I just saw in the news that a yellow Labrador retriever, named Moose, has received an honorary doctorate degree from Virginia Tech Vet School for his work as a therapy dog helping those in need of psychological support for over 7500 counseling sessions.
I too have a therapy dog, a yellow lab, by the name of Sadie! I often let people know that she is a therapy dog because after her initial greeting of you, you will need therapy. She is six, but acts like a puppy. She can literally jump high enough to kiss your forehead which she has done as she has unbounded energy. She loves people and food. If I forget to keep an eye on my sandwich, she will eat that quickly. She doesn’t bark much so if a burglar entered our house she would lick him into submission. Sometimes she doesn’t come when I call her repeatedly, but when she hears the crackle of the pretzel bag when she is far away, she is instantly by my side, sitting, looking at me with her beautiful brown eyes, and I give in! When I leave the room and come back, her greeting is like I have been away for a year. She’s a mystery as she will dive under the water on the Chesapeake, but has to be forced to go out in the rain.
Maybe we can learn something from Sadie that would warrant a doctorate degree.
Unconditional positive regard, joyful in every way, and when I am having a bad day, one look at her and then I smile. She forgives and forgets immediately any injustice that comes her way. She doesn’t harbor grudges! She won’t tolerate anyone who raises their voice as she is immediately there to act as a mediator even if it is not a fight.
A doctorate degree? Maybe that is not enough! Certainly thoughts, however, to keep in mind during our lives during these Covid 19 days.
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