Teacher's pet
September 22nd 2010 03:33
Paula the Labrador helps out in the classroom at Leopoldschule, Karlsruhe, Germany.
DOG NEWS: Presented by Daisy and Scratchy
There is an interesting news item today about a program in Germany where they are using dogs as teaching aids in schools with special needs kids. They had a sweet picture of a Labrador looking at an exercise book, and a witty heading about wagging school.
Scratchy: I could do that.
Daisy: With due respect, Scratchy my friend, what makes you think you could cope with the requirements needed to help in a special school environment?
Scratchy: Three meal breaks.
Daisy: What?
Scratchy: Morning recess, lunch and afternoon recess. Three eat times.
Daisy: You are missing the point, Scratchy. This is a groundbreaking educational initiative. This is about a structured team approach to learning. This is about the children, not you.
Scratchy: And snacks.
Daisy: Pardon?
Scratchy: Kids bring all sorts of snacks from home, and they love to feed dogs. Theoretically, I could eat all day.
news.com.au; image: Agence France Presse
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Comment by heidiclyde
Really your Scratchy is just about the limit, isn't he?
Greyhounds really can do anything, I'm sure we could be better in the class room than a Labrador and we are very proud because we are very important parts of a special programme for Greyhounds here in South Australia. Angela says we are better suited for the job than any other breed.
Our Missus helps us to train GAP hounds to live in Aged Care facilities. We teach them extra good manners and our obedience club has bought an old walking frame so they can help us train them too.
Bailey, the first ever A.C. GAP hound lives in our valley and goes to training with us most Sundays, (it gets a bit crowded with four hounds in the ute at once, I have to share my back seat with Clyde or the foster hound). The foster hounds go to visit Bailey's home to see if they will like living with lots of old people, the old people like the visits but they say none of the other hounds are a patch on Bailey.
Clyde and the Missus took Rosco over to Elliston a month or so ago and the old folk there say he is the best hound ever. I realise the folk at Elliston have a good point as the only other hound they met was the old bag of bones himself but I think the residents of the Gilbert Valley home are all a bit confused. How could they not recognise real class on the occasions that I visit them?
Your friend,
Heidi.
Comment by Chris Champion
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Greyhounds in aged care homes is popular here now too, and we've heard of regular greyhounds visits to prisons as well.
There is an aged care home right next to the park we run in most days, and we've heard Big Boss saying to Little Boss, "We should offer to take Daisy and Scratchy in there for visits."
He's said it several times. One day he might actually do something about it.
Licks, Daisy
Comment by heidiclyde
We think the hounds in Victoria visit Aged Care facilities, we train our foster hounds to live with the residents so they feel they own them. The Missus gave a talk about our efforts at the GAP national conference last month and she gained that impression in the discussion afterwards. We have a huge boy living with us now who is going to go to a big home in Adelaide and there's going to be lots of publicity about him. Pity he's about the most ugly Greyhound we've ever met, he's got a Roman nose (he's called Roman) and looks like a huge, skinny Bull Terrier. The Missus says his face has character, I think she's just trying to think of something nice to say about him!
Tail wags,
Heidi.
(the Ho bit is old stuff, every one says it to me, and I don't think it's very polite when they go on to sing about elephants. Do you get called Daisy, Daisy? Apparently it's the start of another silly song.)