Another great therapy dog training session with Fate at the Mansion. She got overly excited at first, then settled down to doing what a good therapy dog does: cheer people up.

Alice was feeling ill today, she seemed tired and lifeless. I asked her if she wanted to see Fate and she lit up, and Fate got up on the sofa, put her head in Alice’s lap and stayed put for several minutes – an eternity for Fate.

She is getting the idea of greeting people as the work, and this seems to be her calling, not really sheep. I suppose in some ways, she has been trying to tell me that for some time.

She greeted a dozen people, sat still while they petted her, and I took her off-leash for the last part of the lesson.  She’s got what it takes, we have to do some work around the edges.

I asked Maria to come along with Fate and I to the Mansion so she could see how well Fate was doing: she wrote about it on her blog.

This training has been so much more successful than I imagine it would be, especially after just two visits. I’m proud of Fate, and I can see that doing this work makes her feel good about herself, and perhaps even proud of herself. A very good day for her, and when she left her, Alice was smiling from ear to ear.

This is exactly what a good therapy dog is supposed to do.