“Paws to Read” Program at Local Library

Our local library (Muncie Public Library) has a “Paws to Read” program that utilizes therapy dogs to help children with anxiety disorders to manage their anxiety through reading aloud to a certified therapy dog. Each session is 15 minutes long. Children choose a book and curl up with a warm, fuzzy friend to journey into the kinds of worlds that can only be reached through books. The children know that their listener will not laugh at them or chastise them if they stumble over new words, or read too slowly. Their listener sits closely and attentively, emitting a sense of wonder and encouragement, and praising the child with licks and a happy, wagging tail.

The program stared in July, 1009 during the summer reading program. A patron asked the librarians about doing such a project and they were favorable toward the idea. By the fall of 2009, the program became so popular that nearly all the time slots are filled up a week or more in advance. Even children without anxiety disorders can benefit from the program because the activity, reading aloud to an attentive canine, creates comfort and confidence while providing a safe environment to practice a very important skill. Honestly, I wish I’d had this opportunity when I was a young child, I may have learned to read much earlier!

There seems to be no end to the jobs that therapy dogs can perform and the role they can play in helping to increase people’s quality of life.

It's Too Cold to Walk at the River

George and I can not walk at the park these days because there is simply too much snow. The drive down to the river has not been plowed, so I don’t even dare to try to get there. Instead, we walk around cleared and fairly empty parking lots. It serves the need to get out and walk and offer George a regular opportunity to relieve himself, but other than that, it is not satisfactory at all. There is snow everywhere, so George is not able to find a tree or bush or any patch of ground to do his business. He runs back and forth and around in circles in a desperate attempt to find just the right place, but all the places are cold and white and much bigger than he is, so every day I can see his frustration. I walk with him a bit, so long as the brutal winds are not too painful on my cheeks, and our outings are very short.

Happy, Clean and Smart

Happy, Clean and Smart is a local doggie day care, grooming facility, and training center. The name truly represents their philosophy and the essence of the business. When you want in the front door, you enter a clean, brightly lit, spacious and classy boutique. The staff is warm and friendly and the 4-footed little tea cup poodle greets you with a smile that absolutely melts you. Coming from just beyond the boutique is the sound of happy dogs in their various classes.

The boutique has a nice selection of practical items including food, dishes, collars, leashes, and toys. They also have fun and frivolous items such as jewelry and charms, fashionable dog clothing, and dog-themed knick-knacks and accessories for dog owners. There is also a selection of books, pamphlets and brochures addressing every question you might have about dogs.

Doggies can take the K-9 Kindergarten class, basic and advanced manners classes, and an agility class. Happy, Clean and Smart also offers good citizen and Therapy Dog classes to get certification. And if those choices do not meet any of your needs, you can sign up for private lessons with one of their certified trainers. The classes teach socialization and behavior management (K-9 Kindergarten); basic obedience (Basic Manners); tricks and distraction management (Advanced Manners); and obstacle courses (Fun with Agility). For dog owners there is also the Pet First Aid and CPR class.

Happy, Clean and Smart has a self-wash facility where you can wash your dog yourself. They provide the shampoo, conditioner, cologne, towels and blow dryer all for just $12.00. Or, if you prefer, you can have your dog professional groomed (and pampered) by their trained groomers.

Members of the Association of Pet Dog Trainers and the International Association of Canine Professionals, Happy, Clean and Smart is a professional dog care facility that focuses on the health and well-being of dogs and their owners. They live the motto of their name: Happy, Clean and Smart, providing a wonderful support for optimal relationships between dog owners and their “best friends”.

New Barefoot Perspective

I am what I am; I can’t really be anything different. I am thankful that I am not compelled to try to be something that I’m not – what a waste of energy! In fact, I think it is a waste of a whole life to try to counter the natural qualities in yourself in the attempt to become something else.

Part of what I am is a barefooter. I didn’t become a barefooter in order to make any particular statement or to be thought of as a nature enthusiast or any other image-designing reason. I simply am a barefooter and I can’t help it. Shoes do not stay on my feet. All my life I have ended up barefoot, even when I left the house in shoes. Running shoes, work shoes, dance shoes, fancy heels or beach sandals – they all get kicked off soon after I adorn them.

It has been interesting to experience a new perspective of myself as a barefooter since the arrival of the internet. Until very recently my barefoot lifestyle has been frowned upon by those in my life. It was cause for shame; it was a personal fault. People thought I was childish, immature, irresponsible. My feet were referred to as dirty, ugly, and worst of all, carriers of disease. Still, I couldn’t help it; I remained barefoot.

In the last couple of years however, I have made friends with people from around the world who have a whole different attitude toward bare feet. First I joined an online organization called the Society for Barefoot Living (SBL) where I learned about all kinds of people and their barefooted lifestyles. I also learned about health issues and legal issues regarding barefooting. It turns out that 1) barefooting is very healthy and 2) it is NOT illegal to go into public places barefooted.

Secondly, when I started posting personal pictures on facebook that showed me without shoes, I was surprised by the onslaught of positive comments. People now refer to my feet as “beautiful” and my barefoot lifestyle as “authentic”.

The perspective of others has not changed my behavior, but it has certainly been a validating experience. It is encouraging to be praised a bit instead of constantly condemned for my bare feet. The positive perspective has strengthened me and made me more bold. I have come to articulate my choice and better understand it. I have come to appreciate this characteristic in myself. I also now have information and knowledge to defend my choice.

I have always loved my feet and have always been grateful to them for their strength and endurance. Now however, I am also proud of my feet, even when they are dirty.

Healthy, strong, vibrant, and beautiful: I am a barefooter!

On Christmas Eve, squeezed in between the regular stuff of last minute shopping, cooking, wrapping presents and housecleaning was a appointment to wash George. I say “wash George”, not get George washed because that is exactly what it was – me washing him, not the groomer doing it.

My friend Ellen and I took George to a place called Happy Clean and Smart where they have a place for customers to wash their own dogs. I’d seen such places before in larger cities and thought it was a great idea, but only learned recently that we have one here locally.

George is such a tender little soul and so frightened by everything, especially anything new, so I thought he would feel better about being washed by me than by a stranger. He’s been to the groomer’s before and I always hate to hand him over to strangers, no matter how skilled they are, because his little body quivers and shakes so much. The self wash option would only be a wash, no nail trimming, no teeth brushing, no hair cut, so we’ll still have to go to the groomer’s occasionally. But for Christmas eve, self wash was on the agenda!

Ellen and I entered into the salon-like facility and were instantly impressed. The spa employee showed us around and explained how to use the equipment. Happy Clean and Smart provides the shampoo, conditioner, towels, and dryer, so all we had to do was show up. We were given a portable shelf to put over the bathing sink so we wouldn’t have to bend over so far to wash George. The portable shelf also provided security for George as it was textured and more comfortable for his feet than the bare sink.

Lots of suds and scrubbing and cooing later, we rinsed him well and moved him over to the drying table. The blow dryer there is much more powerful than my blow dryer at home, so we were able to dry down to the root of his fur and warm his skin. We got him fluffy dry and then dressed him in a fresh, clean sweater.

For $12.00 and one hour, we got a happy, clean dog. The bonding and good time together was a bonus. When we got home, George had puppy energy and seemed pleased to show off his new and refreshed little body. He puppy-trotted all afternoon and turned circles like a professional canine model on the runway.

I definitely recommend the self-wash option for bathing your dog!

Secret Holders

Dogs listen to our every thought and they know all our secrets, yet they never tell a sole. This is a treasured feature for us humans. It is natural for us to have to spill our secrets out to someone, especially someone safe who will not lecture and judge and will not pass them on to others. We need this, and it is exactly what we get in canine companionship.

Dogs are loyal beyond description – loyal to us, their pack, their bond. In this loyalty, they watch and listen, and then they hold our secrets with a protective stance, and without condemnation. But I wonder, if they had the means to communicate with words with all humans, would they tell our secrets? Perhaps they would, as a sort of intervention, if they thought it would save our lives. Then again, I think not.

I think it is an innate feature of their character to not pass on the information of another. I think that dogs are not capable, not because of a lack of human language, but because of a lack of logic that makes comparisons and draws conclusions. Dogs are truly without judgment. And they love us so much that they would not interfere with our free will, even if they could.

I don’t think dogs see the bigger picture and the value of letting us make our own mistakes; I don’t think they are consciously aware of this profound understanding of life, yet they are designed to simply live on this level.

So if dogs could think like humans, yet retain their true dog nature, they would still take in all our secrets, listening with love, never judging. They would still be by our side, tirelessly loyal, surrounding us with a powerful, unfaltering acceptance.

I am not ashamed for George to see my flaws and know my secrets. I am completely safe with him. He patiently waits as I berate myself and his wagging tail draws me out of depression and takes me into the day with a renewed hope.

Walking in Light Snow

Our first snowfall of the season. I woke up to find the earth covered in white. I threw my coat on and went out to start the car, feeling the exhilaration when my breath caught the sudden shot of damp cold on my feet. There was only a thin layer of snow, but as the soft center of my arches fell into each step, the snow reached out like a hand and grabbed my feet, one at a time, teasingly releasing only to grab again.

I put George’s green stripped sweater on him and carried him to the car. We drove to the park and got out to walk along the river. George was hesitant at first to get out of the car, so as I stood on the snow-covered pavement coaxing him to join me, I wondered if I could bear the combination of frozen mud, melting-to-the-touch snow, and packed, icy leaves for the duration of the walk. He jumped out of the car before I decided to turn back, so two bare feet and four padded paws ventured down to the river.

The air was still, no wind was blowing, and the nighttime darkness still lingered in the sky so the atmosphere was that profound silence of winter isolation. George and I walked, our steps the only sound, magnifying the fact that we alone occupied the land.

Walking warmed my torso, and my hands, tucked inside my coat pockets, remained toasty warm. Only my face and feet experienced the cold – air on face, wetness on feet. A strange combination of physical sensations – I observed, as if from afar.

George pranced along, more interested in sniffing than anything else. To him, the cold earth was nothing more than an uncomfortable inconvenience. When he stopped to explore something more, he picked up one foot at a time finding temporary relief. I understood because I found that if my feet kept moving, I could enjoy the surge of energy that shot through the base of my feet into my whole being, but if I stood still, I felt cold and I didn’t much like that.

Every now and then I hit a patch of mud that was squishy, but most of it was sharp and hard. The leaves were smooth and slippery. The soft snow fell away as I walked. I watched the ground, mesmerized by the constant arising of surface and the way it made me feel, not only where my feet landed, but all through my body and even into my mind.

I’ve been a barefoot walker all my life, but never before had I tried it in the snow. I’m glad I did, and I’m glad for George because without him, I’m sure I wouldn’t have gone to the river this morning, and certainly not barefoot.

By afternoon the sun had taken the white away from the earth and left us only a very wet outdoors. Weather reports are calling for rain, then freezing rain, so I don’t know when we’ll get our next chance to barefoot in the snow. Will I try in freezing rain? I don’t know.