by Jan Reisen Published on American Kennel Club website: July 31, 2019 Dogs have been aiding and working with humans since ancient times, in everything from farming to hunting to protection and more. Service dogs, emotional support animals, and therapy dogs all fulfill important roles in their aid to humans, but the terms are not…
Dolores (better known as Kelly) Wolff and her Shih Tzu, Miss Daisy, have been part of the Nor’wester Therapy Dog organization for the past eleven years. Kelly learned about our canine assisted learning program from another therapy dog handler while volunteering at Abington Hospital. Because Miss Daisy loves children so much, Kelly decided to join…
One of the most frequent questions we get is from owners who want to know how they can get their dog certified to work as a registered therapy dog. We have learned over the years that the most important thing is a well socialized dog. Proper socialization creates a relaxed, confident, well-adjusted, and happy canine,…
Sue Oakes of Oakes K9 Training and Kathy Gardosh are both evaluators who are certified to do the AKC Canine Good Citizen and the Bright & Beautiful Therapy Dogs tests. Sue has over 30 years of experience training dogs and specializes in canine behavioral cases. She is a former certified animal control officer and a…
Our volunteers were invited to our annual Appreciation Breakfast to express the organization’s gratitude for their commitment to our therapy dog program. This year we held the celebration at Corner Bakery Café in Newtown, PA. During the gathering we present annual certificates of service and do special recognition for five and ten year honorees. We…
Casey’s Journey to Becoming a Registered Therapy Dog When I adopted Casey, I had no idea what to expect or how to train a blind dog. I had no idea that a dog born without eyes could run circles around sighted dogs. . . literally! Being a Border Collie with natural herding instincts, Casey always…
How It All Began A number of years ago when I was visiting my mother, she handed me a brochure about a dog therapy program. As soon as my mother saw it, she knew it would be something that would interest me. Since the brochure was about a program in a hospital, I started investigating…
Three years ago my life changed when my dog Colette and I joined Nor’wester Therapy Dogs. We were assigned to a third-grade classroom at Thomas Fitzwater Elementary School in the Upper Dublin School District. My couch potato dog, a sweet Cavalier King Charles Spaniel, was now up and off the couch, and I was with…
Stephanie’s Story What Carol says is true…I always wanted therapy dogs in my classroom! I used to teach in a zoo, and I have always had pets in my classroom. I was so happy when Carol, Violet, and Tex were assigned to my class. I have always strongly believed that we can learn a lot…
Carol Van Sant joined Nor’wester Therapy Dogs in 2018 and received her first assignment for the 2018-2019 school year. Carol was partnered with Stephanie Lucci-May, a Pennsbury elementary school teacher and ardent dog lover. Carol and Stephanie met for the first time at an introductory session in Stephanie’s empty classroom. It was both Carol’s and…