BernerWise

  • Blog
    • Photography
    • Training
    • Grooming
    • Show dogs
    • Videos
    • Contact us
    • Puzzle
    • Resources
  • Buying a puppy
    • Guide to buying a puppy
    • Video Guide: Picking the right puppy
  • The Berner Nerd Store

December 20, 2015 By Eileen Blass 6 Comments

A Christmas tale: She was afraid of dogs … then she met Teddy

Teddy's Santa Outfit
Teddy’s all decked out in his Christmas finery | © 2015 Eileen Blass

On this day, the nursing home residents would hear Teddy before they saw him.

He was all decked out in Christmas bells, a Santa suit and his red Therapy Dogs International bandana.

The 3-year old Bernese Mountain Dog jingled his way down the halls, wagging his big fluffy tail whenever someone would look his way.

We have become familiar faces at the nursing home, visiting residents every Tuesday morning.

A second encounter, a second chance

We were just wrapping up our weekly visit with the second floor residents when a woman in a wheelchair rolled out of her room and down the hall.

She stopped at the nursing station directly before us.

I recognized her immediately when she turned around.

She had told me on a previous visit a couple of weeks back she was afraid of dogs. You could see her obvious fear that day.

But this time as she looked straight at Teddy decked out in his bright red suit, there was a different look in her eye.

“I am afraid of dogs, but I think I would like to pet him.”

An age-old fear melts away

Teddy seemed to know. He looked at her with soft and kind eyes.

Generally, Teddy is very exuberant, his tail wagging his whole body, but this time he sat very still, close to her wheelchair — a perfect gentleman.

She patted his head and moved her hand down his neck again and again.

It was clearly a breakthrough for the woman.

The more I thought about what was happening, the closer I was to bursting into tears. Her age-old fear was melting away.

“Would you like us to come visit again next week?”

She smiled and said yes.

Pride … and a happy tear

Teddy and I turned towards the elevator. My eyes were moist. What a remarkable moment we just had. I’ve never been more proud of Teddy.

I reached down, gave him a hug and said the words I know he understands.

“Good dog, Teddy. Good dog.”

Filed Under: Therapy Dog, Training

Comments

  1. Denise Smith says

    December 20, 2015 at 6:39 pm

    Love this so much. ????????????????

    Reply
  2. Dave F says

    December 20, 2015 at 7:20 pm

    Great Stuff. Go Teddy!

    I love their instinct and intuition (among lots of other things).

    Reply
  3. Gail Duncan says

    December 20, 2015 at 10:01 pm

    Loved hearing the story. These dogs really do melt your heart once you get to know them! Good boy Teddy love you.

    Reply
  4. Diane welch carrier says

    December 20, 2015 at 10:13 pm

    Beautiful! It’s why we love this breed! Good boy Teddy!

    Reply
  5. Dee says

    December 21, 2015 at 4:41 am

    wonderful job teddy. See you on tuesday!

    Reply
  6. Theresa (Trees) van Vliet says

    December 22, 2015 at 3:01 am

    Heart warming

    Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Most popular

  • Guide to buying a Bernese Mountain Dog puppy 64.2k views
  • 5 must-have grooming tools every Berner owner needs 28.4k views
  • Six steps to a successful therapy dog test 8.1k views
  • Bloat! Confessions of a helicopter dog mom 7.4k views
  • How to pick the perfect Berner puppy for you [Video, Part 1] 6.9k views
  • The greatest (and funniest) packing list for going to a dog show 3.5k views
  • Take 3 Berners, add snow and you get FUN! [Video] 3.3k views
  • Creating the Bernermobile! The transformation of a minivan 3.2k views
  • How to trim a Bernese Mountain Dog puppy’s fuzzy head [Video] 3.2k views
  • 21 Ways to Take Great Pictures of Your Dog 3.1k views

Search BernerWise

What’s happened lately

  • ‘The Important Stuff’ – A reminder for dog owners who compete
  • Eileen’s First Aid Kit for Dogs: How to put one together
  • TATTOO or not TATTOO? . . . or am I just completely nuts?
  • 21 Ways to Take Great Pictures of Your Dog
  • So, you want to have a show dog … and show her yourself

Copyright © 2023 All Rights Reserved. Reproduction Prohibited Without Permission · www.BernerWise.com · Log in