Me and the Doods.com

Every Day Is National Dog Day

Last Thursday was National Dog Day but anyone who has ever loved a dog knows that everyday is National Dog Day.

ELBEE That’s a given.

Dogs have been a part of my life as far back as I can remember. In my early pictures there always seemed to be a dog in my stroller.

ELBEE I hate to judge but she was a pretty unattractive toddler. Her mother put them there so that people could say “how cute,” without having to lie. Remember, it was before photoshop.

About fifteen years ago, my love and respect for dogs rose to a whole new level when Charley, my first therapy dog, came into my life. I will never forget how brave I felt walking into UCLA with him by my side or the smiles that greeted us. Thinking about his first bed visit with a woman waiting for a heart transplant still fills me with wonder.

Over the past month or so, sitting outside early in the morning with Henry has given me time to reflect. It’s very peaceful and quiet. I think about Charley and Elbee who are gone.

ELBEE We are gone but never will be forgotten if I have anything to do with it.

I also think about Gus and Stanley who have done so many Zoom calls over the pandemic that I’ve lost count. A few weeks ago when restrictions were slightly lifted, I was so grateful to take them in to see the kids in the neuropsych units in person. Two of those visits have stuck with me.

One was with a teenage girl who had lost her dog and started crying as soon as she saw Stanley. He immediately walked over and began leaning on her and kissing her face as she wrapped her arms around him. The other was with a teenage boy who was simply missing his own dog and had a similar interaction.

What really brought it home to me was their response the next time I came in and brought Gus. The two teens lit up at seeing him. Then each of them quietly shared with me how much Stanley had helped them.

The other morning, as the moon was setting, I had my own therapy dog moment. Tired from getting up so early with Henry but getting a kick out of watching him wrestle and run laps with Gus and Stanley, I made a huge mistake.

I started to read the newspaper which seems to be filled with nothing but depressing and anxiety provoking stories. Somehow the dogs sensed the change in mood. They stopped romping and cuddled around me.

Inspired by moments like that, I celebrate them every day. They are kind and loving heroes.

When Life Hands You Lemons, Make Lemonade

ELBEE Where does she come up with these titles?

Over the past month or so, after having been out of the hospital for over a year, Gus and Stanley were allowed to visit their regular neuropsych units. COVID protocol had changed some things but what absolutely remained the same was the rush of joy when the dogs walked in.

Then last week we took a giant step backwards. With the Delta variant raising its ugly head, we (the husband included), decided it was not really safe to bring them in. It made me so sad because the smiles, and even the tears, of some of the kids had reminded me how much it meant to them to see the dogs in person.

Talking to Jen, the manager of the People Animal Connection, I asked if we were still doing Zoom calls. I surprised myself because I am the same person who had so many problems with the technology.

ELBEE She had a Zoom meeting with a large group of nurses with no audio.

When Jen assured me that it was no problem, I had a brilliant idea. Why not take advantage of the situation and include Henry. Who wouldn’t like to see a three month old puppy? I was truly going to make lemonade out of lemons.

ELBEE Oy

On Wednesday morning when I logged in for the call, all three of the dogs were sitting in the usual spot on the bedroom floor in front of my laptop. I had Henry on a leash, assuming I would need that to keep him with us.

ELBEE The truth is she didn’t want him running around and peeing.

I needn’t have worried. Henry follows his “brothers” everywhere and stayed right with them, vying for screen time. Who knew he had an inner diva! If I thought my early calls were chaotic, they were a snooze fest compared to Henry joining in the fun.

This turned out to be a positive. From all of the virtual visits we’ve done over the past year, I’ve learned that the kids enjoy it a lot more when the dogs are acting up. They’d rather see them wrestling than doing a perfect sit. Having Henry on the call was a gift. He even made the teens laugh.

And here’s the Henry update that you’ve all been waiting for. He went for his checkup this week and now weighs in at 25 pounds of adorable puppy.

My granddaughter Samantha bonded with him in July and August. What a difference a month makes!😄

Kindness In the Neighborhood

Elbee, the outspoken conscience of my blog, made me realize the importance of socializing dogs at a young age, especially if they were going to be therapy dogs.

ELBEE Aw. Thank you.

When he was a puppy, I had a weird virus and was stuck at home with him for a few months. When I was finally able to take him out to meet people, he had become a little skittish.

ELBEE I did not see that one coming.

With Henry, I have once again become a woman on a mission, introducing him to all sorts of people. The problem is that Henry seems to get larger every day so it’s not that easy to carry him around stores and offices, like I did with Gus and Stanley. Instead, I’ve been doing meet and greets at the house.

ELBEE She’s obsessed.

Robert, our mail carrier, has always been a favorite of Stanley’s. If he sees Robert drive by and he doesn’t stop to say hello, Stanley lets out this very strange sort of crying bark.

STANLEY Excuse me for being happy to see him.

Robert had a sweet meeting with Henry a few days after he arrived. This week I asked him if he’d mind stopping by again.

He was happy to do it and Henry was delighted to see him. Calm, with tail wagging, he nuzzled against him. Robert has another fan.

Chuck, a neighbor, often walks by our house with his Golden Retriever, fittingly named Grace. Early the other morning, Stanley was barking at the window announcing that they were going by. Barefoot and still in my pajamas, I ran out the front door and yelled for them to come back. It led to another successful encounter for Henry.

ELBEE She has no shame.

Quinn, the teenage girl next door, has been an angel with Henry. Her family even bought him a welcome to the neighborhood gift. Recently Quinn and her friend Maddy, both dog lovers, stopped by to play with him.

To my delight, Maddy loves to take dog photos. Her phone was filled with all sorts of wonderful pictures. She took these adorable shots of Henry.

The girls’ energy was so good that when I let Gus and Stanley join in, things didn’t turn into utter chaos. Maddy even managed to get this pack portrait.

Yesterday, Quinn came over by herself to spend some time with Henry. Every photo that I took of them made me smile.

I am so grateful for all of this support in training Henry. I hope that one day in the future I can say thank you by having him walk into the hospital by my side.

The Kids Grow Up So Fast

If I thought the daughters grew up fast going from tantrum specialists to teens to people I like to hang out with, it was nothing compared to how fast a puppy matures. Just three weeks ago I cuddled Henry in my arms like a baby as we brought him home for the first time. Now it’s like carrying a toddler.

His personality has grown with his size. I’m kind of amazed at how well he fits in. He drives Gus and Stanley to distraction but they really seem to like him.

GUS & STANLEY We have been known to fake it for a treat.

He initiates wrestling matches and games of chase. He waits next to them when I’m getting their meals ready. He cuddles with them at nap time. I think he may have learned “sit,” and “down” by watching them or else it’s the great training skills that I honed with Stanley.

ELBEE Trust me. I taught Stanley everything he knows.

Today I took him to the hair salon to meet my friend Nora. The salon is like a rite of passage for my dogs. Brian and Daniel, the owners, are dog lovers and have always been wonderful about letting me come in to socialize the pups. They understand how crucial it is to the work they do.

With the noise, the laughter and everyone’s excitement at seeing them, it’s perfect for training. Henry did not disappoint. He was calm and sweet. Even with people masked up again, he was affectionate

He was also heavy! Since he won’t be fully vaccinated until four months, I have to carry him around so that he won’t pick up any diseases. As a Great Pyrenees/Standard Poodle mix I knew that he was going to be a big boy. I just didn’t expect him to grow quite so fast.

ELBEE Former Ms. Venice Beach should be thanking him for keeping her in shape. Oh no. I opened that door.

In case this is making it sound all too easy, trust me, we have a long way to go. This morning at six a.m. (I am not a morning person) when I went to get Henry out of his crate, he came walking out of the kitchen. “Houdini” had figured out how to escape. I had to figure out where he’d peed.

He likes the crate and will often go in to relax so I’m figuring he was bored or looking for his pack. The question is should I celebrate how smart he is or should I be worried that he hasn’t hit his teens yet?

**The Doods at 6 a.m.**
**Gus is still yawning.**

Déjà Vu All Over Again

ELBEE I think that title is redundant.

Since Henry’s arrival only two short or long (depending on how you look at it) weeks ago the whole dynamic in the house has shifted. Training a puppy, especially one that I hope will follow in some big paw prints, takes a lot of time and attention. They are clueless as to what’s expected.

Interacting with Henry and integrating him into the pack felt strangely familiar. I began looking over my blogs from Stanley’s puppyhood and sure enough it was the exact same routine from three years ago. They were both born in May so even the weather coincided.

ELBEE She considered using her old posts and just changing the name from Stanley to Henry.

Okay, in the spirit of full disclosure, he’s right. I’m a bit sleep deprived so it didn’t seem like a bad idea. Hey it worked when I did baby books for the daughters.

In The Dog Days of Summer I noted how ironic it was that these hot, miserable “dog” days may be some of the most difficult to train a puppy. Like Stanley, Henry will grudgingly go out to “potty” but then will sprint back inside. Playing in the yard is really limited to early morning and evening so we spend a lot of time hanging out in the kitchen.

Gus who was a total diva when Stanley showed up three year ago is still a diva. To his credit, he seems to have somewhat accepted Henry but will let him know when he’s bugging him.

GUS I can’t believe this is happening again. I may be a therapy dog but I think I’m going to need therapy.

Henry is already very attached to Stanley and likes to follow him around. Fortunately, Stanley has the patience of a saint. Unfortunately, Henry has a puppy habit of pulling Stanley’s hair, wetting it and kind of twisting it into braids.

STANLEY If he keeps this up I’m going to need hair extensions.

I’m happy to report that, so far, Henry is doing really well. He’s mischievous like a puppy should be but also sweet and loving. When I asked my husband how he’d describe Henry, he immediately said, “He’s cool and confident with a little attitude, just like me.”

ELBEE Oy!

He’s also very smart. Not quite ready for the obedience ring, he sort of does sit and down, but yesterday he really surprised me. Henry has a crate where he sleeps and eats. Last night he walked in and just sat there staring at me.

For some reason, I glanced at the clock and realized that I’d been so involved in watching the Olympics that I’d forgotten to feed the dogs at their normal time. Henry was giving me a not so subtle reminder.

ELBEE Now that’s impressive.

Hello Henry

On July 17th, for a “big” birthday, tired of receiving mail about hearing aids and life alert bracelets, I did a solo hike in the Santa Monica Mountains from the San Fernando Valley to the beach. The walk gave me such a sense of freedom and helped me put things in perspective.

ELBEE But she is still having random strangers take her picture.

Despite the daughters’ concerns, I didn’t get lost or have to be rescued by helicopter.

ELBEE That’s because there were signs.

The next day, my husband Doug and I drove through the San Bernadino Mountains to pick up my very special birthday present, Henry, an eight week old Great Pyrenees/Poodle mix.

I had spoken to Annie, the breeder, at length about my hopes for Henry so she knew that temperament was crucial. She assured me the puppies had a head start on socialization because her six children held them every day.

As we went down the drive to her house, she was standing there holding him. It was love at first sight. When we sat on the porch and she handed him to me I remembered the advice I’d received from my friend Gina, an experienced trainer. When I’d gone to get Stanley she’d said “If you pick him up and he just relaxes in your arms, that’s the one.”

I can’t tell you how happy I was when Annie handed him to me and he cuddled in my lap. He did the same thing with Doug. We couldn’t have asked for our initial meeting to have gone any better.

Instead of heading straight home, my husband dropped me at his office, then went to pick up Gus and Stanley so we could introduce them on neutral ground. When they arrived, Henry grabbed Stanley’s leash and tried to drag him around and Gus was bit of a diva but fortunately there was no real drama. It was more like mutual curiosity.

GUS & STANLEY We were totally blindsided.

It’s hard to believe that was only a week ago. He’s already part of the pack, although I think he’s on probation.

He’s exhausting, which puppies are by definition. We’re working on potty training, not eating the furniture and not pulling Stanley’s hair. And if this post is a little off, it’s because yours truly has been getting up at the crack of dawn to let him out.

On the other hand he is sweet, confident, and adorable. With time, patience and a little luck, I hope he will grow into a life of love and service like his “brothers.”

Doug and Stanley

I was going to take this week off in honor of my big birthday, but then Doug, my husband, and Stanley had a moment that I really wanted to share.

ELBEE Her first birthday card was from a hearing aid company saying that she might want to stop in if that tells you anything.

Starting as far back as Charley, Doug has been supportive of my work with the dogs, but it wasn’t until recently that he became a true believer. Over the years, as a surgeon at Providence Tarzana, he saw faces light up when the dogs were in the hospital and he heard special stories about their visits.

Back when we were still taking polaroids, one of his elderly patients clutched a picture of Charley to her chest as she was wheeled into the operating room. When she awoke in recovery, the photo was the first thing she asked for.

When I’d bring one of them to his office, the whole atmosphere would change. Patients in the waiting room would forget they were waiting.

In the past few years the dogs have become very popular in the clinic where my husband is working. He had a birthday recently, and although he’s not big on celebrations, the staff insisted on a little party, of course with Gus and Stanley in attendance. They made everyone’s day.

GUS & STANLEY We were the center of attention. It was fabulous.

Despite having seen the dogs in action for so long, it was a quieter moment that turned my husband into a true believer. We were watching America’s Got Talent when it happened.

ELBEE Yes, that is their guilty pleasure. She still thinks she’s going to be discovered. Oy!

With three adorable children waiting in the wings, a tall, handsome 51 year old man was sharing his story. He revealed that his wife had been killed in the helicopter crash that had taken Kobe Bryant and eight other people. When he began to sing an emotional version of “Take a Look at Me Now,” it brought everyone, including Doug, to tears.

Stanley, who was relaxing on the outside deck, suddenly came running into the bedroom. With the hot summer weather, he loves to cool off out there and generally has to be convinced to come inside. That evening, somehow sensing what was going on, he went right to my husband and began leaning on him. Like Charley before him, Stanley was offering the “comfort lean.”

The look of amazement on Doug’s face said it all. As he stood there with Stanley pressed against his legs, he felt his intuition and his pure desire to help. In an unexpected setting, he had experienced the magic of dog therapy.

Happy Tears

With the world slowly reopening, Gus and Stanley have returned to work, doing what they do best. Every time I watch their interactions, I am reminded of what a gift it is to share them in person. After months of trial and error the Zoom calls were almost fun but there is nothing like the smile on a patient’s face when a dog walks into the room.

Aside from the overall joy and positivity, there are always moments that stand out. Gus, along with his UCLA “co-workers,” Winston and Izzy, visited the migrant children who are still being housed at the Long Beach Convention Center.

Groups of kids were brought outside, their situation temporarily fading away as they played with the dogs. Gus loved being the center of attention. Then I walked him over to see a young girl who was off to the side with a bandaged leg, sitting in a wheel chair. As he leaned against her and she petted him, he took a break from the excitement. He just wanted to stay right next to her.

The woman who was assisting the girl looked up at me and said, “He’s knows she’s in pain and he wants to help.” Hearing that, the child suddenly got tears in her eyes.

This past week a few teams were back at UCLA visiting their regular units. While Gus cheered up patients and staff in neuropsych, his best buddy Tommy was in the Pediatric ICU with his person Donna.

Working with critically ill children takes a toll, so those nurses really need the stress relief. They are incredibly appreciative of the dogs. One of the nurses, who remembered Tommy from prior visits, was so happy to see him that she teared up as she hugged him.

A few days ago, hiking down a trail, lost in thought, processing all that’s been going on, I met a man who was walking up with a very sweet Pit Bull. Since it was getting warm and I was almost done, I asked if he needed any extra water for his dog. He assured me that he had plenty, then added “Thank you for your kindness.

This stranger said it so simply and so sincerely but isn’t that what it’s all about. We may choose to be kind to each other but the dogs do it without hesitation. Their pure kindness is truly a gift of love and comfort.

A Warm Welcome Back

This week, for the first time in nearly sixteen months, five teams from the UCLA People Animal Connection returned to the hospital. It was a joyous occasion. The dogs were so excited to see each other and greeted each other like old friends. There was even a bark or two, something you rarely hear.

After a few photos, we went our separate ways to do some in-person visits. Walking though the hospital with Stanley at my side felt so familiar yet so new. The months we’d been away faded into the distance.

Faces lit up as we paused at nurses’ stations. I lost count of how many times I heard. “thank goodness the dogs are back.” Some shared difficult COVID stories and, although they totally understood, said how much the dogs would have helped.

We stopped to visit with a toddler who clung shyly to her dad, but who peeked out when Stanley did a few tricks. Then we went into a room where Stanley did his first bed visit in over a year. He remembered to step gently as he lay down on the blanket we’d placed by the patient’s side.

With Stanley relaxing next to him, the young man showed me videos of his German Shepherd while his mom looked on smiling. I had almost forgotten the power of a simple bed visit.

In a serendipitous moment, we were getting off an elevator and there was my son-in-law’s brother who is truly family. I hadn’t seem him since pre-pandemic and had no idea that his job brought him to UCLA. It was a reunion that fit the mood of the morning.

No return would be complete without our Subway in the basement, so after finishing our “rounds,” Jen, the manager of PAC, and I headed downstairs. We were having lunch and talking about how amazing it was to be back, when she received a text that a palliative care patient needed a visit.

We immediately went up to the ICU to see the 94 year old man who was going home on hospice care. The patient was slightly agitated but his wife talked quietly to me as she petted Stanley. It was another reminder of how much the dogs had been missed and how much we had missed being there.

For all of us who brought our dogs in on Thursday and for those teams that will be returning in the near future, I say thank you for the warm welcome. Thank you to the staff, to the patients and to their families. We are so grateful to be back.

Tennis Anyone?

Over the past pandemic year with activities so limited, there were weeks when I wondered if I’d have anything to write. I mean did people really want to hear about me lounging around in sweats watching Hallmark movies with Gus and Stanley? Fortunately, as the husband says, I have the gift of making something out of nothing.

ELBEE I absolutely agree although I don’t know if I’d call it a gift. This is the same woman who wrote “Sequins & Schmatas.”

Now, as we cautiously move forward, the Doods are getting so busy that I hardly know where to begin. Tuesday they had their annual calendar shoot at UCLA.

Since the dogs won’t officially be back into the hospital until next week, it was once again held outside in the Peace Garden. Last year, when the theme was movies, Gus and Stanley posed as a bride and groom for Man’s Best Friends’s Wedding.

For 2022 the theme is the Olympics. Guess who posed as gold medal tennis players?

GUS I was quite comfortable as a bride but I think the tennis player is more me.

All of a sudden, we had a surprise visit from Ursula, a wonderful therapist and a favorite of the Doods. We have worked together as far back as Charley. I will never forget the Irish saying she shared when he passed. She e-mailed, “We will not see his like again.”

Spotting us from the lobby, she popped out to say hello. Being able to hug and visit in person was another reminder of all that we’ve been missing.

On Saturday, I brought Gus to UCLA to help out with Pet Partners testing. Jack Barron, my mentor extraordinaire in all things dog therapy, was in town to do some evaluations. He needed what’s called a “neutral” dog for one part of the test and Gus was perfect.

It was really a full circle kind of morning. Fifteen years ago, when I attended the Pet Partners workshop that was the beginning step in my therapy dog journey, Jack was the instructor. He was there when Gus tested for his first certification. Now Gus was helping him certify other special dogs.

Jack was also the one who brought Gus into my life. When he found out that a family had to rehome a puppy with the sweetest temperament, he gave me a call. The rest as they say, is history.

ELBEE Seriously, that’s the best she could come up with?

Being back at the hospital really brought home how much I’ve missed our visits. I loved the smiles on people’s faces when they saw the dogs. I loved seeing teams from the People Animal Connection for the first time in over a year.

It also made me think about the priceless friendships of people like Ursula and Jack. I am so grateful to them and to all of the others on staff who have offered their support through the years. It is a joy to be returning.