Tanker's Read Day

Yesterday, Tanker and I volunteered at Porter Library in the Paws for Reading Program with Blue Gray Therapy Dogs.  The day was a success!  The children loved reading to him and Tanker enjoyed the kids laying all over him.  Tanker did not engage with the kids as much as Topher did, but just layed and listened. 

Our first kid that came to read to Tanker was a boy about 6 or 7 years old.  He told me that Tanker needed a haircut.  Tanker kind of looked at him like, "excuse me?"  I explained to him that Tanker was a border collie and that he is supposed to have longer hair.  He read A Diary of a Wimpy Kid to Tanker.  It was about a kid who's brother kind of beats up on him.  After he finished reading we continued to talk about dogs.  I told him that Tanker and Topher were adopted brothers.  He said, "Who names a dog Toaster?"  That was the funny moment of the day.

Tanker had an even split of boys and girls read to him.  The girls liked his long hair and tail.  One girl at the end tried really hard to do her best for Tanker.  I could tell she was very smart.  Her book was a higher level book and every big word she came across she sounded out and got correct.  It was cool to see haw hard the kids worked and how enthusiastic they were about reading to the dogs.  A lot of the kids told me that they couldn't read to their dogs because they were too wild.  They wanted to spend their Saturday morning reading to our dogs. 

Therapy dog work is unique and rewarding.  I am glad that Lindsay and I are able to help others this way.

Tanker and Topher were tired from the event and slept on the way home. 

Future Delta Society Pet Partners.  By next year, they will be therapy dogs too.