Gandalf
Please Note: The dog in the accompanying photograph is the subject of the story, but the child or teenager pictured is probably not the patient in the story.My magnificent Gandalf passed his therapy dog test with flying colors. My plan had been to have him certified for the nursing home visits he was already doing through an outreach ministry at my church, but Suni from Love on 4 Paws had even more noble ideas for my furry friend. She thought Gandalf would do a great job visiting sick and injured kids at Childrens Hospital Los Angeles.
To walk anywhere with Gandalf was like walking with a celebrity. Especially at Childrens Hospital, it wasn't just the kids who loved him; it was the doctors, the staff, and the families of the hospitalized children. I had to allow extra time to go anywhere to account for all the extra visiting. Although Gandalf was huge, he was the most gentle of beings. I could give the oldest and frailest person or the youngest and smallest patient a kibble or a treat, and Gandalf would take it like he was licking a snowflake off a hand.
Gandalf and I met a two year old girl, Alena, for the first time before she was ever admitted. I was talking to her mother and she told me her daughter had just been diagnosed that day with a tumor. While we were standing in the hall together, a nurse approached to tell her they wanted to do a biopsy right away and were going to admit Alena. Mom thought her little girl wouldn't have a problem being taken to a room, but Alena ran down the hall in the opposite direction, screaming and crying. She had been petting and having fun with Gandalf, so we followed her. I told her that Gandalf was going in the direction of her room and asked her if she would walk him over there to keep him company. She happily took my second leash and walked all the way to her room. Then Gandalf and I were able to leave her there with Mom and her brother with no more tears.
We saw this little girl many times in the following weeks. She figured out a way to get more photos taken with the dogs by hanging out at the elevators and asking each team if she could have a photo with that dog. She had a whole collection of dozens of photos with therapy dogs taped on the wall above her bed. Alena loved all the dogs, but I was always told by her family that Gandalf was her favorite. One day a family friend gave Alena a stuffed dog with markings strikingly similar to Gandalf. Alena promptly named the stuffed animal Gandalf, and we felt honored. The last time I saw Alena was many weeks ago. I was just coming out of a room, and there was her dad in the hallway, a giant of a man, with his frail little girl in his arms, and her IV stand in tow. He said that Alena already had a visit with another dog, but she wanted to see Gandalf. So he roamed the hospital with her until he found us. I hope that Gandalf's biggest fan is now home with her loving family.
When Gandalf suddenly and unexpectedly passed away, I adopted Hershey, a one year old yellow Labrador Retriever. Due to some unfortunate circumstances, Hershey lived in a crate for the first year of his life. As a result, he was a bit crazed and had many behavior problems. Fortunately, Suni from Love on 4 Paws is also a dog trainer. She helped me work with Hershey, and with a lot of patient training, he made remarkable progress.When I tested him for Love on 4 Paws, he did really well with much of the testing (heeling, sitting, walking in a group of other dogs, walking on a loose leash in a crowd, accepting someone hugging him, picking up his feet, a timed down and stay, etc.). His nemesis was remaining calm while a “neutral dog” walked by. This neutral dog had no interest in him, yet Hershey was fascinated by her. As much as I tried to keep his attention and to plant myself between him and that dog, every time she walked by, he bunched up in a crouch and then leaped at her, wanting to play. Needless to say, we got the, “We don’t think he’s ready” test result. The good news is that he was invited back for another test. After lots of practice with neutral dogs, Hershey passed his test the second time around.
Hershey loves absolutely everyone, and he is just as much a people magnet as Gandalf was because of his outgoing and friendly disposition. Last week I was trying to hide in a corner at Childrens Hospital to make a phone call, and I had no fewer than four groups of people asking me if they could pet Hershey. He is also very tolerant of wearing costumes. For Halloween he was Darth Vader. For Christmas he wore a Christmas bandana, a collar with flashing lights, and fuzzy elastic anklets on all four feet with bells on them. In rehab, one of the things the kids can do with him is dress him. His favorite outfit is his fleece sweatshirt with short sleeves that snaps down his chest with Velcro at his waist.
I have been blessed to have been able to rescue two amazing dogs with outgoing and friendly personalities. There were those who thought I was crazy to think that Hershey could do what Gandalf did, but we both worked really hard. Being good is much more difficult for Hershey than it was for Gandalf, but both dogs have a warm heart and a love for all people that is so wonderful.
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