I’m taking Fate out Tuesday for a trial run as a therapy dog, we’re going to the Mansion.

Red is nearing the end of his therapy work, he tires easily, especially in the heat, and I find that  the work now tires him in a way that is not healthy for him right now. He mostly sleeps.

I love doing this work with dogs. I have considered training Bud, but as great as he is, he has evolved into a dog who is easily distracted and always looking for something to chase or pursue. He’s wonderful inside the house, but he came to me too late to alter his basic personality in a way I can completely trust with older, sometimes sick, people.

I have this idea – it has been growing inside of me for months, ever since Red got sick – that Fate might make a wonderful therapy dog. She is very curious, active and excitable, but she loves people and has an intuitive way of connecting to them, as some border collies do.

Izzy was a wonderful therapy dog, so is Red. Fate is very responsive, she is crazy about people and loves to be touched and petted. She is more excitable than red, and for a while, was jumping up on people, but I think we’ve trained her out of that in recent months.

She didn’t turn out to be an affective herding dog, but she did turn out to be a great dog, curious, bright and eager to investigate the world.

She loves attention, stays calm in changing circumstances and loves to be touched, even by strangers. I saw these photos Maria took of her with Peggie from the Mansion – a bunch of the residents came to the farm for lunch today – and this is what I often see with Fate.

I’ve only brought her to the Mansion once before, and it did go well. I’m going Tuesday (tomorrow) to do my weekly reading to the residents, and I’m going to bring Fate, let’s see what happens.

She loves to work, and she responds instantly to me – this is essential for therapy dogs. She has a very loving nature with people, always is the first to greet them, she is a serial cuddler.

So we’ll see. I think this work could be good for her. Or, I could just be wrong. I will be very careful with her, I have a zero tolerance philosophy when it comes to dogs and therapy work.