An Afternoon at the Group Home

Boy, have I been busy today. Mom is always complaining about how hard it is to own your own business, but I have to work, too. I'm in the business of being cute. It's true. Look at my picture. I am a therapy dog, which means that I go to hospitals, group homes, senior centers and libraries to make people happy.

Every dog approaches this task a little differently. Some do cute tricks. Some are very energetic. Some just lie in your lap. I'm cute. I don't do tricks (except shake). I'm just well-behaved, soft and cute. And people love me. I have a knack for knowing who needs to be cheered up, and I sit by that person the most.

We all got to this job the same way -- a lot of training! You have to pass a lot of tests that show you listen well and have the right temperament. I had to do a 30-second stay, walk nicely on a leash (my kryptonite!), be nice to another dog and be cheery while a bunch of people pet me and grab my tail and stuff. This is easy for me because I love to be the center of attention. Not every dog can do it. My brother Muggsy and sister Fenway would hate it!

Today, I went to a group home that will remain nameless just to hang out and cheer everyone up by shaking their hands and giving them kisses. One girl was afraid so I left her alone. Most kids want to give me treats, and I'm a big fan of that. I'll do whatever they want, even if they want me to do something dumb, like try to catch or balance the treat on my nose (whoever thought that up needs to balance their dinner on their nose and catch it in the air, if you ask me.) One girl and one boy really liked me a lot. We watched TV and talked about their dogs. I liked meeting them a lot. They were watching a show that scared the girl, and I ran to her side to make sure she was OK. She said I was cute. But we all knew that!

I have been a therapy dog for three years, and I really like it. My mom can train you how to do it if you are interested too. She offers classes and private lessons, and she's a Canine Good Citizen evaluator. That's one of the tests. She can tell you if you pass. I will be there too, just to see if you are nice to dogs! If you are interested, call her at 866-PWSTIV1 or email her at melinda@pawspartners.com.

See you guys later! Love, Chubbs