Enterprise

THE RIVERTOWNS
By Carter Smith

V O L U M E 37, N U M B E R 17 J U LY 20, 2012

The Hometown Newspaper of Hastings-on-Hudson, Dobbs Ferry, Ardsley and Irvington

Dog and reluctant readers on the same page

Thanks to a greyhound named Too Tall, the Dobbs Ferry Public Library is going to the dogs. Too Tall, a certified Reading Education Assistance Dog (R.E.A.D.), as well as a certified therapy dog, will be visiting the library on Wednesday, Aug. 1, from 6 to 9 p.m., for a literacy program called Pawsitive Tails. During the event, children will have the opportunity to read to Too Tall, either from their own book or one off the librarys shelves. Also on hand for Pawsitive Tails will be Anne Quick, Too Talls owner, who has lived in Dobbs Ferry for nearly four years and is the librarys teen librarian. Prior to moving to the village, she earned a masters degree in library science from the University of Maryland and then lived with her mother in Sharon, Conn., while looking for work. Asked how she came to own a therapy dog, Quick, 30, said, As soon as I learned that there were such things as therapy dogs when I was a child, and that they could be brought to libraries, schools, hospitals, etc., I knew I wanted to have a therapy dog when I grew up. Several years later I remember seeing R.E.A.D. on one of the morning news shows and I kept that in the back of my mind for when I would eventually have my own dog. The R.E.A.D. program was launched in 1999, and now has thousands of registered teams working throughout the U.S. and Canada to help children with literacy. Quick explained: More often than not, someone who is reluctant to read, or says they hate reading, is plagued by fear of criticism. This can be criticism from peers, and even from adults such as teachers and parents. People are judgmental sometimes even when they dont mean to be and children pick up on body language and less subtle communication. Dogs, and animals in general, are nonjudgmental. A dog couldnt care less if someone is a slow reader, or stumbles over a word. The dog simply craves companionship. There is also research indicating that petting a dog lowers peoples blood pressure and anxiety, which is why animal therapy is finding a wider audience. In September 2009, Quick adopted Too Tall from an organization called Greyhound Rescue and Rehabilitation, based in Cross River. Too Tall, a male brindle, had been retired from the dog-racing circuit after breaking his leg in the spring of that year. I had a feeling that he had the perfect personality to be a therapy dog, Quick recalled recently. As soon as she adopted Too Tall, Quick started training him on her own, teaching him basic obedience commands, such as with a membership application and health records for your dog. Once Too Tall and Quick were an official therapy team, Quick started to research becoming a R.E.A.D. team through Intermountain Therapy Animals. I could have done a reading program without Too Tall becoming an official Reading Education Assistance Dog, she noted, but I liked that I would get more specific training on how to prepare and implement a R.E.A.D. program. It would also give me more confidence. Quick feels strongly that the extra training she has received by pairing with Too Tall as an official R.E.A.D. team was well worth it. She stresses that while it may seem like she and Too Tall have undergone an unbelievable amount of training, to her it was not as lengthy a process as one might think. And the earlier training, as well as the AKC Canine Good Citizen, was not mandatory. I did it because I wanted to get as much advice and information as I could. Asked if theres a certain way to interact with a reading assistance dog that differs from how one interacts with a dog that hasnt been trained, Quick said, Yes and no. No one should ever approach a strange dog without first asking the owner if it is all right. However, for TDInc., CGC, and R.E.A.D. certificates dogs must pass rigorous tests. They are taught not to be startled, panicked, try to run away, or show aggressiveness. In addition to the testing, having certification through TDInc. means I have liability insurance, which covers the people I visit in the event of injury or illness resulting from contact with Too Tall. It is more likely that a dog that has been trained will not mind rough handling, a hug, a child lying on the dog while they read, and so on. Asked whether Too Talls visit to the library next month will be a one-time event, Quick said, As far as the library R.E.A.D. program is concerned, we are waiting to see the turnout for the August 1st program. But there is a plan to make it a somewhat regular event. Either way, Too Talls calendar is filling up with local appearances. Quick will be doing a R.E.A.D. program with Springhurst Elementary starting in the fall, and plans are in the works to also bring Too Tall to Dobbs Ferrys Cabrini Immigrant Services for a R.E.A.D. program as well. The Pawsitive Tails program is open to all children age 6 and up. Anyone interested can register by calling the library at 693-6614 or stopping by the circulation desk. Anyone seeking more information should e-mail Quick at aquick@wlsmail.org or visit the R.E.A.D. Web site at http://www.therapyanimals.org/R.E.A.D.html. R.E.A.D. is a program of Intermountain Therapy Animals.

TIM LAMORTE/RIVERTOWNS ENTERPRISE

Anne Quick and her greyhound, Too Tall, at the Dobbs Ferry Public Library.

down, wait, sit and target. Quick explained that she taught her dog to sit with some hesitation, as a greyhounds muscular rear end makes sitting a little awkward for them. By target, Quick means he will touch his nose to my hand. Next, Quick enrolled at the Port Chester Obedience Training Club in White Plains, where Too Tall and Quick sharpened basic obedience skills and learned some more advanced behaviors. Quick then decided to certify Too Tall as an American Kennel Club Canine Good Citizen. This basically just says that Too Tall has good manners, she said. There is a 10-step test that asks things like the dog to sit while being pet, to come to owner when called, be able to stay with another person for a minute or so without getting

too anxious and other simple but important skills. Too Tall passed these tests with flying colors, reported Quick. It was then that Quick knew it was time to get her dog certified with Therapy Dogs Inc., also known as TDInc. The first step is to contact a tester/observer in your area and to set up a time to meet where she or he can meet you and your dog, said Quick. Once the tester/observer sees that the dog is friendly, has good manners, is well groomed, taken care of, and you are able to handle the dog, you move on to the next step, which is to visit a hospital, nursing home, or another facility to be observed while you and the dog interact with residents, patients, and so on. Once you are observed at least three times, the tester/observer fills out the paperwork that you passed and you submit this along