The Lifeguard

While I was sunning myself on the beach, I deftly watched the lifeguard on duty.

What an important job, I thought. As the title suggests, lifeguards literally guard our lives while we swim and frolic on the beach.

I decided to study the lifeguard and see how I could apply some of his skills to my pet therapy work.

Just the presence of the lifeguard seemed to make people feel safe and at ease.

Since I am a small dog, maybe I’ll have to make sure to bounce around a bit more (if that is even possible – many of you know I am a bouncy dog to begin with) at my pet therapy visits to make sure all the patients know I am there if they need me to help with their healing.

And fashion is crucial too. All the guards wore red with a safety symbol on their shirts.

I have to remember to proudly wear my pet therapy ID badge and uniform so that patients know I am official and have taken the proper courses to prepare myself for the job.

Most of all. I took notice of the lifeguard’s smile.

People were walking up to him asking questions and just saying hello.

Like the lifeguard, being approachable is a central part of my job too.

I have to remember that even when I am tired, other people are relying on my bark and grin to make them feel better.

Dirt Bed

When you are out in the middle of nature you have to roll with the punches.

Literally!

Check out this video of me making my own ad hoc dirt bed.

If nothing else, I am one resourceful puppy!

Nature's Agility Course

As some of you know, I am taking agility classes.

Every week I dutifully practice and do my homework like a good little doggie.

In addition to my usual studying routine, this weekend I took part in some experiential learning outside of the classroom as they say.

To celebrate my parent’s anniversary, we went on an adventure trip to the Adirondacks.

We packed up our hiking bags and spent most of our time exploring different trails and soaking in all that nature has to offer.

Every turn there was a branch to jump over, stream to cross, or a rock wall to scale.

The fun was endless!

On the trails we encountered some other dogs, but most of them were of the stocky, large breeds.

When we passed some of our fellow hikers, they all seemed so worried about me because I was a “little” dog.

As you can see from the pictures, I can jump and climb with the best of ‘em!

Don’t let my pretty little pink bow fool you! I am an agility fanatic!

Duck Patrol

Quack! Quack!

That sound always gets me going!

For some reason the ducks always swim away when I jump in the bay to say hello.

What could they be afraid of?

They probably weight more than I do, even when I am soaking wet!

Nonetheless, I keep trying to make new friends and I’ve noticed that each time I jump in the water, the ducks let me get a little closer.

Maybe they want to build a bond of trust before they make the plunge to friendship.

It might take a while to meet one of the ducks face to face (or should I say beak to dog nose), but I am willing to wait and put in the time.

Until that day arrives, I remain faithfully on duck patrol.

Hope

I wish I could record people’s reactions when I enter a room.

My mom tells me that oftentimes patients and staff members will stop what they are doing and smile in my direction.

Usually the smile leads to a pet or a belly rub which leads to a conversation. It is like a chain reaction of fun!

Sometimes, however, patients cry.

At first that made me nervous as I thought I was doing a bad job by making patients cry. Maybe I needed to brush up on some of my pet therapy skills!

But as I helped to wipe away the tears I learned that the tears were a good sign as they were a release of pain and suffering.

As one patient told me while she was sobbing, I was a sign of “hope for a better day.”

Just Clammin' Around

When it comes to taking pictures, some might say I am a ham, but as you can see from the picture I look more like a clam!

Joking aside, you can check out this web site:

reclamthebay.org

to learn more about how our ecosystem functions and how we can help keep it happy, healthy and clean!

Even the clams need a helping hand!

My Dad Is A Hero

On Saturday my family and I attended a pet rescue fair.

If you could have seen those wagging tails and heard their jovial barks, your heart would have melted.

I am proud to say, one of my family members is a pet rescuer. Just last week my dad courageously saved a dog’s life.

Driving home from work, my dad spotted a dog in the middle of a very busy road. As my dad explains, the dog was so big it appeared that it was trying to play with the cars like toys as they sped by.

But my dad knew if the dog played long enough the game would not end well.

So my dad jumped out of his car and tried to call the dog to him.

The dog was a friendly guy and merrily trotted (yes trotted – this dog looked like a horse) over to my dad.

To contextualize the size of the dog, my dad is used to dealing with small dogs as I weigh 12 pounds, and this dog weighed in near 160! When the dog stood on his hind legs he was taller that my 6’3” dad!

With enthusiasm, the dog jumped into my dad’s car. The dog was so carefree and you could tell by his happy disposition that he really didn’t understand that he was in grave danger.

In the end, my dad brought the dog to safety and by doing so saved his life.

To put yourself on the line and rescue someone is one of the most selfless acts. Sometimes it only takes a few minutes to offer assistance to someone in need. What feels like a few minutes to you can make all the difference in the world for someone else.

Thanks dad for making the world a better place, I love you, my hero.