslist about searching for a good reputable Vet..when this lovely young lady emailed me and responded she has a great one...for her Havanese...even tho she lives about 1 hour from us...we have now been emailing each other for about a week now..her little "Bandit" is only 14 weeks old..we are going to stay in touch ..and hopefully meet up and let our little boys to have play time together.... maybe even start a little "havanese club"..all in Gods hands...in His timing :)

So many wonderful things happening and everything all coming together so nicely.
Gods so FAITHFUL !

September 1st is our pick up date of HARLY !! YAY!!
Have a great blessed week ...