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A section for stories and photos!
Mr Jaz: Our Adventures Authored by Mr Jaz & written
by Mark Fisher
My journey with Mr. Jaz began six years ago when I fell in love with him at Kings Valley Collies located in Corvallis,
OR. He, as an eight week old puppy, and I, a 40 year old man, jumped into each others arms. The love affair began.
Four years later, Mr. Jaz and I began taking herding lessons with Dave Viklund and working
at Brigand’s Hideout as stock handlers during work days: trimming hooves, giving shots, shearing, feeding and cleaning
up mounds of sheep pooh.
In February of 2008, Brigand’s Hideout
sponsored a therapy dog seminar which Mr. Jaz and I attended. Because of Jaz’s herding and obedience skills, we
became certified as a “Therapy Dog Team” through Therapy Dogs International, Inc. He also earned his “Canine
Good Citizen” title, and so began our therapy dog work. Mr. Jaz and I make regular visits to nursing homes, hospitals
and assisted living centers. Good therapy dogs are grown
and shaped over many years. Mr. Jaz has been working as a stock dog for about three years. He is use to all the
weird farm machines, noises, other people, other dogs, strange smells, tight places, different stock and scary/alarming and
stressful situations. “Hey Jaz, Hey Jaz! Therapy dog! Therapy work! Let’s go, let’s go!!”
With those few words, Mr. Jaz is overcome with excitement. He jumps and prances around the house – yelping and
barking with anticipation. I have to playfully wrestle with him to give him a good teeth brushing and try to give his
rough collie coat one good grooming before meeting his favorite fans.
“Hey Jaz, walk with me.”
Mr. Jaz confidently, calmly and quietly stays by my side, knowing the rewarding, welcomed, yet serious work at hand as we
walk through the doors of a nursing home.
Smiles broaden on the faces of the staff and residents as Mr. Jaz prances
into the room.
“Hey Jaz, walk up, say hello!”
Mr. Jaz makes his way through a maze of wheel chairs, walkers, and ventilator machines,
ignoring all the beeps, and medical alarms to give collie kisses and unconditional love to Josephine. She tells us her
story of a tri-color collie she grew up with as a teenager in Carson, WA.
Mrs. Elsie, a partially paralyzed woman, holds out her hand and pets my collies’
soft and shiny coat while telling us her story of two collies she grew up with at a small farm in Iowa.
The
staff also swarms around Mr. Jaz (the “Lassie Dog”, as he has become to be known as). Family members of
the residents also open their arms for petting and unlimited collie kindness.
Mr. Jaz’s presence is intoxicating.
He’s a therapy
dog, a Collie.
His herding training and experience
is what makes him an exceptional therapy dog: He must work in tight places - negotiating through obstacles, wheel chairs,
walkers, garbage cans and ventilator machines; ignoring the alarms, coughing, gagging and wheezing, while being calm, friendly
and, most importantly, giving unconditional love, no matter what the situation.
Although many dogs make good house pets and companions, not all have the temperament
and confidence to be therapy dogs. Collies, because of their nurturing and caring herding instinct, and because of their
good looks and pre-conceived reputation (Lassie), make them very welcomed four footed therapists.
For more information regarding therapy dog work contact:
Therapy
Dogs International, Inc.
88 Bartley Road
Flanders, NJ 07836
www.tdi-dog.org
“Hey
Jaz! Hey Jaz! Hey Jaz!! Come with me!”
My collies’
ears prick up and a collie smile covers his face. His tail rises in excitement and anticipation. We walk into the spring
morning and dew covered pasture towards the sheep.
He’s got a
big task at hand – gathering, herding and sorting a large flock of sheep for an AKC trial!
He’s a trained herding stock dog, a collie!
*** More to come
on our herding adventures***
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