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  #1  
Old March 13th 08, 06:27 PM posted to rec.pets.dogs.behavior
diddy[_2_]
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Posts: 3,108
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For weeks, Tuck has been assigned to a boy to shadow in class. This boy has
never said a single word on school premises. He wouldn't point, he can
write, but will not write about anything personal.. not even to convey his
needs.

He would not even move magnets to convey any sort of communications.

So in the mornings when we are assigned to him, we work on hand signals.
The fact he would even use hand signals with a dog blew the teachers away.
So we knew we were on the right track.

But Tuck's presence in the classroom, although not affecting this boy,
creating a huge distraction and disturbance that negatively impacted the
learning environment for the rest of the students. And the poor teacher. We
weren't making enough progress to follow this through. The students were
cautioned, that if Tuck's presence continued to distract them, this would
be his last day in the classroom.

They MUST follow rules, and they MUST behave.

I had already written this off as Tuck's last day as a student shadow in
the classroom. We would continue with private therapy.

Today broke sunny and warm enough that the kids could play on the
playground. The first playground day with Tuck as a shadow on the
playground. As predicted, Tuck was mobbed. Not only by his class, but by
all the other classes sharing the playground. I couldn't get close to Tuck
or the student. But Tuck's kid, showed the other kids how Tuck could do
hand signals, and then his lips moved, and the kid was TALKING!

I could not hear him, nor do I know what he said. But this kid has never
spoken, even on the playground previously.

The playground monitors watched in tears, knowing the importance of this
breakthrough. But something caused this kid to need to TALK to Tuck. And
he did.

Now if we can just bring this inside. This is a HUGE breakthrough. The
kids behaved in the classroom, and we are starting to see the results we
needed to see. I had almost given this up as hopeless.
It was a great day, and Tuck's classroom shadowing will continue.
  #2  
Old March 13th 08, 06:41 PM posted to rec.pets.dogs.behavior
shelly
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Posts: 6,155
Default speechless

diddy wrote:

But Tuck's kid, showed the other kids how Tuck could do
hand signals, and then his lips moved, and the kid was TALKING!


That's awfully cool! It made me all weepy. Well done to all of you.

--
Shelly
http://www.cat-sidh.net (the Mother Ship)
http://esther.cat-sidh.net (Letters to Esther)
  #3  
Old March 13th 08, 06:46 PM posted to rec.pets.dogs.behavior
Paul E. Schoen
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Posts: 1,654
Default speechless


"diddy" none wrote in message
. ..

The playground monitors watched in tears, knowing the importance of this
breakthrough. But something caused this kid to need to TALK to Tuck. And
he did.

Now if we can just bring this inside. This is a HUGE breakthrough. The
kids behaved in the classroom, and we are starting to see the results we
needed to see. I had almost given this up as hopeless.
It was a great day, and Tuck's classroom shadowing will continue.


Great news! It's wonderful that you and Tuck have made such a contribution.
And I'm happy to hear you survived the nasty weather out there in Ohio. I
remember the tornado that ripped up Xenia. I had planned to visit my friend
that weekend, but then went the next week.

It's (nearly) Spring!

Paul and Muttley


  #4  
Old March 13th 08, 06:47 PM posted to rec.pets.dogs.behavior
diddy[_2_]
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Posts: 3,108
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Shelly spoke these words of wisdom in news:frbp0d$87p$1
@registered.motzarella.org:

diddy wrote:

But Tuck's kid, showed the other kids how Tuck could do
hand signals, and then his lips moved, and the kid was TALKING!


That's awfully cool! It made me all weepy. Well done to all of you.


Thank you. I'm still high on this. It was a weepy moment all the way around
  #5  
Old March 13th 08, 06:48 PM posted to rec.pets.dogs.behavior
shelly
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Posts: 6,155
Default speechless

diddy wrote:

Thank you. I'm still high on this. It was a weepy moment all the way around


I hope the high continues for a long while. You're doing good work,
and it's well deserved.

--
Shelly
http://www.cat-sidh.net (the Mother Ship)
http://esther.cat-sidh.net (Letters to Esther)
  #6  
Old March 13th 08, 06:51 PM posted to rec.pets.dogs.behavior
diddy[_2_]
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Posts: 3,108
Default speechless

"Paul E. Schoen" spoke these words of wisdom in
:


"diddy" none wrote in message
. ..

The playground monitors watched in tears, knowing the importance of
this breakthrough. But something caused this kid to need to TALK to
Tuck. And he did.

Now if we can just bring this inside. This is a HUGE breakthrough. The
kids behaved in the classroom, and we are starting to see the results
we needed to see. I had almost given this up as hopeless.
It was a great day, and Tuck's classroom shadowing will continue.


Great news! It's wonderful that you and Tuck have made such a
contribution. And I'm happy to hear you survived the nasty weather out
there in Ohio. I remember the tornado that ripped up Xenia. I had
planned to visit my friend that weekend, but then went the next week.

It's (nearly) Spring!

Paul and Muttley




We haven't survived it yet. Branches came down on the fences. We did some
emergency patches... But the dog's keep leaking from the yard. The fence
people can't get here for weeks. They are swarmed with many people with the
same dilemma. Stringing chain across keeps the horse in, but the dogs
don't respect cobbled fence repairs.

Hand walking here, and it's not enough. All this snow is melting, and the
ground is sloppy and soggy, and since it's fields, and not sidewalks, we
are all muddy. Nothing like walking the dogs in mud that sucks the boots
off your feet.


We are now in the aftermath phase.

I need fence people!
  #7  
Old March 13th 08, 07:00 PM posted to rec.pets.dogs.behavior
montana wildhack
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Posts: 3,032
Default speechless

On 2008-03-13 13:27:43 -0400, diddy none said:

and then his lips moved, and the kid was TALKING!


Wow.

What you and Tuck have done is amazing. Canine therapy is a powerful
tool as evinced by this incredible transformation.

You're right, this is HUGE. And so fast. Now on to the next step;
talking inside the school building.

The fact that Tuck could reach this boy is going to have so many
positive implications for the rest of his life. Good for both of you
and good for the boy who wouldn't speak.

  #8  
Old March 13th 08, 07:01 PM posted to rec.pets.dogs.behavior
Suja
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Default speechless


"diddy" none wrote in message:


But Tuck's presence in the classroom, although not affecting this boy,
creating a huge distraction and disturbance that negatively impacted the
learning environment for the rest of the students.


I got to this part and went Uh-Oh!, but am thrilled to bits that it worked
out. How totally awesome that Tuck finally got the poor child to
communicate! Good on both of you.

Suja


  #9  
Old March 13th 08, 07:16 PM posted to rec.pets.dogs.behavior
diddy[_2_]
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Posts: 3,108
Default speechless

"Suja" spoke these words of wisdom in
:


"diddy" none wrote in message:


But Tuck's presence in the classroom, although not affecting this boy,
creating a huge distraction and disturbance that negatively impacted the
learning environment for the rest of the students.


I got to this part and went Uh-Oh!, but am thrilled to bits that it

worked
out. How totally awesome that Tuck finally got the poor child to
communicate! Good on both of you.

Suja




Thank you. I had little to no part in this. And Tuck didn't ask him to talk
either. So i can't claim the kudo's. The momentum was all from the part of
the kid. But I remember, when I first started this, I did not want to
drive 2 1/2 hours away to pay $40 to get my dog tested as a therapy, dog,
then pay to get them certified (insurance purposes) and then pay my own gas
and donate my time to work with kids that I didn't know and didn't care
about.

I got talked into this. I did this under pressure from a friend. SHE was a
school teacher. Teaching was her profession of choice. Both of my parents
were school teachers, and I knew early on, teaching was NOT something i
wanted to do (My parents loved it, but although a noble profession, not a
good paying on, and involving a lot of money, summers, time in continueing
education, and after school grading , meetings and class preparation. I
wanted a job i could walk away from and leave. Teachers work all summer,
even when not in the classroom. it's an all consuming job, done right)

And the first week on the job in therapy work, I was skeptical. But as I
watch these kids progress, I now am thrilled with their progress. I found
that I DO care for them VERY much, They are no longer anonymous beings. I
want them to succeed. i can't help looking at them, wonder who they will
be. What their futures hold. Will this make a difference?


I watch how hard these teachers are working to make the difference in these
kids lives, and I can't believe the progress they make with some of the
problems they have to work with. They bust their butts, think outside the
box and try ANYTHING to make break throughs with these kids. Sitting in
their classrooms, it's not at all like school as i remember it. I see the
innovative ways they relate to these children and am in awe.

That "anything" that they will try, includes bringing dogs into the
classroom.

I admire their patience. I admire their finesse to gently get behaviors out
of these children.

And in doing this, I'm in gratitude to my friend, who broke my arm to get
involved.

I have learned a lot in this program. Even low functioning kids are NOT
throw away people! I learned a lot about myself. I learned from Tuck, that
each one is a WONDERFUL person. He thinks so, and so do I.

I care very much about each of these children, and the journey that this
expedition has taken me on. And in the process, i had found that I'm not
too old to change, and that my perspectives SHOULD change, and NEEDED to be
changed, and ... i like myself a little better.


  #10  
Old March 13th 08, 07:34 PM posted to rec.pets.dogs.behavior
montana wildhack
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Posts: 3,032
Default speechless

On 2008-03-13 14:16:31 -0400, diddy none said:

i had found that I'm not
too old to change


None of us is too old to change and when we are open to it, it can be a
beautiful thing.

Sometimes change has to be a big thing and sometimes it sneaks up on you.

You allowed yourself to be strong-armed. You went several extra miles
out of the way in the beginning with the certification. You have to
extend yourself grooming Tuck for his visits. You went above and beyond
to train Tuck on flash cards. You went beyond the call of duty by
cementing, in those children's minds, that you cared about them by
making them little gifts. You searched your mind and talents to find
different approaches that might work. You went a few steps further by
attempting to set in place a program that would educate children about
good dog stewardship. And then you allowed yourself to really care.

Having someone care, who isn't employed by the school or a relation, is
a gigantic thing for a kid to experience. Having a dog, a zen master,
(and a really fluffy one at that) like Tuck as a friend is a gift.

So, take some kudos, pat yourselves (and Reka) on the back, pat your
friend on the back and take a moment. It's well deserved. Well done!

 




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