• Spending time with pets makes people healthier (source).
• Volunteering is one of the best things people can do to improve happiness (source).

So forget kale and jogging; volunteering with pets must be one of the best things that we can do to stay happy and healthy. At least that’s been my experience working with Stevie as a Pet Partners Therapy Team through Therapy Animals of Utah and the Delta Society.

Stevie and I volunteer every other week at the Volunteers of America Detox Center. Stevie enjoys his therapy work immensely. During his visits, he hangs out with the residents and gets love and attention. He’s not the only one who gets something out of it. Last May, the Detox Center gave us an award for Stevie’s extraordinary and loving presence.

If you’re interested in becoming a therapy team with your dog or cat, here’s some information about how we became one.

Making Sure Your Dog Has the Right Temperament

Ever since Stevie came to live with us at 13 weeks old, he was outgoing and excited to meet new people. That first weekend we took him to the farmers market, out to brunch, to pet supply stores, and to visit friends. You might think this would scare a blind puppy, but he just ate it up. He was ecstatic whenever anyone noticed him and came over to say hi.

That innate interest in meeting new people is the most important part of being a therapy dog. If your dog doesn’t enjoy new people petting him or her, being a therapy dog will not be any fun at all. Because I knew therapy work was something that I wanted to do with Stevie and I knew he had the inclination, I went out of my way to give him as many positive experiences as I could with new people and places.

Building Obedience Skills

I enrolled Stevie in a puppy kindergarten class as soon as I could. A good puppy kindergarten class will alternate a couple minutes of doing something obedience related with a few minutes of letting all the puppies play. It’s always positive, and it’s a blast. It might not seem like the pups are learning much, but it builds some awesome groundwork for later obedience work.

Don’t worry if your dog is older. From puppy kindergarten, we moved onto a Canine Good Citizen class. This class trains you and your dog for the Canine Good Citizenship test, which is similar to the obedience portions of the Delta Society’s evaluation. You can learn more about the CGC test and find a class here: http://www.akc.org/events/cgc/training_testing.cfm

Having a well-trained and socialized dog is essential. Stevie is easier to handle, and I know how he reacts in all sort of different situations. This makes our therapy work so much easier and safer. It also makes our daily lives easier and safer. I’d have a hard time taking an untrained dog out to a busy park or on a hike, but Stevie does just fine in those situations, and he’s blind.

Training the Person

Shortly after Stevie turned one (the minimum age to be a therapy dog), I attended an 8-hour workshop on how to be a Pet Partner handler. We talked about everything from how to get a dog ready for a visit to how to maneuver a dog around a wheel chair.

This is an important requirement.  Everyday I’m Stevie’s guide person out in the world, and as part of a Pet Partners team, you are your dog’s guide person on therapy visits. There’s a lot to be aware of and to do to keep your dog and the people you are visiting safe. By the end of our visits, I’m often as tired as Stevie is.

The Evaluation

A couple months after the workshop, Stevie and I went through the Delta Society’s team evaluation. It checks for basic obedience, temperament, and how well the animal and person work together. Here’s a description: http://www.deltasociety.org/Page.aspx?pid=264

I was a nervous wreck going into it. Stevie, of course, was blissfully unaware of what was happening. He was just excited about all the new people. He had one hiccup on his stay – totally my fault – but rocked it on the second try. He also started running toward someone with a walker.

The nice thing about the evaluation is that you get three tries on everything, including the whole evaluation if you don’t pass. There are also varying levels of passing. Stevie and I passed but can’t visit facilities for the medically fragile until Stevie gets better around those walkers.

The Health Checkup

After the evaluation, we headed to the vet for a checkup and to have him fill out some paperwork stating that Stevie was healthy enough to be a therapy dog. After that, I sent in all the paperwork and waited 3-4 weeks for Delta to process it.

This didn’t work quite so smoothly for us. In addition to being blind, Stevie has had seizures in the past. This meant I had to get an additional letter from our vet and wait a bit longer for our application to be processed.

The nice thing about Delta is that they don’t discriminate against any kind of dog. Stevie has two strikes against him: being a pit bull and being disabled. That might make some people think he should just stay at home, but Delta recognizes that he has a unique gift to give.

It’s always hard bringing a new foster dog into your home. First, he’s probably not house trained, and if he is, he’ll probably still make a few mistakes adjusting to a new place. Second, he may or may not get along with the other dogs. Third, he may have horrific manners or be completely stressed out and require a lot of extra attention and work.

But the hardest part of all is that moment when he gets comfortable, starts to show his true self, and you start to fall in love. You can almost always see for second how that dog could fit into your life permanently. It would be so easy to just pull his PetFinder listing and adopt him yourself. Never to march him down to PetSmart again.

Of course, in your heart, you know there’s a steady stream of other dogs who will need foster homes. And there is that rush of taking a dog from from stressed out mess to a dog some rational family are willing to bring permanently into their homes.

Brian and I had been going back and forth on this with Little Bee. With our other fosters, it was easy. Hazelnut didn’t get along with the feral chihuahuas, and there’s really nowhere else for them to go. It was apparent Sammy would never get along with Stevie, and we’re not getting rid of Stevie. And Moki.. well, he was a little love who was sure to be snapped up quickly.

But Little Bee came to us a nervous wreck, and getting him to a point where he might be able to even go to an adoption event is so far down the road. We were sure to fall in love before then. Plus there’s the risk. He’s a frightened pit bull, and in the wrong situation, he could lash out. We’ve gotten to know him, and he’s got a big heart underneath that fear. But without the right knowledge, someone could easily put him into a situation most other dogs could handle, but Little Bee couldn’t.

So we’ve decided to keep him and work with him. Now that he’s gotten comfortable with us and the dogs, it’s clear that he just fits. We’ve got a long road to help him get past the hard start to his life, but we’ll get him there.

Boo was a stray and a pit bull, and dogs with those characterstics often don’t meet a happy end. One study shows that 93% of pit bulls coming into shelters are euthanized. Another indicates that only 1 in 600 pit bulls find a forever home; the rest are euthanized. (source)

I hope those numbers aren’t true. Any pit bull put down solely on the basis of his or her breed is a tragedy. It’s tragic for the dogs and also a huge loss for us. Boo changed my life. He made me get out on walks and hikes. He helped me make friends. He kept me warm on cold nights. And Stevie… well, watching Stevie do his therapy work is like watching a miracle take place. People open up with him in a way that they don’t open up with other people.

This is actually a long and convoluted way of me saying that we have a new foster. After Sammy and Moki got adopted in November, we enjoyed the peace and quiet of just having five dogs for a while. Then one of the women involved in the rescue group emailed me about two dogs at a local shelter with a higher euthanization rate. Both of them were bully breeds. I didn’t last long with the thought of them in my head. I headed to the shelter and ended up bringing one home.

His name was Hermit. He’s a shy and frightened little guy. The first night it took me over an hour to coax him out of the yard and into the house. Once inside, he was nervous, but luckily, he discovered the couch and the bed pretty quickly. We used these as our in.

Brian and I decided that he needed a more optimistically outgoing name to draw him out of his shell, so we settled on Little Bee. He’s been doing so well at home that we attempted a hike today, but Brian had to turn around and wait in the car with him. It was just too much too soon.

It’s going to be slow progress with this Little Bee, but at the end of the journey, I know there’s someone out there just meant to be with Little Bee. Nobody’s going to miss out on his love on my watch.

If you read this far, I’m going to take an opportunity to introduce Magnum. He’s the dog I didn’t bring home, but he’s awesome. Even after a month in the shelter, he was happy and loving when I met him, and he was so enthusiastic about meeting a couple of my dogs, even after Amos nipped at his face. He’s in desperate need of a foster or forever home. If you have space yourself or you know anyone, here’s his info: https://www.facebook.com/WVCAnimalAdoptions/posts/294855150557689?ref=notif&notif_t=share_reply

I couldn’t be happier for the little guy, although I will miss his ecstatic happy dance.

I’m sure we’ll have another foster before we can count to ten. Stevie is hoping that this one will want to play with him.

Not for us. Brian kept mentioning him, and I started to call regularly to check on him. The reports were good, but at the time, the shelter was overflowing. I ended up going in a few weeks later, and the poor guy was emaciated and had what looked like a very painful neuter. I asked the rescue group we foster through to take him and brought the little guy home.

This brought our dog count up to way too many, but an emaciated Chihuahua can fit in just about anywhere.

We ended up naming him Moki after a road in Southern Utah that snakes up the most beautiful orange-colored bluff. For the first week, he just slept and cuddled. During the second week, he pepped up a bit. By the third week, he was truly ecstatic and jumping over our furniture. He had a few spats with Izzy after she stole one too many treats out of his crate, but that passed.

He and Sammy bonded over their shared passion for our bed, and for the first time, we got to see Sammy play. (Stevie was very jealous.)

By yesterday, he was healthy and ready for adoptions. We lugged all the foster dogs to PetSmart, and I fully expected our time with him to be over.

Then came the surprise. A couple came in and fell in love with Sammy. They have older children, and one of their adult daughters had just gotten a little dog. They had a dog pass away last year at 15 of cancer, and they were ready for another. They were unphased by his bad habits and seemed completely ready to spoil him.

So we’re short a dog, but not the one I expected. Instead, it was the one that I’ve been cuddling with for the last 11 months. The one who kept getting passed over. I definitely miss Sammy with his full-size attitude and nubbin tail, but I’m ecstatic that he’s finally found his forever home.

It was dog friendly and included a kitchenette. The one weird thing about the Parry Lodge is that all the cars in the parking lot look like they have just been washed. I’m not sure what everyone else is doing down here, but apparently it’s not what we’re doing. Our car was, and still is, covered in dirt and sand.

From Kanab we headed further south towards the Grand Canyon. Unfortunately, Grand Canyon National Park isn’t particularly dog friendly, but the Kaibab National Forest on the northern side of the canyon is. We hiked the Rainbow Rim trail from Timp to North Timp and enjoyed some pretty nice views.

The trail was a little bit rocky, which is probably why this trail is more popular with mountain bikers. The nice thing is that you’ll probably have the trail mostly to yourself. We met a group of bikers, but that was it.

While we were in the Kaibab National Forest, we decided to stop and do a hike to Lookout Canyon. It was an easy hike through the forest, but I’m not sure I’d do it again. There weren’t great views, and we ended up running into a few cows when we got into the canyon.

We wrapped up our day with a delicious dinner at Rewind Diner. Rocking V is the restaurant that gets the most attention in Kanab, but I don’t think it’s worth it for the price. Rewind Diner does diner food, and they do it really well. They have an extensive vegetarian menu, and everything is fresh. Brian and I both enjoyed their veggie Saturn burger.

It’s healthy because there’s a veggie burger somewhere under that giant melting glob of cheese.

The next day we headed out of Kanab and up the Skutumpah Road. It’s dirt and connects Highway 89 to Highway 12. It doesn’t save you any time, but it offers some great views…

… and access to great hiking. We opted for Willis Creek on this trip. We tried this hike twice before. The first time was in November when it was filled with ice, and I didn’t make it too far with the dogs. The second time was in March when the road was covered with melting snow, making the trailhead inaccessible.

This try worked out, and we made it into the slot canyons that this hike is known for.

There was a little bit of water flowing through the creek, which felt refreshing in the 85 degree temps. Stevie loved it.

Once we got to Highway 12, we turned toward Escalante and setup camp at Escalante Outfitters. We’ve stayed in their cabins before, but this time we opted to camp. They have elevated spots for tents and nice bathrooms with great water pressure.

From Escalante, we tried two new hikes: Upper Calf Creek Falls and the Escalante River trail to the Escalante Natural Bridge.

The trailhead for Upper Calf Creek Falls is in the middle of one of the most spectacular sections of Highway 12 where you’re coasting along a ridge of slick rock and looking off into the canyons below.

For the hike, you basically make your way down the slick rock toward a creek below.

Much like Lower Calf Creek Falls, I don’t think I’d do this one in the heat. The majority of the hike is pretty exposed, although you do end up in a shady creek.

The falls are nice too, but I didn’t get a great picture of them.

The hike to the Escalante Natural Bridge is less strenuous. It’s a sandy trail that runs alongside the Escalante River, and there are multiple river crossings.

The trail goes on for miles, but we just went to the view of the bridge. It was pretty impressive.

The food options in Escalante are ok, but if you’re willing to drive a little ways, you’ll be greatly rewarded. One of my favorite places in the world is the Kiva Koffeehouse, just a few miles east of Escalante. The views from their patio are amazing.

And their breakfast options are also pretty phenomenal. I ended up ordering their fried sweet potatoes with arugula twice.

If you continue east on Highway 12, you’ll end up at the Hell’s Backbone Grill in Boulder. It’s not cheap, and you’ll probably need to make a reservation if you want to eat dinner there. But it’s totally worth it. I opted for the stuffed zucchini.

All in all, it was a great trip to kick off fall.

Not to be out done, Izzy made her first film appearance in a clip for Best Friends encouraging people to adopt pups from shelters.

I think her exuberance for dog rescue really shows through. If you need any help finding your invisible dog, just let me know!

I’m so proud of my little guy. He’s come along way since Brian brought him home over two years ago as a 20-pound puppy.

Last month marked three years since we started fostering pups for Utah Animal Advocacy Foundation. The comment I get most often when I tell people that I foster is that it must be so hard to give up a dog. But it’s something that I’ve never done.

In the last three years, four dogs have come into my home: Olive, Sweet Pea, Hazelnut, and Sammy. Hazelnut ended up going to a shelter in Colorado, but Olive, Sweet Pea, and Sammy still live in our house.

I certainly understand why they’re still here. Olive and Sweet Pea are old, and you can’t hold or pet them. Sammy is also old and has a bad habit of peeing out of the side of his crate at adoption events. People just don’t understand that he only does it because he hates being there and wants to go home. Hazelnut, meanwhile, waits in Colorado for someone to bring her home as an only dog.

I love all of them, but I’d also love them to find forever homes. Everyday new dogs come into shelters needing homes. If any of my fosters got adopted, one of those dogs could come home with me.

If you know anyone who might be looking for a special needs pup:

• Olive and Sweet Pea
• Sammy
• Hazelnut

If you want a less needy pup, check with your local rescue group. Puppies show up all the time, and the lingering recession means that well-trained dogs get surrendered by their owners everyday.

The studio we stayed in is operated by the same people who run the Kanab Garden Cottages. We stayed in one of their houses a few years ago, and it was great. The studios are small but recently updated and well laid out with a full kitchen. The price is good, but there’s a 5-night minimum stay.

Kanab is great place to visit with dogs. It’s home to Best Friends Animal Sanctuary, and Grand Staircase Escalante National Monument is nearby for a lot of dog-friendly hiking. I’ve been to Kanab a few times with my dogs, and I always want to volunteer at Best Friends. The problem is that most of the accommodations in town require that dogs are attended, and Best Friends won’t allow you to bring your own dogs. There also aren’t any boarding facilities anywhere nearby.

To get around that this time, Brian and I took turns watching the dogs and volunteering for our first two mornings in town. I got to help out at the new Puppy Care Center, and he got to walk dogs at the Lodges. It was great to help out and see how the different areas actually operate, and they definitely needed the help. There aren’t as many volunteers in the winter, but dogs still need walking and socializing.

Hopi was my guy for puppy socialization class. For 9 months old, he was very well behaved.

Our morning sessions left the afternoons free for hiking. We hiked Wire Pass to Buckskin Gulch on our first day. It’s a fun and easy slot canyon. The trail head is about 30 minutes from Kanab, and the hike is pretty short.

Wire Pass gets down to about 2 feet wide, and it hooks up to Buckskin Gulch at the end. Buckskin Gulch stretches 20 some miles, so you could keep walking if you wanted. Unfortunately, while it was dry in Wire Pass, Buckskin Gulch was muddy and slippery. We opted to head back out at the end. They just raised the fee from $5 to $6, and you have to pay for your dogs too. It was still worth it.

The next day we headed south from Kanab on Highway 89A. We had a description of a hike to the now defunct Sun Valley uranium mine from trails.com. I couldn’t find a description of the trail anywhere else, although I did later find this description on hikearizona.com. The trail head was about 70 minutes from Kanab in the middle of nowhere with no good markings. We actually went past it and then came back. We knew we were at the right spot because of the warning sign.

The hike leads up an old mining road into the Vermillion cliffs. It gains about 400 feet in elevation, but it was an easy hike overall. Someone had hiked it recently, but no one was around when we were there. Izzy enjoyed romping around, and the views got better and better as we headed up.

And then we arrived at the mine.

It was on the other side of a wash. We ended up hiking a little ways up the wash behind the mine. The road looked like it might have continued up behind the mine, but we decided to save that for another day.

Overall, the hike was totally off the beaten path and pretty interesting. I’d recommend it if you’re looking for something easy on a cooler day in the area. On hikearizona.com, some of the reviewers have been up there with Geiger counters. The risk is pretty low, but I wouldn’t take any rocks home.

On our full free day in Kanab, we hoped to drive up Skumptah Road to Willis Creek. We made it about 20 or 30 miles before it got a too treacherous. The road was covered with snow which was melting, and we were afraid of getting stuck. By the time we got turned around and back to town, we’d blown half the day.

We ending up doing the Bunting Trail instead. It’s in town and really easily accessible. It heads up the cliffs that surround Kanab to a nice overlook.

The elevation gain is about 800 feet, and we were able to get Stevie up there without too much lifting. It wasn’t quite the slot canyon that I was hoping for, but it was still a good way to finish out the trip.

After all of our hikes, we discovered a new place to eat: The Rewind Diner. It’s has a full vegetarian menu in addition to it’s traditional diner menu. We ended up there two nights and would have eaten there more if they hadn’t been closed on Sundays.