Tiger’s Story

Tiger’s Story

by | Feb 15, 2025 | Community, Paw Print Press

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

by | Jun 30, 2023 | 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.