When I bring Red to Connie’s room, I stop at the door and knock, and ask Connie if she wants to see Red. She brightens, turns her head and smiles, “yes,” she says softly, and red, who is nervous on shiny floors, makes his way into the room, maneuvers gently between Connie and her oxygen carrier, and over the tubes that bring her oxygen.

It is perhaps the most complex work for the therapy dog, maneuvering into small spaces, moving gingerly so as not to disengage tubes or knock anything over, the dog must have an instinct for caution and delicacy. He or she must also take great care to not ever jump on a patient, he must be affectionate without being demonstrative.

Not an easy thing for dogs to grasp, and the thing that causes therapy dog owners the most trouble. Now, I stay in the hallway when Red and Connie meet, he leans up and into her and she holds  his head in her hands, rubs his ears, talk to him so gently and softly I don’t hear it.

I am nearby, so Red can see me, and I am close enough to intervene should he get tangled in tubes or surprised by something (once or twice in our work, in other places, a cat has sprung out from under a bed and hissed or pounced, Red is always calm and responsive.) He looks at me every few minutes, and when he does, I always look at the person we are visiting, to guide his attention to the patient, not to me.

People often come up to chat with me while we are working, but I discourage it, not to be unfriendly, but because I need to pay attention to Red, and he needs the reinforcement I give him with hand gestures, nods and sometimes, a few commands. Usually, holding my hand up is enough to signal him to stay.

Red is focused between 30 and 45 minutes, it is tiring work, I can see, so we leave after that. Today was an exceptionally good visit, we met some new people, joined the dice game in the activity room, wandered the hallways. I’ll post more photos later tonight.

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The residents dearly love the cards and letters you are sending them,  you can write them if you wish, care of The Mansion, 11 S. Union Street, Cambridge, N.Y., 12816.