Why do dogs (and other pets and animals) make us feel better in so many situations? The answer is elusive, often emotional; but the fact that our canine buddies do make us feel better has been proven in scientific study after study. Anecdotal evidence appears in thousands of books about the human/animal bond. And the ancient Greek philosopher Pythagorus recog-nized more than 2000 years ago that, “Animals share with us the privilege of having a soul.”

Whatever you think or feel is the reason for the comfort your dog gives you and others, it’s most likely true. They are incredibly intelli-gent, sentient animals – and they, among all the planet’s beings, have forged a very special bond with humans. They have shared our hearths and beds for thousands of years, guarded our families and homes and animals, and today have taken on a new role as assistance and therapy dogs for people with various challenges.

This year’s hiatus from pub-lishing the 4Paws newsletter gave us time to reflect on what would be the most beneficial to our teams, supporters, and the people our teams visit.

The “4Paws Newsletter will include useful information on care, feeding, and training of our therapy pets that also enhances the bond we share with them. Issues on aging (for both people and pets) will always be a focus as will the many aspects that make our bond with dogs unique.

We will touch on commonsense nutrition; why certain training methods work and others don’t; good places to take your pet; updates on our teams and the organization; and ways you can help us reach our ultimate goal of a creating a real learning and well-ness center in Sonoma County.

We want the newsletter to be use-ful to our audience and to become a forum for our readers’ questions, insights, or comments about their experiences as a therapy dog team and/or pet owner. With your participation, the newsletter will be a better publication.

Contact the editor at info@4paws center.org. Have a picture you want to post? A question you’ve been meaning to ask? An experience you want to share? We’re ready and waiting to hear from you.

The 4Paws Newsletter will be pub-lished regularly and 4Paws teams, donors, and 4Paws facilities will receive a complimentary subscrip-tion.

We encourage our teams and sup-porters to visit our Facebook page as well for updates on 4Paws, dog food alerts, contests, events, and volunteer team news and photos.

Training Schedule for 2014

Certification Trainings are held four times a year on Saturdays from 10 am to 4:30 pm. Readers of the Pack™ (ROP)classes are given four times a year from 10 am to noon on the following Saturdays. The Handler/Canine Evaluations are also held on the second Saturday.

February15and22

April19and26

July26andAugust2

October18and25

Teams are always welcome to sit in dur-ing trainings as a refresher class, or to come and help with sign-ins, exercises, and set-up/clean-up.

We always need volunteers during the evaluations to participate as part of the testing process with Patty Malnick. It is a great way to hone your skills, work with others, and relate your experiences as a social therapy team.

We hope to see you soon.

LEARNING AND WELLNESS CENTER

Making life a little better for pets and people.

Holidays Edition 2013 Volume 3, No. 1

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4Paws NewsletterMisty Moonlight resting after a

busy day at El Verano Elementary School in Sonoma, where third

graders love reading to her.

LEARNING AND WELLNESS CENTER

5800 Commerce Blvd.Rohnert Park, CA 94928

2014 RetReatPlans for our second retreat include a two-night stay this year, as well as our very happy wine-and-cheese reception, the same great home-cooked foods, and more time to explore the beautiful trails on 300+ acres in the Mayacamas be-tween Napa and Sonoma Counties. The dates are March 21, 22 and 23. We’ll have several speakers again from UC Davis, Patty Malnick to help with training, and lots more information on human and pet nutrition. For those of you who enjoyed last year’s retreat but haven’t gotten your booklet with photos, descriptions, and comments, we have a few more avail-able for $7.50. We can also order more for those of you who would like to see what 4Paws envisions as its future: a place were life is a little bit better for pets and people. Make sure to mark your calendars for March. More details coming in January. Meanwhile tell us what you might like to see for next year.

THErAPy DoGS iN ACTioN

Scout (above r) at SSU’s Doggie Days soothing frayed nerves during finals week. Meanwhile, Fenway Bark listens to third-grade readers at El Verano Elementary School in Sonoma for a new reading program.

Dear Friends and Volunteer Teams, We wish you safe and joyful holidays, and all good wishes for a bountiful New Year. Thank you for bringing so much joy to others, helping struggling readers, making classrooms feel special, and lifting the spirits of those who are ill, living alone or who are in need of special care as they decline and or are about to leave this world. — Your Board of Directors

Enchanted Hills Retreat2013

4Paws Learning and Wellness Center

Marti visits Clyde (l) at Catholic Charities in one of their senior programs. Clyde reached the age of 100 and Marti gave him many good moments before he passed. Above: from left to right James and Misty, Maggie (background), Nancy and Hugo, and Jane with Rudy (bottom) at Enchanted Hills Summer Camp.

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Therapy Dogs and the 4paws CoDe of eThICs

The internationally recognized Canine Companions for Independence (CCI) and the Bergin University for Canine studies (BUCs) are located in santa rosa mak-ing sonoma County an important center for training dogs to do important work. Unfortunately, it has become popular of late for people without disabilities to pass off their own pets as service dogs. several 4paws teams also volunteer as puppy raisers or puppy socializers for CCI and BUCs and they bring to our group a wealth of information and experience. They also bring a profound appreciation for what an assistance dog does and how long it takes to train them to be safe, dependable, and committed companions. 4paws is dedicated to building a com-munity of pets and people that is based on respect, inclusion, and truthfulness. That is why 4paws teams are taught that using their dogs for comforting others does not qualify the pets as assistance dogs. CCI and BUCs were founded by Bonita (Bonnie) Bergin, edD, and were based on her concept of training dogs to assist in the daily lives of people with dis-abilities. her idea has changed the world in many wonderful ways. assistance dogs go through years of training, are handled

from the day they are born, and are care-fully bred for temperament and health. In the last decades, dogs have also been trained as signal (or hearing) dogs for people with hearing deficits, as compan-ions for autistic children, and as helpers for people suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder. The most recent role of our canine companions is that of alert dogs: detecting chemical changes in the body that indicate an impending heart attack, high or low sugar levels, seizures or other invisible life-threatening events. some newer forms of assistance require less time for training a dog. The canines might even come from an animal rescue group or be already owned by a person who has devel-oped a condition requiring assistance.

Why it is so wrong to misrepresent your dog as an assistance dog.

Besides being illegal, it is dishonest and hurtful. Misrepresentation dishonors the hard work and thousands of hours volun-teers and trainers have spent making a dog suitable for a challenging life-long job. It also trivializes the life and chal-lenges of someone who lives with a disability and minimizes the dog’s own

commitment to serve a human being for the better (and best) part of his or her life.Finally, it makes a mockery of the concept of assistance dogs.

Where to go if you think you have a condition that requires a service animal.

First of all, go to www.ada.gov/service_an-imals_2010.htm for the revised guidelines covering service dogs and the american Disabilities act. Then call either CCI, BUCs., or google the disability you have + dogs (i.e., “diabetes dogs”) for organiza-tions that might help you. If your pet dog performs essential tasks so that you may live safely and/or without the help of another person, then register the canine through your county animal care and control agency as a service dog. Make sure you qualify under aDa. also ask your physician for a letter or a prescription that verifies your need for an service dog. Make copies and carry one with you. Finally, please, don’t misrepresent your dog. If the phrase “dogs don’t lie” has any truth to it, then honor your dog as the loving and loyal pet he or she is.

A “therapy dog” or a personally owned dog (not trained to perform a specific task to mediate a disability) is not an “assistance dog”. Misrepresentation of a dog as an assistance dog is a misdemeanor under the ADA and is punishable by a fine, jail time, or both.

Any 4Paws volunteer that misrepresents his or her dog will be asked to leave the organization.

Top row: Darrin and Oly (l and c) team up at Sheppard El-ementary for a kindergarten class of students. (Oly is getting ready to sit for the students.)

Fozzy has been a regular at Family House in San Francisco for 3 years now. In the photo (far r), Fozzy listens carefully to Raul who was teaching him how to bark on command.

Second row: Misty is the ham at both Monroe and El Ve-rano Schools, and at the Rohnert Park Library. Hugo (r) is cuddled by a camper at Enchanted Hills Camp for the Blind who is hoping to have her own dog soon.

We have many teams who continue to support the Rohnert Park Library, which has programs each week to read to the dogs. Here are four of our Readers of the Pack dogs. Mo (l) is an award-winning champion Akita who thinks the best job is being with kids. Frances and Mimi (center photo, l to r) listen intently to their reader (Mimi has her eyes closed so she may concentrate.) And Patches, Mo’s sibling, is another champion that also seems to enjoy the library more than the show ring. Patches is paying close attention to the plot line.

Letters to the left and below: Misty is also a budding writer. With her handler, James, she has a steady correspondence with students who write her with their questions from one of El Verano’s third-grade classrooms.

AKC Therapy Teams

4Paws Teams that regu-larly visit education and/or healthcare sites may apply for a prestigious national AKC Therapy Dog title. To qualify, teams must document 50 hours of service. For teams who wish to include hours from 2013, use the 4Paws Record of Therapy Visits in addition to the AKC Therapy Dog Record of Visits. Email info@4pawscenter.org for copies, which also contain directions for submitting your docu-ments.