GREENVILLE – On Nov. 6, a group of nine dogs and their diligent trainers were evaluated and passed the Therapy Dog test at the Greenville Area Dog Club. Therapy Dog International is an organization run by volunteers who dedicate their time to visit nursing homes, hospitals, and other places with their dogs.
Each dog and handler underwent an eight-week class to prepare for the evaluation. The Therapy Dog evaluation consists of 13 tests. Each test is to make sure the dog knows basic obedience, can be calm in a stressful environment, and most of all, they are good with people of all ages from young kids to the elderly. The most important thing is the dog has good temperament.
These new Therapy Dogs will soon be out visiting nursing homes, hospitals, and schools. These visits can bring joy to many people.
Special thanks to the instructors, Mike Brown, Suzi Brown, Becky Baker, Dennis Parent, and Barb Rhoades, director of training, for making this possible. Greenville Area Dog Club provides many classes, including obedience and agility, to the public. Their mission is to train you to train your dog to be an obedient, welcomed addition to your family and society.
If you have a well-tempered dog that loves socializing with people, then feel free to join us in the next Therapy Dog class. There are no age limits. They have people from ages 13 to over 70 training dogs. No dog or person is too young or old to learn new tricks.
If you are interested in the therapy dog classes, call Mike Brown at (937)-564-2362. To learn more about general obedience classes, call Barb Rhoades at (937)-548-0338.
