In the "old days", when I was young, without a husband, children or a house, I trained with my dog five times a week and competed on the weekends.
I still love spending time with the dogs, but my interest in competitions has decreased a lot. However, I still believe that a happy dog is a dog that gets to do some meaningful activities.
My little quirky Schipperke Cookie is, to put it mildly, on the lively side. We do hoopers and agility a couple of times a week, plus she gets her daily walks with the rest of the pack. We train tricks for housetraining. She LOVES to work, and she LOVES alone time with me.
At the same time, her plump belly has a huge need to be stroked many times during the day. She almost goes into a trance while doing so.
I am an early retiree, and although I have a well-functioning everyday life, I have also been wondering for a while about finding some meaningful volunteer work.
One day I was sitting at the computer and an advertisement for Reading Dogs popped up.
Reading Dogs are part of the Danish Foundation for Social Responsibility. The purpose of the Reading Dog is to increase children's love of reading. The philosophy is that the more you practice, the better you become at reading and the more fun it is. A dog does not correct your reading mistakes. It does not judge, but enjoys the fun of reading. As a thank you for reading aloud, the dog performs tricks. The Reading Dog typically works in schools and libraries.
I had no doubt at all that it was just the job for Cookie and I to become a reading dog team.
I submitted an online application, where I had to answer various questions about Cookie and her behavior, among other things. And then it was just a matter of waiting to be invited for a certification.
Finally, on a sunny day in September, Cookie and I drove to Middelfart Cultural Center and Library to get an assessment of whether we were suitable as a reading dog team.
We had been asked to arrive about an hour before the certification, but sweet, quick-witted Cookie had sensed that this day was something special, so she didn't leave my side for a moment, but spent the whole morning chasing me around the house or sitting on my lap and staring me straight in the eyes. I gave up on doing anything sensible with the little leech hanging around me and instead drove towards Middelfart in good time.
Once we arrived, we found ourselves in the Læsehundecafeen, where we sat down in a comfortable chair with a cup of coffee and a piece of cake. In addition to us, there were four other dogs and owners, a couple of really nice girls who were going to read to the dogs and various other people from the Foundation for Social Responsibility. A total of 17 dogs were going to be judged that day.
The dog breeds that appeared for judging were very mixed: Labrador, golden retriever, Icelandic sheepdog, bichon havanese, schapendoes and French bulldog are some of the breeds I remember.
Cookie had discovered that I had treats with me, so she was more ready to do tricks than relax. At the same time, she got to show off her nice belly to all the people who came by to say hello.
While we sat and waited, several dogs and owners came back from judging. Some were approved, some received a limited approval and others were told to come back another time. I was very excited about Cookie's judging.
Finally, it was Cookie's turn to be certified. We were shown to a behavior therapist, where Cookie had to show what tricks she could do. Then she had to show that she could do basic obedience like sit, cover, stay, call, and show that she didn't get nervous about noises like books falling off the shelf or chairs being moved around on the floor. The behavior therapist felt her through, gave her a scarf, and tested whether Cookie could remain relatively calm, even though I was out of sight. Cookie wore the Yes hat the entire time.
Finally, Carla came in and read a few chapters from a book to Cookie and me. As mentioned, Cookie is on the lively side, so I was quite excited to see if she would be able to stay relatively calm. Cookie was happy to greet Carla. At first, she had a little trouble sitting still while Carla read, but eventually she completely relaxed and rolled over on her back and just enjoyed the cozy atmosphere while Carla put a hand on her.
The behavioral therapist approved Cookie, but with some good advice that we should practice a little more calmness.
This was followed by various paperwork, where we committed to working as a Reading Dog Team for about an hour a week. Cookie got a nice "uniform" consisting of a scarf and a blanket, and I got a bag of colors, diplomas for the children who will read with Cookie and various other equipment. Of course, you also have to be able to show a clean child certificate.
Now we have all the practicalities in place. All that remains is to find a library or school to collaborate with.
Both Cookie and I are really looking forward to getting out and reading with the children and in doing so making a difference in someone's life.
About this week's blogger:
Helene is an early retiree and spends a large part of her time with her animals. The animal team consists of 4 dogs, 1 cat, 15 free-range chickens, approx. 80 aviary birds and her daughter has three axolotls. And now she and Cookie can also call themselves a reading dog team.
She loves writing short stories, poems and stories from her everyday life and enjoys reading a good Scandinavian crime novel.
In addition to Helene and all the animals, the family consists of Birger 55 years old, Thor 12 years old and Sigrid 10 years old.
Cookie has become a reading dog
In the "old days", when I was young, without a husband, children or a house, I trained with my dog five times a week and competed on the weekends.
I still love spending time with the dogs, but my interest in competitions has decreased a lot. However, I still believe that a happy dog is a dog that gets to do some meaningful activities.
My little quirky Schipperke Cookie is, to put it mildly, on the lively side. We do hoopers and agility a couple of times a week, plus she gets her daily walks with the rest of the pack. We train tricks for housetraining. She LOVES to work, and she LOVES alone time with me.
At the same time, her plump belly has a huge need to be stroked many times during the day. She almost goes into a trance while doing so.
I am an early retiree, and although I have a well-functioning everyday life, I have also been wondering for a while about finding some meaningful volunteer work.
One day I was sitting at the computer and an advertisement for Reading Dogs popped up.
Reading Dogs are part of the Danish Foundation for Social Responsibility. The purpose of the Reading Dog is to increase children's love of reading. The philosophy is that the more you practice, the better you become at reading and the more fun it is. A dog does not correct your reading mistakes. It does not judge, but enjoys the fun of reading. As a thank you for reading aloud, the dog performs tricks. The Reading Dog typically works in schools and libraries.
I had no doubt at all that it was just the job for Cookie and I to become a reading dog team.
I submitted an online application, where I had to answer various questions about Cookie and her behavior, among other things. And then it was just a matter of waiting to be invited for a certification.
Finally, on a sunny day in September, Cookie and I drove to Middelfart Cultural Center and Library to get an assessment of whether we were suitable as a reading dog team.
We had been asked to arrive about an hour before the certification, but sweet, quick-witted Cookie had sensed that this day was something special, so she didn't leave my side for a moment, but spent the whole morning chasing me around the house or sitting on my lap and staring me straight in the eyes. I gave up on doing anything sensible with the little leech hanging around me and instead drove towards Middelfart in good time.
Once we arrived, we found ourselves in the Læsehundecafeen, where we sat down in a comfortable chair with a cup of coffee and a piece of cake. In addition to us, there were four other dogs and owners, a couple of really nice girls who were going to read to the dogs and various other people from the Foundation for Social Responsibility. A total of 17 dogs were going to be judged that day.
The dog breeds that appeared for judging were very mixed: Labrador, golden retriever, Icelandic sheepdog, bichon havanese, schapendoes and French bulldog are some of the breeds I remember.
Cookie had discovered that I had treats with me, so she was more ready to do tricks than relax. At the same time, she got to show off her nice belly to all the people who came by to say hello.
While we sat and waited, several dogs and owners came back from judging. Some were approved, some received a limited approval and others were told to come back another time. I was very excited about Cookie's judging.
Finally, it was Cookie's turn to be certified. We were shown to a behavior therapist, where Cookie had to show what tricks she could do. Then she had to show that she could do basic obedience like sit, cover, stay, call, and show that she didn't get nervous about noises like books falling off the shelf or chairs being moved around on the floor. The behavior therapist felt her through, gave her a scarf, and tested whether Cookie could remain relatively calm, even though I was out of sight. Cookie wore the Yes hat the entire time.
Finally, Carla came in and read a few chapters from a book to Cookie and me. As mentioned, Cookie is on the lively side, so I was quite excited to see if she would be able to stay relatively calm. Cookie was happy to greet Carla. At first, she had a little trouble sitting still while Carla read, but eventually she completely relaxed and rolled over on her back and just enjoyed the cozy atmosphere while Carla put a hand on her.
The behavioral therapist approved Cookie, but with some good advice that we should practice a little more calmness.
This was followed by various paperwork, where we committed to working as a Reading Dog Team for about an hour a week. Cookie got a nice "uniform" consisting of a scarf and a blanket, and I got a bag of colors, diplomas for the children who will read with Cookie and various other equipment. Of course, you also have to be able to show a clean child certificate.
Now we have all the practicalities in place. All that remains is to find a library or school to collaborate with.
Both Cookie and I are really looking forward to getting out and reading with the children and in doing so making a difference in someone's life.
About this week's blogger:
Helene is an early retiree and spends a large part of her time with her animals. The animal team consists of 4 dogs, 1 cat, 15 free-range chickens, approx. 80 aviary birds and her daughter has three axolotls. And now she and Cookie can also call themselves a reading dog team.
She loves writing short stories, poems and stories from her everyday life and enjoys reading a good Scandinavian crime novel.
In addition to Helene and all the animals, the family consists of Birger 55 years old, Thor 12 years old and Sigrid 10 years old.