My dog the therapist

Every morning I try to participate in therapy. My therapy consists of getting up and letting my dog out her kennel and then out of the house. After things get situated a bit I take her for our morning walk. Therapy sessions are traditionally a sedentary event, sitting across from someone and talking through some issue that has happened or come to the forefront recently.

My therapy sessions do have talking, generally it is me directing Molly not to pull on her leash, to sit and wait at intersections. To be on watch for the dreaded and dangerous squirrels. I also spend a lot of time just talking with Molly, not about the issue of my day or things like that, but I find myself asking her “What do you see?” and looking for things that would interest a year old Wheaten Terrier. Looking at the world in a different way, a more simple processing of what I see. Not city or global issues, financial questions or things like that but, more of a “What is that in the distance?” “What is that noise?” ” What is that smell?” Responding to the environment around me, this helps release the fog of the day before and the one coming.

I also find myself frequently encouraging Molly, telling her that she is doing a good job or that she is a good dog. Giving her treats when she responds with a properly timed sit and a waiting for a release. This lifts my mood, saying positive things and having success in the morning creates a more positive experience of the morning for me.

The last piece of the therapy is the exercise, I am not going for many miles or at full speed, it is a quick pace and lasts for about 30 minutes. The exercise wakes me up, loosens the joints and makes the blood pump, knocks the cobwebs that have been created overnight.

John

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