Poem for Dog-Harmony by Lotus Learning & Arts Center

Poem for Dog-Harmony by Lotus Learning & Arts Center

Community, WagBreeze Life

We’re so proud of the students and our volunteer therapy dog team, Kay and Tiger, who attended the end-of-year graduation celebration at Lotus Learning & Arts Center. Their visits throughout the year have brought calm, connection, and confidence to the Lotus Learning students through joyful, meaningful interactions.
 
As a special thank you, the children wrote a beautiful poem and presented Dog-Harmony with a heartfelt card and a Certificate of Appreciation. This is what the human-animal bond is all about. Thank you to Lotus Learning & Arts Center for your appreciation and for letting our therapy dogs be part of your amazing community.
Poem by Lotus Learning & Arts Center Written for Dog-Harmony
You brought your smile, your heart, your song,
And let us chime and play along.
 
From the “D” the dog to “F” the frog,
We played the keys, we danced with the dog!
 
We learned to listen, learned to share,
To play together with love and care.
 
You taught us “Jaws” with notes so low,
And “Star Wars” with a Jedi glow!
 
The bells rang bright in every hand,
With Christmas tunes and our small band.
 
We now know how to greet a pup,
To give soft pets and not run up.
 
For all you gave, we thank you so,
More than music – you helped us grow.
 
So here’s a gift, from all of us here,
With love and hugs to last all year!
photograph of therapy dog team, kay and tiger, at Lotus Learning center sitting in front of keyboard
Kay, a Dog-Harmony volunteer, standing at the music table with multi-colored bells on top at Lotus Learning & Art Center

Tiger's Story

Click the image below to read Kay’s story of Tiger’s rescue and therapy dog certification with Dog-Harmony!

A Picture Collage of Tiger the therapy dog - before, during, and after rescue with the words "love is giving back"
Kids & Canines Program at Freeport Public Library

Kids & Canines Program at Freeport Public Library

Events, Past Event

Love dogs and want to learn more about how to interact with them? Then Dog-Harmony’s Kids & Canines program at Freeport Public Library on Friday, March 21 at 1 pm is for YOU!

This workshop is geared toward children ages 6-12. It teaches basic canine body language and signs of stress so that children can interact more safely with dogs. The children will then practice these new skills with certified therapy dogs. 

Call the library at (850) 835-2040 to sign up for the program on March 21.

If you represent a local library, please contact Nancy Bown to get your location included in the program’s visiting schedule.

Tiger’s Story

Tiger’s Story

Community, WagBreeze Life

Written by Kay Graves

We rescued Tiger in 2015 at Our Pal’s Place in Marietta, GA. He was approximately one year old. I had two older dogs at the time. Had it not been for Charley’s loving care, I am not sure Tiger would have made it. It took about 2 years for Tiger to adjust (calm).

We trained with Dog-Harmony to become a therapy dog team. We now volunteer at HCA Florida Fort Walton-Destin Hospital and Lotus Learning & Arts Center. We walk with the Dog-Harmony’s therapy dog teams at HCA and greet staff and patients.

At Lotus Learning Center, the children read to Tiger, or we explore music through handbells or keyboard. Before Christmas, we learned to play short pieces of Jingle Bells, Rockin’ Around Christmas Tree, and Deck the Halls on the bells. We look for patterns on the keyboard and find “D” for the Dog in the dog house made by the two black keys and “F” for the Frog on the low side of the three black keys.

We can improvise on the black keys, keep a steady beat, and listen and play short rhythms in unison. We can play short segments of JAWS, Star Wars, and Harry Potter themes. Tiger sits in a chair and listens when we do keyboard. The students greet Tiger when they come in. We play fetch, and each child gives him a treat.

 

Photograph of Tiger the dog perched on a blanket on a chair
photograph of students coloring in sheets of keyboard keys
photograph of a keyboard at lotus learning center

Therapy Dogs Help Improve Child Literacy

PUPcast

In the first of the animal-assisted therapy podcasts, Nancy Bown, CPDT-KA, and Johnny C. interview Jim Cole, who is a member of the Intermountain Therapy Animals. Dog-Harmony is associated with Intermountain Therapy Animals and hosts therapy dog training and evaluation sessions.

Cole describes his own experience working with his therapy dog, Logan, at schools to help young children overcome emotional distress and literacy issues with repeat visits. Children can experience joy by having a dog present and become interested in reading. Over time, the children become more confident as their literacy skills improve as a result of the human connection with the dog and its handler.

Bown and Cole employ positive, reward-based training methods when working with dogs that have the right disposition for therapy animal work. They remind us that training a therapy dog, ideally from a young age, requires a commitment to develop a bond and a resilient dog over a long period.