Once a week, Duke goes to school. He's participating in a program called PAWS for reading, where kids are encouraged to read by reading to dogs. The first few times he went, he was a little stressed out because it was a new environment, but he quickly got used to it, and started rolling over for bellyrubs and even using the kiddos as pillows. He was disruptive this week though, because one little boy was reading a book about Egyptians, when Duke decided to crawl right over to him and shove his head in the book. The little boy was a trooper though, and continued to read through his giggles, though he had to move around a little because it's hard to read through Duke's big head.
After the kids read, they get a bookmark and a sticker with a picture of the dog they read to. When they read to another dog, they get another sticker to add to the bookmark.
Our therapy dog group had a potluck dinner this weekend, and we were, of course, talking about our dogs, and all things dog related. Someone mentioned the bookmarks, and Tim was jealous and asked why he didn't have a bookmark. Of course, it was because he hadn't read to Duke yet. You don't get a bookmark until after you read to the dogs. So Tim read his Mustang magazine to Duke today to earn his bookmark.
6 comments:
That is such a cute idea! I love it!
I would LOVE to read to Duke! Please send him to Indiana so we can read together!!
That is a great program. Mommy would love to do that with me, but seeing how I don't sit still, I don't think we will be trying anytime soon. I suggest being read "Walter the Farting Dog" by one of the kids. hehe
It sounds like such a great program. They have something similar out here in Chicago, but we just don't have the time to get involved. Especially in the schools we work in a lot of students have such negative images of dogs because of what they've seen and experienced in their neighborhoods. It just seems like a great program for everyone.
Aw...what a great job Duke does!! We had a similar reading programme back in Auckland, as part of our Outreach Therapy Pets and I did think of joining with Honey but we were already too busy with the visits we were making so we had to give that a miss. But I did do an article about it for a couple of pet mags that I write for - such a great idea!
And LOVE the Duke sticker!!!
Hsin-Yi
I literally LOLed when I saw the picture of your husband reading to Duke. So cute! I love the picture of Dukes head in his lap, looking up at him listening to him read. Adorable!
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