Kim and her Greyhound Therapy Dog Bubbles bring the fun to their campus visits as part of the founding BGSU PAWS Team.
In this 37th episode of Therapy Dog Talk, I spoke with Kim and her Greyhound Therapy Dog, Bubbles, about their fantastic volunteer work as part of the founding Bowling Green State University (BGSU) PAWS Team. We dive into Bubbles’ unique personality and love for people, which make her the perfect therapy dog for bringing joy and stress relief to students on campus.
Kim shares how she knew early on that Bubbles would enjoy therapy dog work and how they found BGSU through the Alliance of Therapy Dogs. We also talk about the importance of knowing your dog inside and out, including potential triggers, and why Kim’s other Greyhound, Piper, isn’t a therapy dog volunteer. We even meet the third dog in the household, who only volunteers online through Pets Together.
Throughout our conversation, we touch on Greyhound-specific learnings Kim has discovered, like temperature regulation, and the must-have gear for Bubbles’ visits, such as RexSpecs goggles and trading cards. We discuss the fun Kim brings to their visits and Bubbles’ encounter with the secret society SICSIC at BGSU. Finally, we stress the importance of not assuming how someone will react to meeting a therapy dog.
By the end of this episode, you’ll gain valuable insights into the rewarding world of therapy dog work, and learn how Kim and Bubbles bring happiness to the BGSU campus with their unique personalities and positive energy.
In this episode, we discuss …
- Why Kim knew early on that Bubbles would enjoy Therapy Dog work.
- What gear Kim and Bubbles always have on hand (paw?) during visits.
- How Bubbles won the hearts of a secret society and our hope that she become an honorary member.
Key moments you won’t want to miss:
- [01:02] Kim talks about how Bubbles’ personality led her to explore volunteer pet therapy and the steps she took to prepare Bubbles to be a Greyhound Therapy Dog.
- [01:56] Bubbles’ love for people and her ease with being petted while lying down.
- [02:45] Kim shares how she and Bubbles found Bowling Green State University through the Alliance of Therapy Dogs.
- [03:50] Kim discovers that National Greyhound Association greyhounds can get a Purebred Alternative Listing (PAL) through AKC, allowing her to add a CGC title when applying for Bubbles’ Therapy Dog Novice title.
- [06:09] Kim discusses Greyhound-specific learnings, like temperature regulation.
- [06:48] The joy Kim feels seeing students smile while volunteering with Bubbles.
- [07:24] Kim and I try to answer a live question about registering a therapy dog in multiple states.
- [08:44] Kim advises future therapy dog teams to know their dog inside and out, including potential triggers. [09:03] Kim explains why her other Greyhound, Piper, isn’t a therapy dog volunteer.
- [09:48] We meet the third dog in Kim’s household, who only participates in online volunteering through Pets Together.
- [13:50] Kim emphasizes the importance of not assuming how someone will react to meeting a therapy dog.
I hope you enjoy this episode as much as I do. Give it a watch or a listen and then let me know in the community which part you found the most helpful!
Mentioned in this episode:
- Alliance of Therapy Dogs
- American Kennel Club Canine Good Citizen (CGC), Purebred Alternative Listing (PAL), and Therapy Dog Program
- Bowling Green State University PAWS Team
- Life Is Golden
- National Greyhound Association (NGA)
- Pets Together
- Rex Specs
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Therapy Dog Talk is a podcast where I interview a different team each week via Instagram Live. If you enjoyed this episode please find us over at Apple, Google, or Spotify and give us a follow after you leave a review.
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