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My dog's TV commercials

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Peachfaced

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That first one has to be the cutest commercial I've seen in a long time. <3
 

Tamara

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That is super awesome!! Thanks for sharing those and congrats on having a talented dog!!!
 

Ranyart

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Pennie can you share with us how/what he does when working with a patient?
Sure - Let see's - Jed is trained to voice and hand signals (some kids can't talk, others have physical limitations). Each session has 2-12 children (they have to earn their way into the program by good behavior). The session always starts with a review of the 'rules' which they kids voice themselves . Then I get up and introduce Jed and tell them he went to a 'special school' (like them) to be a therapy dog and I demonstrate each behavior (stupid pet tricks really). Then each child has a turn to come up and work with Jed. I stand behind the child and coach. That way even if the child gets the signal wrong I do it surreptitiously behind their back and Jed does it! His behaviors are oriented to the situation: He waves, shakes hands (either foot), down, sit, spin, whisper, louder, sit up pretty, balance a cookie on his nose and elsewhere and hold for the signal to take it, crawl, fly high (jump straight up into the air never touching the child (sometimes goes higher than the child is tall - big hit), bow, and some others I can't seem to think of right now.

Some kids come to pet therapy routinely and really know Jed well and these kids can take him around the gym without me, stopping every so often from their running and yelling (jed loves this) to perform a behavior. This is the part I love to watch the best because Jed instinctively knows how to behave with each individual child. For slightly fearful kids he is sedate and calm, doing the tricks the kid wants, even if the signal isn't quite right. For more vocal, active, out-there kids, Jed amps himself up and gets into too, but always with control - he never yanks on the leash no matter how fast the kid goes or how sudden the stop. He is the most intuitive dog I've ever met.

Oh I could go on and on. I've seen some true miracles performed in pet therapy. One child who was severely impaired (borderline overall functioning) whose first session of pet therapy consisted of staring at Jed's 'motivator' (a piece of Pounce cat food) for the whole hour, progressed in six months to the ability to have Jed do all his tricks - and only sound or move the kid could make was "Jeddy-aye" and a fling of his arm out to the side. To us adults watching there never seemed to be any difference in the 'command' and yet Jed performed a different trick every single time! He was connected to the kid's mind, not his body or speech. On this child's last day before going to a foster home he got in front of the group giggling to beat the band. "Jedy-aye" and Jed sat up pretty (on his haunces begging stance). He held it for quite a while during which time this child placed cat food pieces all over him - on his nose, his head, his ears, his chest -giggling loud the whole time. Then he stepped back, Jed still holding stock still, yelled "Jedy-aye" with the arm movement, and Jed jumped up, the cookies flew everywhere, and everyone in the gym broke into applause and cheering for this lovely boy. The smile on his face I will remember for the rest of my life. He went from vegetable-like to thinking up and playing a joke - all due to pet therapy. He was SO PROUD of himself that day! And that is what pet therapy is all about for me and Jed.

Okay I've probably bored you to tears by now, but you did ask LOL. It seems such a little thing for a child to smile but for the ones who cannot or do not, to see it happen is really special. I have many many more pet therapy stories - just ask.
 

Anne & Gang

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that is so totally awesome..and I admire you and your dog..wow wow wow
 

Ranyart

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Thanks Anne - but there's really nothing to admire about me - It's Jed who does it all. I've always said if he had thumbs and could drive my truck I wouldn't even have to go with him! LOL.

Here's another quickie - one boy's problems was he couldn't touch anything without gloves on - not nothing. After working with Jed (with gloves on) for a few months, one fine day we went outside to throw the ball for Jed. Kid forgot his gloves and got so into watching the other kids playing fetch when it was his turn he just reached for the ball (pretty slimy at this point too!) and threw it - multiple times. When at the end of the session I pretended to have 'just noticed' he didn't have his gloves on - he went around telling anyone who would listen that "I played with Jed and didn't have my gloves !!!!". A small thing for regular people but for someone who's struggling with it it was a big deal.

Oh somebody make me stop. I could bore you all right out of this forum!
 

Ranyart

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Fun fact about the commercials - Jed's 'wife' is really an intact male lab named Pippin! During the shoot we kept having to readjust his costumes because of 'wardrobe malfunctions'. Somebody would go "cut - I see parts!" LOL. It really was funny!
 
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