The Therapy Dog Needs Therapy

Henry Clay is a therapy dog in need of therapy.   His incident on Friday really scared him and when we returned to school this morning I was really thinking it might be a short lived career.  You can see how he is entering the room (or not) with a huge spirit of trepidation.  He knows there was something in here that was really bad to him.  So how do we fix things? Treats of course, I fed him and gave him his favorite treats. (Zukes)  Before he even got to the doors he was freaking out a little like he remembered.  It was four days ago, but he knew.  This is the place that zapped him.

His ver/trainer Dr. Albert called us up and said let's go to Bernheim and we did.  She is truly the dog whisperer. Cesar, Lucky Dog, and whoever trained Eddie from Frazier and Lassie have nothing on her.  He spent a little time with her and when he returned to the office she sprinkled a few treats around and because he was with someone safe and that he trusts 100% he came right in and seemed to settle in.  I would like to think he trusts me, but I was there so he might associate me with the zap. ('zap' is really quite the understatement)  Again, we learned teaching tips from Dr. Albert today and I don't mean just about the dog.

I said Henry Clay was 'defiant'.  She asked, "Is he really defiant?" We talked a bit longer and just like with kids we had to get to the root of the issue.  He hasn't wanted to lay down when I give the command since Friday.  He was laying down when he was "zapped". So maybe the defiance is really just a wrong association.  Maybe? Again, could be true with kids sometimes.  (not all the time) 

Well hopefully his retraining and therapy will help the Therapy Dog.  What on earth am I saying?? I have turned into a dog person.