Testimonials
Canine helpersBY MARDI SUHS
CADILLAC NEWS CADILLAC -
5/11/2010
Marley is a big, black Labrador with a sweet, lovable face - a gentle dog that’s used to being the center of attention.Once a week, Marley volunteers at Franklin School.She cuddles up to children and listens while they read to her out loud."I love it when Marley comes," said Tony Isch, a student in Jason Kanouse’s class. "I’ve never really pet a dog in school. I like reading to Marley."Franklin principal Joy Beth Hicks agreed that Marley is a welcome addition to the school."This has been very positive for the classroom," she said. "The students have progressed because it builds self esteem. It’s awesome to observe."Marley is just one of at least 12 certified therapy dogs in the area who volunteer to comfort hospital patients, visit nursing homes and listen while children read in schools and libraries.The dogs and their handlers are qualified through rigorous standards established by Therapy Dogs International. And most of them learn their skills from Rob Rogers of Magnum Kennels in Manton.
Rogers, who has been training dogs for 34 years, started training therapy dogs six years ago at the request of one of his clients.Sarah Elenbaas met Rogers five years ago when she was visiting her older brother Dan in the hospital. She was sitting at his bedside when Rogers walked in with a big, lovable black Labrador."I was 8 years old, and I had never seen such a thing," Sarah recalled. "I thought it was just amazing that he could have such a well-trained dog. I thought it would be really cool to have a dog like that."Cuddling with a calm, obedient dog struck a nerve with Sarah. She had a huge dog named Chewie at home that outweighed her by at least 40 pounds. After meeting Rogers, she signed up Chewie for obedience classes.Since then the 13-year-old has trained three dogs and certified her golden retriever, Dodger, as a therapy dog.Sarah and Dodger visit nursing homes, and last summer they volunteered in the Cadillac Library program called Tail Waggin’ Tutors."It was amazing to see the kids improve," she said. "They loved being able to read to the dog. They know that the dog won’t laugh at them when they make a mistake. I think it’s calming."Sharing her dog doesn’t just benefit others. Her mom, Donna Elenbaas, said that learning to become responsible for her dogs has helped Sarah learn patience and maturity. Sarah is also a member of the 4-H club Canine Crews, headed up by Rogers with the help of Judy Schneider, owner of Marley, the Franklin School dog.Schneider, a Consumer’s Energy retiree, had farm dogs as a child and wanted to learn how to train her Labrador. She saw an ad for one of Rogers’ classes and signed up."I was so impressed that first night. Here were 15 dogs in the room going crazy, and Rob’s dog was in the middle just lying there. I said to myself - I want a dog like that."Schneider said all she wanted was a dog that would sit, come, stay and heel.Now her dog Marley has surpassed those basic commands and is a certified therapy dog, a Companion Dog Excellent, has a Working Certificate and is progressing toward a Junior Hunt title."Marley has been a therapy dog for more than two years now," Schneider explained. "We visit nursing homes, but I thought the reading program would be interesting. The kids are progressing, and they also learn how to treat the dog. I enjoy being with the kids. And everybody seems to love Marley."Rogers encourages people in his dog obedience classes to consider advanced training to certify their pets as therapy dogs."We need more team members," he said. "We have two ladies right now working at the school in Manton, but we need more teams to do more work in a lot of places. You can only work the dog so much. Two hours is the longest we can do a visit, and not more than two times a week."Rogers is hooked on the rewards of sharing his dogs to help others."When we go up to the hospital, the staff and the doctors just love the dogs. The doctors get on the floor and play with them. They’ve been stressed all day. And the kids love to hug the dogs. In the reading program, they show the dog the book, and it’s a fun environment. Kids want to be hands on.
What is a Therapy Dog?A therapy dog is one with an outstanding temperament, a dog that tolerates other animals, wants to visit with people and loves children. There are about 21,000 dog/handler teams registered with the Therapy Dogs International. To qualify, dogs must be tested and evaluated by a certified TDI Evaluator.Cadillac Wexford Public Library offers tutoring program with dogs:Tail Waggin’ Tutors is a program that encourages children to read to trained therapy dogs to improve their reading skills. There are certified dogs ready and willing to participate - children are needed.
