This is my eldest Golden Retriever, Xena, who was probably the most wonderful therapy dog I have ever had the pleasure to know. She and I worked together in Galveston, TX at Hope Therapy, where I coordinated their Animal Assisted Therapy program. Now, at the age of 10, she is making an encore visit!!
It was wonderful to see Xena excited about returning to "work". As we entered the skilled nursing facility where I work, she trotted alongside me, tail in the air and wagging, and a big "grin" on her face. As is typical of Xena, as each client came into our therapy room, Xena was the first to greet them with a wag of her tail and a sniff of their hand. As you can see here, Xena likes to be with people and really enjoys love and attention. Another trademark Xena behavior is to carry around a soft toy in her mouth. Here, she's managed to find Chief's toy and proceeded to bring it to each resident for them to throw.
It's always hard to retire a therapy dog such as Xena, but the decision was made that she was getting older and starting to develop arthritis. Visiting people on slick floors runs the risk of slipping for her, and I was not willing to take that risk for her. I retired her about 2 years ago, but as you can see...it's in her blood!!
If you look at the pictures on my website and see pictures of Golden Retrievers, most likely they are pictures of Xena at work. Take a moment to look at her in action....I am quite proud to say that she is my dog!
Tammy
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