Victor is an Excellent Reading Teacher...and a Mastiff!!!

[crickett]

Reading has been really going to the dogs in one Maryland school district. Victor has been raising the reading scores of students in a Maryland school district. Children can't wait to open their books and read to this 215 pound gentle giant.
http://www.koco.com/video/17670990/i...tml?source=CNN

I love this dog....

[Pixie]

HA! That dog is awesome! I wonder if my kids school would let me bring in my 90lb pit bull?

[Kitty]

Our local library has a similar program, called Paws to Read where handlers bring the dogs in, it's supposed to build confidence in struggling readers. Awesome concept =)

http://www.wrl.org/kids/paws.html

[Eagles Mom]

My 5 year old Australian Cattle Dog is working to be certfied as a Therapy Dog. I would love to do something like this with him.

[Sister Iroz]

What a great idea! Wonder if the dog had to go through any training like the dogs that are therapy dogs.

[Kitty]

What a great idea! Wonder if the dog had to go through any training like the dogs that are therapy dogs.

The dogs our library uses are registered therapy dogs.

Eagle Mom, congrats on your certification!

[prettyuglyish]

That's all cute & cuddly and everything. I'm glad that it encourages children to read. I'm for anything that does that. BUT, I found this little tidbit to be a load of crap: "He's non-judgmental. He doesn't correct the children when they're reading."

What's with that? I volunteer in both of my kids' classrooms. I do "Book Bridges" with them (listening to them read). When they're having trouble with a word, I help them sound it out - and praise them when they figure it out. I encourage them when they're having trouble. They ask me what words mean and I explain. Can Victor do that?

To me, what that dick-in-a-blue-shirt said is in line with the whole "creative spelling" bullshit, and not wanting to damage little Johnny's self-esteem. I think we should focus more on children's self-control than self-esteem. The world is full of people who think they're fucking entitled. But I digress...

Please continue...

[maryhaze]

an english mastiff is my dream dog! (yeah, like i need another). i do wish they'd specified he was an english, some of the other mastiff types aren't quite so good around kids. anyway, i think it's a great program & i'm for anything that encourages kids to read.

[maryhaze]

HA! That dog is awesome! I wonder if my kids school would let me bring in my 90lb pit bull?

get him trained by starting for a CGC. they can do therapy work with that basic thing under their name. CGC is canine good citizen & there actually is a book that tells you how to work for it. i keep saying i'm gonna go for it with one of my dogs, but i'm nastier than they are, so why bother?

[Eagles Mom]

get him trained by starting for a CGC. they can do therapy work with that basic thing under their name. CGC is canine good citizen & there actually is a book that tells you how to work for it. i keep saying i'm gonna go for it with one of my dogs, but i'm nastier than they are, so why bother?

My boy, Luke, has his CGC. It's a 10 step "test" that the dog has to pass and costs around $10.00. It's pretty basic things like showing manners while walking through a crowd of strangers, passing a friendly dog without aggression, response to something that startles the dog (like an umbrella opening), sitting for petting from a friendly stranger, grooming by a friendly stranger, staying on a down while you walk 20 feet away and come back, staying for 2 or 3 minutes with a stranger while you are out of sight.

Mostly it's just to prove your dog isn't a menace to others. With some breeds it can help with homeowners insurance. You can also find the requirements on the American Kennel Club website www.akc.org.

Around here you can't do Therapy Work with just the CGC. You have to get that just to begin training for your TD (Therapy Dog).