Meet Emmet…
Hi I’m Emmet. Humans (especially my Momma) always tell me I’m a very good boy. I like to go to work everyday. My job is the best. Mostly I lay on my back and lots of little humans rub my belly. In my free time, I’m an avid napper. That picture over there shows me with my pesky little brother Elliot. I’m the darker, perhaps more handsome, one. Sometimes I get tired of him always trying to play with me. But I’m patient, so I don’t get too mad. Momma says he’s a puppy and will soon grow out of it. Anyhow, it’s very pleasant to meet you, and I hope you will be able to pet me sometime soon.
I started to become interested in training Emmet to be a therapy dog when he was just a puppy. He had a great personality, a calm demeanor, and he loved people and attention. Friends and trainers started to comment that he’d be a great therapy dog. I started doing research and found other speech pathologists that were doing Animal Assisted Therapy (AAT). I was immediately interested in the idea and how the community could benefit.
Emmet and I went through four training classes, took the Canine Good Citizenship test as recognized by the American Kennel Club, and finally completed the therapy dog test. I took him everywhere that dogs were allowed. I exposed him to different stimuli and equipment such as construction sounds, loud horns, trains, and people of all ages. Emmet will be six years old in December. He is a Golden Retriever/Irish Setter/Poodle mix and weighs about 80lbs. He loves belly rubs, going on long walks and treats. Since its inception, my AAT program has been a strong therapy tool, helping students make progress and meet goals.