Read to the Dog
Not all dogs get the chance to show quite how clever they are. Danny the Greyhound did. His is a rags to riches story. Found homeless, wandering the streets and scavenging for scraps in Cork, Ireland, he rose to fame as a Reading Education Assistance Dog (READ), and won IFAW Dog of the Year Amazing Animal award, which he received at the House of Lords, presented by Brian May, followed by lunch, biscuits and a goodie bag. A meteoric rise, from homeless indigent to Westminster, 10 Downing Street, star of TV, doggie magazines and newspapers. Still the same modest creature, he now visits libraries and schools, where he listens to children reading. Hes a big, white springy dog with a big grey patch on his face, grey, perked up ears, bright, intent eyes and a chirpy look, and hes visiting Maplefields school in Corby with his owner and trainer, Tony Nevett. Maplefields is a brand new academy for SEN children, surrounded by a high wire fence, every gate or door needs a special security pass, but what does a dog care about all that? Hes got his own security pass and everyones pleased to see him - most of all, the children. Owner Tony Nevett has a degree in Animal Assisted Therapy and trained the first READ dog in England. Danny is the third, and hes a very special dog. People say to me Why do the kids like him? I say because he doesnt judge. He builds a bond, he gives them confidence. Hes never hurt the children [as some adults have]. Their shouting and kicking-off doesnt bother him, or the tail and ear pulling. He doesnt respond to that at all. Look at him. He wouldnt hurt a fly. The children love Danny to bits, They know when hes due in. We have a little stroll around the school, around the curvy corridors, in and out of the classrooms and gym, past the Time Out rooms (for children who need to be out of class for a bit) The soft play rooms (where they cant hurt themselves, everyone saying Hallo Danny! A weeping teacher passes us holding her face. Shes been punched. Terrible roaring and screaming comes from one of the Time Out rooms. In go Danny and Tony. The screaming stops. After a few minutes, out they come. The screaming starts again. Nothing phases this miraculous dog.
Tony asks Where are you going? Im going to heaven, says he. Its in the library that Danny gets really clever. He sits on some cushions and in come the children, one at a time, they choose a book, sit down next to the dog and start reading out loud. Danny gets no instructions, but he knows exactly how to treat each one of them dances and twirls around to perk up a sad one, lies down to calm down a jittery one, kisses a peaky looking tatty one who probably badly needs a kiss (His home life is crap. See his shoes? Theyre all busted. His mother has a different Uncle round every night. He keeps away from a nervous one, gets close to the one that needs a cuddle, and they all look angelic in his presence, some leaning on him, and start reading no hesitating, no self-consciousness. Do they like reading to Danny more than the teachers? Yes. Other dogs bark when youre reading. Danny just listens,says one little boy. We had a Jack Russell and a St Bernard, We had to get rid of the St Bernard, because he dribbled and punctured our footballs. It can be a tough world for dogs out there, but here in the Library Danny is King: He has his own bed with Danny print cushion, Danny photos on the wall with various smiling, cuddling children, a painting of Danny done by a lady who paints with her mouth, and on the shelves a book about Danny. . Danny goes to London The story , of his Amazing Animal Award award. In comes a small boy, Kaikia. Danny kisses his hand. Hes your friend,says Tony. He likes you. Danny gives the boy another kiss. Thats how much he loves me, says Kaikia, and starts reading straight away. In comes Emma, shes not so keen on dogs, she sits a little way a way. Danny stays where he is. No kissing. Emma reads non-stop and very well. They dont read like that in class, but are model children with the dog. Impeccable behaviour from all of them.. But through the wall you can hear loud screaming and banging coming from one of the little Time Out rooms outside. Dannys not bothered at all by screeching and banging If they kick This dog is a saint. He also donates blood to a dog blood off, he just lies on the floor. bank every six months. He just lies down, they give him He used to be very aggressive if you went near his a biscuit afterwards. No tea. He doesnt get paid for it. dinner, because hed been living on the streets. Out there The vets pay, and that covers the costs. And the Kennel he had to protect his own food. The vet told me to run my Club funds his work reading with children. Its free to fingers through his food, so that it smelled of me. Then the schools. It works well, why dont they do it more? he didnt mind any more. He has Weetabix and milk for asks Tony, with a barrel of brandy round their necks for breakfast. And whatever were eating beef, Yorkshire the teachers. Ha ha. pudding. He has some dry dog food. I add other things to it. Look at his dirty face! Hes had spaghetti bolognaise. ANTHONY NEVETT tonynevett@yahoo.co.uk cont/.
Danny works wonders, says one of the teachers. As soon as they see him, their faces change. He calms them down. And he does. Up comes a cross little boy with a tight, red face. He strokes the dog, and hey presto, a smile and the angry red flush disappears. Chidren call A boy asks to take his lead in the corridor. He looks like out to Danny as he passes, and rush over to stroke him. a good boy, holding the dogs lead. If you tell them they The mood lightens. Another boy takes him by his lead wont see the dog if they misbehave, then they behave. going along the corridor.
Danny has aso worked in prisons to help with their low literacy prisoner programmes, with HIV patients, is a Therapy and a Blood Donor dog. He has his own Childrens Book Danny goes to Londonwhich tells of the day he went to London to receive his award at the House of Lords, and Danny and Tony will go to Iowa USA next May to continue their work, .
http://www.retiredgreyhounds.co.uk/news/?newsId=f34eeae99486-4177-a3c3-9a929c16d71a http://www.petbloodbankuk.org/ http://www.librarydogs.com/UK-Danny.html http://pspettags.com/blog/meet-danny-the-listening-dog/ http://thegazette.com/2012/08/06/group-promotes-usingtherapy-dogs-to-help-children-read/ http://www.ifaw.org/united-kingdom/node/14086
