Coming Soon: December Adventures and Winter Safety Tips

The holiday seasons bring many fun adventures for Gopher, and the dead of winter reminds us of some safety tips to keep you and your pup safe. Stay tuned.

You can also follow Gopher and our Adventures and Experiences at:
Facebook: HRH King Gopher
Twitter: Chad Burgess@HRHKingGopher

A Symbol of Support and Love, Becomes a Moment of Embarrassment

Names/conditions and other personal information from a Therapy Visit cannot be shared.


Chad Burgess, Carla Donovan-Burgess and Gopher are volunteers and do not officially represent any institution mentioned in these visits.



The experiences, conversations are true and really took place the names of persons, if given have only been changed to protect the privacy of those we visit.



Gopher decided to commit his first faux pas as a therapy dog with a family we had been visiting for about a month. This mother who we will call Rebecca is young, intelligent and proud mother of two daughters that Gopher and I have had the fortune to get to meet as well. The youngest, who I will call Sabrina, is a mere toddler, nervous and excited by everything around her at the same time. She was intimidated by Gopher at first, but it did not take long for our gentle boy to reassure him that he was a lot of fun.  Gopher is fabulous with her as he has been with all children, and shows such patience with her even when she unknowingly stands on his tail Gopher just looks up at me and then back to his tail, making it known he would like this behavior to stop. True mark of a therapy dog not to go after the offender who is making them uncomfortable, but look to the handler to make it stop.

Rebecca’s older daughter, Katherine, is being treated for cancer, and I have only had the opportunity to meet once due to her treatment schedule, but she met and loved both Gopher and his co-worker well on her visit.

Rebecca and Sabrina visit with us nearly every time we are at the facility. Little Sabrina playing, visiting with the dogs, and the humans, while Rebecca strokes the dogs and talks to their respective handlers. The conversation is always lighthearted and typically centers around the dogs, as it should giving her a much needed break from the illness that has been consuming her days.

The visits had been typical visits and Gopher performed admirably and exceedingly well every time. Then came the day where it changed, fortunately only for a moment, and I think only noted by me and anyone who might have noticed how flushed my face became. Rebecca came down one day and I did not notice anything different at first as I was keeping an eye on Gopher who was a little extra bouncy that day. We settled into the room and Rebecca and Sabrina got down on the floor to pet Gopher and the other team that was there. Rebecca removed the hood covering her head and that was when I noticed the change. She had shaved her head. An act of pure love and support for her daughter who had lost her hair in the treatment and a showing of support that she was not alone. I had witnessed this before of mothers, fathers and families of cancer patients to show support, but this was a first for Gopher. I never suspected this would be difficult, alarming or even odd to him. Then is happened, fortunately for me I was paying attention to Gopher.

As Rebecca moved the hood from her head she fortunately turned at the same time to visit with the other therapy dog so did not witness what happened next.  Gopher dropped his paw that had been up to remind people that his best therapy came from a pleasant chest rub and lifted his head up, clearly looking at something with great interest. As I, moved over attempting to discover what had drawn his interest so acutely so I could address it appropriately Gopher stood up. I started looking around attempting to see what had grabbed his attention when he told me himself, by gently sniffing the air behind Rebecca’s head and then sitting down and coking his head to one side. I was so shocked by what I had seen that I almost didn’t stop him as he went to raise his paw and nose toward her head to get a better sniff. Fortunately I diverted his attention in time. 

Gopher is pretty amazing and is calm and attentive in almost any scenario, he had seen patients he visited lose their hair before, and obviously witnessed haircuts. I am not sure what he found so odd, interesting about Rebecca’s freshly shaved head, I was just glad I was attentive enough to him that it did not manage to become an even more embarrassing situation. Flushed and embarrassed I did some tricks with Gopher and he never attempted to observe Rebecca’s haircut any more that night or on any subsequent visits. 

Goodbye…..

Over the last few weeks Gopher and I have said goodbye to a number of wonderful families who have come into our lives during visits with Gopher. It made me think about the goodbyes we have had our first year. Some were with us, only a short time and others nearly the entire year of our first visits we saw them. I cannot get over how much these families have meant to me. We always thank them for visiting with Gopher and wish them well, and their departures are bittersweet.

I cannot be happier for the families who are getting to go home, for a reprieve from the illnesses that have engulfed their lives for far too long and get an opportunity to return to normalcy. I have witnessed so much; from pain, to relief and joy. I have had been gifted with the opportunity to be in the presence of these families, met parents, grandparents, siblings, Aunts and friends.

I have taken joy in getting to see their ill or healthy child laugh for a few minutes while they petted Gopher, watched him do tricks, or helped me have him do tricks. I have seen the family and friends of an ill child sit down for a few minutes with Gopher and pet him, begin to smile and see the stress, fear and exhaustion in their faces fade for a few minutes. Sometimes we spoke and other times we let these moments pass in silence. I have seen Gopher comfort and ill child who was not having a good day, and even though the next day would be better, did not have the energy to laugh, but would sit and relax a few minutes petting Gopher. Other times it was more difficult while maintaining a caring but professional distance as they used Gophers fur to wipe away tears while hugging him. Exclamations of Gopher’s here from across a room followed by a child wearing a mask running over to him. Other times, a parent, or aunt, would just look at me and say, “I am so happy you are here today, I needed to see him.” They would sit with Gopher and just pet him, no other words being exchanged.

Other times there were bustling conversations, Gopher and I heard about their dogs, cats, birds and iguanas. Their hopes and dreams, always miraculously looking toward the future, and the possibilities, letting me see real strength, something I don’t think I would possess if the situation was reversed. I have also got to watch the wonderful staff and other volunteers who dedicate their lives or spend much more time than I do trying to make the best of bad circumstances, and am awestruck by their compassion and love and caring I have seen. I can only imagine the gratitude of the families who have gotten the opportunity to go home feel towards this wonderful staff.

The transition I have seen in the families has also been amazing and I am so happy that Gopher and I have been able to take part. Many times when I first meet a family they are somewhat apprehensive and unsure, which is to be expected, given that many of them were just living life a few short weeks, months, or days ago and were blindsided on a random day with a potentially devastating, illness, accident, or condition. Now they have to make the best of it, before they have a moment to deal with the blow. After a few weeks, they begin to relax and you can see that although they are not home, they are beginning to feel at home. Families watching others children while they run an errand or go to a treatment, or just need a nap, the community grow, and they all play their roles. Strangers not too long ago, but now friends with an irrevocable bond, it is human nature at its finest and a blessing to get to witness. Then the goodbyes, relief and joy combined with tears and sadness of leaving their new community.

I have seen many of these goodbyes, especially in the last few weeks when 6 families were finally able to take their children home again. They will never know the gifts they have given Gopher and I, nor the tears shed at their departure, the bittersweet mixture of joy and sadness. Most of them will never remember my name even and that is fine, as I am just the other end of the leash and I know they will never forget Gopher and their time with him. Few of them will never know, since they did not have the opportunity to observe him like I do the almost mystifying skills that seem innate in Gopher. Without provocation he seems to know when it is the time do tricks, play, or gently place his head in the lap of someone to let them know that he is there, that he cares. They also never see his excitement he has in going to work, sometimes crying and pacing the seat several blocks away as soon as he knows where he is going. They also will never see how he sometimes looks around the corner for them, maybe an old scent of a family who has left, or a noise hoping to get to see them again, but never upset when he doesn’t as he knows he seems to know there is more work to be done and more people to see.

The last few weeks we have watched the departure of many families, but always the continual introduction of new families, Gopher and I know that there is much more to do, and much more we will learn. I wish the departing families the best, and hope that if our paths are to ever cross again it will be under different circumstances. I also wish, despite the difficult situations that brought them into our lives, they know how much I appreciate having the opportunity to spend an hour or two a week with them, and I only hope Gopher and I were able to comfort them for even a few minutes.

Goodbye and Good Luck.

Happy Thanksgiving!!

Happy Thanksgiving, Gopher and us have much to be thankful for this year, here is just a small list, in no particular order.

Chad:
1. Gopher
2. Carla
3. The patients who let us into our lives and how they make me feel.
4. Good Health.
5. Loving friends and family.

Carla
1. Gopher and Squirrel
2. Chad
3. The patients who let us into our lives and how they make me feel.
4. Good Health.
5. Loving friends and family.

Gopher:
1. The kids I visit.
2. The scratches and kisses they give me.
3. Auntie Emily, Carla, Annie and Uncles Duck, Greg and Todd.
4. Grandma and Grandpa.
5. Mom and Dad and the times I get them all to myself without Squirrel.
and tennis balls and chuck it and post visit pancakes.

We are also thankful for all the therapy dogs and all the work they do as well as the distant cousin to the therapy dog the wonderful service dogs we have met it is a tough job.

We have truly so many things to be thankful for. Post a reply to this and let us know what you are thankful for, today and everyday.

Love,
Gopher, Chad and Carla

Final Visits: The Next Step

Over the last 10 weeks I have been in intensive training for the next area of therapy Gopher will be venturing into. He obviously needs no further training, but per the entity I signed up with I needed 24 hours of training over 8 weeks. Why all this training you might be asking yourself? No, I am not preparing nor exposing Gopher to a potentially harmful or dangerous setting. I am preparing myself and him for visiting in a person’s home, nursing facility, or assisted living environment. This might not sound too different from traditional visits, if there is such a thing as traditional visiting, but the key difference is that there is not plan to ‘fix’ or ‘treat’ their illness or infliction, only to provide them comfort in the form of pain management or with company of volunteers with or without dogs, thus is the magic of hospice. 

Gopher and I over the coming months will begin visiting first a single patient, then adding on as I see how he handles the new therapy that he will be delivering. There will be the inevitable end point, some patients we will get to know quite well while others we may only see once or twice. Death and dying is such an odd and often taboo subject in our society, so it will be very interesting for me to see the different cultures and persons and how they handle their own mortality.

My biggest concern is how Gopher will handle this type of therapy. He is very adept at his job as it is now, often whimpering and crying as we approach one of the facilities we visit. In an earlier entry, Trust the Dog, I noted that he may be among those animals whose acute sense of smell or other device allowed him to be among those animals that have been noted to sense death is coming. How will he react if/when this is a constant state of being? Will he stay by and comfort as he seemed to do with the child, or will he tuck tail and leave the room as other well trained therapy dogs have been known to do when attempting to do hospice work? Only time will tell and I am looking forward to the new adventure, and seeing how Gopher performs, and the joy he may bring to not only the person dying, but their family and friends who are preparing to lose a loved one as well.

Personally as the handler in all of this I have no fear or nervousness about how I am going to handle the situations. Growing up in a small town where the primary income of the family business was based in funerals has not made me callous towards death, but has made me realistic, understand death as best as anyone living can, and not fearful of dying. I am also excited to become part of such a wonderful program. I have lost three grandparents in my adult life, 2 were in nursing/24 hour care facilities, and one was at home under hospice care. Due to those experiences I was turned off by the thought of 24 hours of training at first, but decided to give it a shot, and am wholly impressed and in awe of the program established here. They seem to truly get what hospice is, and treat it with respect, dignity and joy in their work of providing comfort to those who are dying. They do not shy away from death, or show any hesitancy but embrace the concept in providing one with as much dignity and independence as is possible when dying. They even hold an annual remembrance ceremony for families, volunteers and staff, not a memorial, but truly a celebration of life which I had the privilege of attending. I just hope I am able to live up to the dignity and example they have set for me.

In the meantime Gopher has had an eventful few months. While I was in training he visited with Mom, and although he did well she stated more than once that she could tell he didn’t feel right about not working with Dad. We did get to work together on one Sunday and have since continued our regular visits. This last week he was able to say goodbye to several children who after months of treatment were able to go home. He even had his Uncle Greg and Aunt Annie joined him on a visit, although not his favorite place where he can truly show off his skills. He liked having them there and hope one day perhaps one of his coming poodle cousins might join him at work. 

In addition to beginning Hospice in the coming weeks, we will be actively starting to R.E.A.D. in 2012, and pending examination on 12/6 his little brother Squirrel might start working with him on occasion. It has been and is continuing to truly be a great adventure, our Gopher seems to know his purpose and executes himself well, in the last over a year in the over 50 hours of visits and seemingly countless patients we have seen tears, laughter, joy, intimate moments, and have been welcomed into so many people lives at their most vulnerable. They all say thank you and show so much appreciation, hopefully through our actions they know that it is Gopher and I who are truly appreciative of being there. 

How do I become a Therapy Animal team?

This entry today is in response to a continuing question I receive, “How do you make your dog a therapy animal?” I understand the question, but first off we need to address some language in the question and then I will discuss what is needed to become a registered therapy animal and therapy animals in general.

This question would serve better with the language “How did you and your dog become a therapy animal team?” This might sound picky, but it is important to realize that neither my wife nor I 'made' or ‘make’ Gopher do this. We wanted to do this and hoped he would enjoy it, if at any time he did not want to do it, showed himself as disengaged or disinterested the work would stop. I cannot emphasize the importance of this enough; it is not a difference in levels of how rewarding or wonderful an individual experience may be, it is more black and white, the animal is engaged it works, the animal is not engaged it does not work.

The only way to find this out is to start training and be observant of the dog in the situation, so even after being trained and tested be prepared for it might not be the right fit, or be cognizant of what your dog likes. Gopher has a strong preference towards kids and senior citizens, so we go to places that allow him to play to his desires. With therapy animals present in anything from schools, libraries, psychiatric facilities, prisons, hospitals, group homes, the possibilities are nearly endless, so look for your animals desires, and if the first location does not work, try another, but also be prepared for the fact this work might not suit your animal. There is no solid barometer in determining this, but there are some telltale signs, some will be rooted out in evaluation, like spooks easily, others will become a judgment call, just look for the signs.

Another crucial element that I cannot stress enough is to do it the right way! Go through some training and be evaluated by Delta Society, TDI or another nationally registering organization. This is just as crucial as keeping an eye on your own animal to see if they enjoy the work. DO NOT EVER think, well Fluffy is such a good dog and she likes people I will just take her down to the nursing home to visit people, it’s no big deal. First and foremost, know that you are liable for any damages your animal may cause, Fluffy is walking on leash and the leash trips someone, you pay, or Fluffy knocks over IV tower damaging equipment attached and injuring the patient YOU ARE LIABLE. Finally and worst case Fluffy bites, you pay and in some areas Fluffy pays by being labeled a danger, or worse being destroyed. Testing and registering with an organization does not guarantee these things won’t happen, but what it does give you is insurance, so in the event there is an accident and someone trips over a leash, you are covered. It also gives you the ability to note that you are a Registered Animal Team and it will open more doors for you.  Finally one of the most difficult parts of the human existence is the ability to look inward at a relationship and yourself. I had a neighbor once who insisted her little terrier was the sweetest dog there ever was, would not hurt anyone and actually loved people. I never once saw this dog not growling, barking, and snapping, she would just laugh at how cute this was. This animal would to anyone else obviously not be a candidate for this work, but she thought he would excel. He failed. We sometimes need that outside examination to allow us to see an error or a flaw. When people choose to just bring their dogs into a facility without doing the registrations and evaluations, they not only open themselves up to liability, but if things go poorly, they hurt the perception of therapy animals. This person obviously thinks the work is worthwhile, but out of laziness or failure to educate themselves, they can close a door to a facility in allowing therapy animals to visits.  Take the time, educate yourself, pick the best fit for you and your animal, become registered, and present yourself appropriately since when you enter these facilities all eyes are on you and your animal.

Time commitment is high in doing therapy work, you must be at your scheduled visits facilities plan these around you and not being able to show up has a negative impact. After that as with all volunteer experiences it is what you make of it. Gopher is currently on track to go on up to three visits a week, which is three hours per week, without preparation and travel time. We are choosing this, some teams only visit once a month. It is entirely up to you.

Now you know there is training, testing, and a time commitment involved and it is time to add some new words or concepts to your repertoire.  A therapy animal when working is not your pet, they are your partner and you form a team.  You will both be participating in Animal Assisted Interactions (AAI) which is an umbrella term that covers Animal Assisted Therapy (AAT) and Animal Assisted Activities (AAA).  The majority of people fall into the AAA category, this is your general visits, rather it is doing a R.E.A.D. session in a library or visiting a nursing home or hospital. These visits have no specific goals and are done so on your own. AAT is more involved and requires the leadership of a staff member who is going to use and your partner to obtain a specific goal; this could be improved articulation of a partially paralyzed limb after a stroke, to improved reading ability in a school via the R.E.A.D. program.

Finally you have made it through training, passed your evaluation and received your identification card(s) in the mail for you and your partner, you have a new vocabulary, and you are sure you and your partner are ready to go, wait not so fast. There is more to be done.

Once you have everything in place it is time to select your facilities, and the type of work you will be attempting. If possible join a local therapy group that will help dramatically in facilitating this. If you are on your own you will need to contact a facility see if they are open to having a therapy animal team, and what their requirements are. If you are part of a group they will have most of this information available to you or could assist you in the process. Once you have selected a facility you and possibly your partner will need to go through their facilities paperwork, training and documentation. To put this into perspective,  the end of October 2011 I will have attended  over 40 hours of facility specific training, filled out and submitted 15 applications, read 10 manuals, 12 books, taken three exams and been evaluated, been screened and passed eight background checks and have had five mantoux readings (test to confirm no active tuberculosis), this is all after any training/ interviews/vet visits with Gopher. Once we were registered it took nearly three months before we could go on our first visit!

In the end the time and effort are well worth it. I and my partner are confident, competent and relaxed team that can handle a wide variety of circumstances. I have had an array of wonderful experiences only a handful of which have been documented on this blog. I would not trade one second of training, education or applications that we have completed to get to this point. In the end there are a number of resources available to find out about therapy work, so take your time, educate yourself, work and train with your partner and do it the right way even if you only want to visit once every other month YOU will make a difference, just make sure to represent yourself, your partner, and this work well. Gopher, Carla and I would be happy to answer any additional questions you may have. Our personal recommendations are Delta Society for registration, and if in the Twin Cities therapy classes under Carol Ouhl at Twin City Obedience Training Club.

R.E.A.D.

Chad completed the course work, and is sending off the registration materials soon to become an official R.E.A.D. team with Gopher. Skills and tips learned here are also going to become part of his repertoire in other therapy situations.

Upcoming Entry: How to become a registered therapy team with your partner.