Day 598

One of Ranger's favorite weekly visits is to Oxbow Elementary School. When we walk in the door, his star quality comes out and his fans call his name by the droves! After greeting the secretary, office staff, ANYONE walking by and a few others descending the stairway, we are off to visit his beloved Sarah. Even though she does keep a box of large Milk Bones in her cupboard, he would still love her the most!

Today, as we headed to our first classroom to read, we noticed a young child curled up in the hallway with a staff person nearby. We walked by and I raised my eyebrows and nodded at Ranger. She smiled and motioned that she needed a minute or two before the encounter. We rounded the corner to wait beyond the little guy's view and met another student...this one angry.

Always, my Therapy Dog's safety comes first, so I held back to assess the situation from a distance. Asking the young man if he liked dogs, I glanced at the teacher who was watching and waiting. When the child answered that he did like puppies, I looked to his educator for direction. The teacher said, "He can pet the dog when he can guarantee he will be gentle and not hurt him." Well, I was on high alert as we moved closer and the student told us he was ready to be kind. As he approached Ranger, both ends of the leash were watchful, but my Golden knew it was safe a split second before his handler. Wagging his tail, Ranger worked his magic. After a short session of petting, the student told his teacher he was ready to go back to class now and behave. Ranger, The Wonder Dog!

Pausing a moment to see if our first small hallway friend was ready for a visit, I looked back to see a little fireball run down the hall with arms opened wide. Ranger turned and actually smiled as the youngster threw his arms around the big dog's neck and buried his face in my boy's hair. When the moment was over, he waved good-bye and headed back to class with his adult companion looking relieved and happy.

Off to the classrooms where we share a book while the students gather at our feet. Ranger rests on the cool floor while I get to read to a group of first graders. The books are chosen by our amazing contact teacher and, as the stories are read, I get to chat about reading and writing strategies found within the covers. When we are done, each classroom forms a line and is invited to pet Ranger. Every 15 minutes, we move on to another group of amazing children to read and share the love with Ranger.

The last classroom found our Therapy Dog taking a little snooze on the floor in front of his admirers as I read. When the book and discussion were over, I roused the big guy and we headed towards the front of the room to say our farewells. To my surprise, the fifth student in line, patted Ranger on the head and then put his arms around my Golden's middle to give him the most loving hug imaginable. Watching Ranger's reaction, I knew all was well. Following the leader, every child offered the same display of love while Ranger stood stoically by, tolerantly enjoying their hugs.

In about an hour, Ranger had helped two young students decompress and get a new lease on their day. He entertained staff and students alike and he allowed numerous little ones to share their genuine love with him. That is a day's work will done.

My favorite memory of the day would be the different faces of the children who needed to share the love my Therapy Dog could offer. Whether having a behavior crisis or simply thanking him for sharing a book today, every child seemed to connect in a most positive way. It is humbling to watch.

For Ranger, his best memory would be the treat in his beloved Sarah's room. That is simply the nature of Goldens...tummies first!