Sien  Zostac  Chodz 

Being a non-game person, I thought it wise to try a few games first. After 10 minutes of Cooking Madness and My Dog Simulator for Free, my heart raced as hamburgers burned and my dog dodged walls but was run over by a bus. So, DuoLingo and learning Polish seemed perfect.

90 minutes of play on Surface

I played for almost 90 minutes- reading, writing, listening and speaking while earning points, being congratulated, gaining crowns and lingots while seeing myself move up the leader board from 44 to 16 to 12.  I felt good about myself, was learning, having fun and wanted more.

New aspects

Each game/lesson is self-paced while giving players choices as they finish lessons.  A perfect score gets even more points (like extra credit). A choice to either delve deeper or learn a new aspect of the language entices the more academically minded player. Lingots and gems, the game’s virtual currency, allows players to go shopping. I was hooked!

DuoLingo’s creators have seamlessly woven social media aspects into their game. Here are a few:

New features

·       DuoLingo offers a free version as well as a monthly fee version that is ad free.
·       The concept of ‘not being alone’, giving away lingots exists.
·       Players see others’ scores compared to theirs.
·       Players can join/create a club and invite others (mobile only).
·       Taken directly from DuoLingo’s webpage – “For more Duolingo news, contests and product releases, follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram @duolingo.”

PS Now I know sit, stay, come in Polish! Let's test the girls!

If a Nose Could Talk!

Every pet owner, especially one who owns or has ever owned a canine should watch this amazing 4 minute Ted Talk video, How do dogs see with their noses?  by Alexandra Horowitz.  The graphics are not only charming but also educational allowing  a non-scientifically minded person like me to comprehend the complex makeup of the dog's ability to navigate the world through his/her nose's "moist, spongy outside which  captures any scents the breeze carries" and more.

Zoe's amazing nose!

Here are some interesting facts:

•  A dog can smell separately with each nostril.
• By smelling in stereo, and SNIFFING,  she can determine the direction of the smell's source, what is out there and it's location.
• When air enters a dog's nose, it is divided by a tissue in the nose into two chambers - one for breathing and one for smelling.
• In the smelling chamber, there are "several hundred million olfactory receptor cells compared to a human's five million".
• Humans breathe in and out through the same passage; dogs exhale through slits in the side of their nose, "creating swirls of air to draw in new molecules...allowing odor concentration to build up over multiple sniffs."

  

  Let me tell you, mom, there's more to this freesia than you know!

  The dog's brain also has an olfactory system that is far greater in size proportionally to its brain in comparison to the human brain's olfactory system.  Imagine this. Someone spritzes a spray of cologne in a small room.  You and I could smell and most likely distinguish it.  A dog would have no problem if the same exact spritz  were sprayed in an enclosed stadium. She could not only distinguish the smell but its components.

Here is what I found most interesting having two therapy dogs who seem to know which patient or resident needs them. The vomernasal organ (for the more medical version) located above the roof of the mouth detects hormones of animals and humans. In the animal kingdom it can determine hostile and friendly animals and  help in mating; in the human world it can read a human's emotional state and even tell when someone is pregnant or sick.

If a dog's nose could talk, oh the 'tails' it could tell as it revealed a whole world beyond our eyes.

Mommy's Back in School

You may have noticed that I have not posted a blog in a very long time.  Well, I'm back, and according to my secretary, mommy, I will be back more often!   Many things have happened in my therapy dog life, but I will get back to that in a future post becasue this blog is all about mommy!  I will let her take over now.

Some of you already know that therapy dog work is a very important part of my life, but you don't know how it all came about.

When my dad was in hospice care back in 2004, shortly before he passed, a therapy dog visited him.  It was at that time that I decided that if I ever had a dog that would have the personality to be a therapy dog, I would get the dog trained and certified.  Fortunately, I have 2 such dogs, Zoe and Mia; both visit Hospice of the Valley patients weekly. They are registered nationally with Alliance of Therapy Dogs (ATD) and locally with Pets on Wheels of Scottsdale.

Zoe with Artie at a SCC Destressing Day

Therapy dogs need to have a certain disposition and love people.  They also need to have manners!  If you go to the ATD site, you can read all about the testing the dogs have to undergo.  It is important to have this certification for three reasons: it gives the dog credibility and allows the dog to participate 'legally' as a therapy dog in such places as hospitals, libraries, schools and even airports; in addition, certification carries a hefty insurance plan for the handler and dog.

Canine Good Citizen (CGC) from the American Kennel Club (AKC) is also helpful.  Advanced titles, CGCA Community and the CGCU Urban can also be earned with additional testing. I am proud to say that both Zoe and Mia have earned all their titles.  It is quite an accomplishment, especially for Mia since she is under 2 years old.

Therapy dogs can also earn Therapy Titles based on letters of recommendation, documentation and the number of visits they do.

• AKC Therapy Dog Novice (THDN). Must have completed 10 visits.
• AKC Therapy Dog (THD). Must have completed 50 visits.
• AKC Therapy Dog Advanced (THDA). Must have completed 100 visits.
• AKC Therapy Dog Excellent (THDX). Must have completed 200 visits. (Mia is just shy a few.)
• AKC Therapy Dog Distinguished (THDD). Must have completed 400 visits. (Zoe)

So, there you have it. That's the "how"...  now for the "why".

Having a therapy dog is very rewarding to all involved - the patient or resident, staff, handler and of course the dog.  My girls know they get to do something special each time I put on my organization's smock or shirt and they don the appropriate vest.

from left to right - PHX Sky Harbor, HonorHealth and POW, ATD, HOV and Gabriel's Angels

      

Each time we visit, it seems as if I have just given myself official 'play time' with my dog.