GUMBY

Clearly all the obedience training I had got had made me a GOOD dog, but what was it going to take for me to become an even BETTER dog? How would I not only be fulfilled but fulfil my potential as "man's best friend"... just imagine my joy and excitement when we came across the Paws for People® website  

My Facebook status that night was: I feel so free... here's who I can be, am inspired and in awe and want to be more... found a place I think I can be, more ME!!!

In the next couple of days we had to meet all the assessment criteria and submit all sorts of forms. Clearly it is essential that I PROVE I am not just balanced, obedient and have the right temperament, but that I am healthy (vaccinated, dewormed, clean and tick/flea free). A good therapy dog cannot be a pest OR covered in them! So that meant a vet check...

The ear, eye, nose coat check... SOOOoooo no problem... However though, surely though... a little foreplay, perhaps a treat or just asking nicely, would be in order ...before shoving a cold popsickle stick right up my nought... seri-arsely??? I maybe a gaylord and a really sensitive friendly furry type, but isn't that just a slight invasion of ummmm privacy? Anyway, I aced the medical (it didn't go unnoticed how well-rounded I was) and all my papwerwork was sent off without further delay.

We got a friendly welcome and were thrilled to find out we wouldn't have to wait for the assessment... the next suitability assessment was to be that very Sunday (20th June 2010). I wasn't exactly expecting a walk in the park... but sure wasn't expecting to be there from 12:30 until around 4pm! There was an awesome turn out (about 17 doggies up for assessment). Some of the handlers (like mum) were new hands at the therapy dog thing, but everyone had done some obedeince dog training... Mostly there were GSD's and Golden Lab's,  there were a couple of daxxies, a Pointer and a Schnauzer, but there was only one other crossbreed township rescue (and she had been rescued over 9 years ago as opposed to me, just 18months ago). The peeps and their paws and come from all over... (a few of us from the West Rand and then others from Vanderbijlpark,  the East Rand,across the northern suburbs and Randburg) to the Progressive Dog Training Centre 

We were all eager, enthusiastic and also a bit nervous - as much as our examiners tried to put us, and especially our handlers, at ease, the stakes were high and the competion fierce (well NOT FIERCE... really well-behaved and friendly, actually!). The handlers all milled around and mingled with us to get us acquainted with each other and the training ground which was small and had a very busy noisy road next to us (all things which we didn't want to disturb or distract us during the assessment). There was such a good turn out we were divided and assessed in two groups, and they made sure everyone was wearing a flat collar and leash, no metal choke chaines or check chains were allowed, not just because it is unkewl to strangle your dog, but they can be a cause of injury to our future "patients"...

Then we began with a basic (AAK) Canine Good Citizen assessment to see that we could meet and great a stranger, submit to a vet exam and be petted and brushed, walk nicely on a loose lead, walk past one another in an orderly fashion (without being overly friendly or aggressive), stay focussed. We had to do our sits and stays and downs, recalls and about turns and the usual stuff... no problems, apart from the heat (and the odd bee!)

Next on the agenda was the temperament assessment or PFP aptitude test, whcih was really all about seeing how we reacted to different stimuli, distractions and disturbances. We got everything from rattles to horns to vuvuzella's blasted at us... bring it on!!! AND on they brought it... it was all rolled/ strolled past by people in push chairs, wheel chairs on walkers or crutches, wearing crazy gold wigs and masks carrying huge rubber dog-size toys, with high-pitched voices or staggering... okay... guess this was a taste of things to come!!!

The next thing was that our handlers had to walk up to a stranger, simply hand our leash over and (without a word or command) simply leave (and hide behing the office building) for a long 3 minutes... naturally, I aced this... since being abandoned on the streets of atownship, and rescued first by Community Led Animal Welfare, then adopted by the Pana clan, I KNOW I will never, ever be abandoned again - I am surprisingly secure and don't suffer from separation anxiety... I simply make new friends and influence strangers (and who can help from falling in love with me!)... The "strangers" holding our leads were not allowed to interact with us or comfort some of the others who did find this more stressful... BUT ME, I knew this was just a test, mum would never abandon me!

The last test was the Situational test. A tight circle of PFP staff and supporters was made and every conceivable piece of equipment was brought in, from a coffee table with a cup in the middle, to wheelchairs, various walking aids and Jasper (a Labrador). We had to knock and request entry to a bunch of (on the whole) crotchety or cuckoo old folk. One just sensed these people were so good at role playing because of EXPERIENCE... Eish what a wake-up call! We were ignored, or hugged in a tight embrace, kicked at or prodded, shakey old hands tried to pet us, one hysterical old wombat with a golden wig kept calling us Jasper and tried to grab us (or shove us away... when we didn't look like Jasper!)... talk about claustrophobic between the legs, wheels, walking aids and bunch of other handlers and dogs... but it had been a LOOOOOONG day, and I just laid down and stretched out in my spatchcock chicken position and with a sigh, I decided I was ready to move into this nutty old age home ZzzzzZZZZzzzZZZZzzzZZZZZzz...