As you might know, the assistance dogs help people with various physical or mental disabilities nowadays. But there is a program in the US and in other countries which helps children to improve their reading and communication skills.
R.E.A.D. program – The Reading Education Assistance Dogs was founded in 1999 in Salt Lake City and its aim is to improve the literacy of children using therapeutic teams with assistance dogs. And with quite a simple method - reading out to a dog. But it is no ordinary dog. All the dogs involved in the program are registered therapy animals.
The volunteers together with their therapy dogs visit schools, libraries or other facilities where they arise very positive responses of the children themselves as well as of their parents and teachers. The dog companion can encourage children to read, give them a reason to read, even when they do excel in it and it helps them to find the courage to improve themselves. There is a significant progress of reading skills in the pupils participating in the program and an improvement of their self-confidence, too. To learn how to read is often more about overcoming the fear than about mental limitations. That is why the program is focused on both ordinary pupils and the children with special needs.
R.E.A.D. is the first such program where therapy dogs are used to improve reading, communication and social skills of children and which also teaches them to love books and reading itself. Other non-profit organizations then started operating based on this program. R.E.A.D. teams work (except from the United States) in Canada, England, Italy, Finland, France, Sweden, South Africa, Australia, Slovenia, Spain, the Netherlands, Germany and Norway and in other countries. It could be a good idea to start such activity in the Czech Republic, right?
Sometimes, one dog is not enough and it is better to have a whole pack. Especially if you breed drafting (or also pulling) dogs. Of course, the more dogs you have, the more care and issues it means, but it also means there’s much more joy for the...
The modern world is not only rich in material things but also in the number of dog breeds. There are quite a lot of them, Fédération Cynologique Internationale (FCI) recognizes 360 different breeds. And they are not only different from each other when...
There are many ways to learn a new thing. One of the most pleasant ones for both the dog and its owner is positive motivation. Thanks to it, a dog learns new tricks in a simple and pleasing way and it also helps to develop a mutual social relationship...
Pregnancy is a difficult time for a bitch in all aspects. The body nourishes more organisms and it needs to be reflected in her energy and nutrient intake. A breeder, racer and sport cynology contestant, Jitka Duffková, gives advice on how to make...
You might be interested in this dog sport but you have many questions before you can decide to start with it. Will my buddy enjoy it? Do I have sufficient physical abilities? When should we start, isn’t it too soon or too late? This article and advice...
A healthy mouth is a very important part of the complex vitality of a cat and we shouldn’t neglect taking care of it. There are many oral diseases our furry friends can suffer from. What can you do to keep your cat’s teeth clean?
Korat is a very rare breed that isn’t very common even in Thailand – the country of its origin. Thanks to its beautiful, soft, silver-tipped hair as well as its special nature, it’s unmistakable. This breed definitely deserves some attention.
Have you ever thought about how the composition of the gut microbiota of your dog companion influences its mood, metabolism or immune system in addition to its digestion? Do you know how bacteria work in guts and how to keep the good ones inside?
Letting furious dogs with only one task – to detain and put you down – bite you is definitely not for everyone. But is it really as horrifying as it may look from the outsider’s point of view? Jan Böhm answers our questions about what it takes to be...
Snakes and scorpions are said to get out on Saint George’s Day. It has been a while since then, so it’s no surprise that we can see a lizard or a snake when on a walk somewhere or in our gardens. They already left their underground shelters designed...
The German Boxer can truly be called a versatile dog. With no doubts, it can be a family dog, a watchdog or a rescuer. It is also good at sports. A long-term boxer breeder, Ing. Michaela Martinů, can confirm that.
Bikejöring doesn’t mean that a dog simply runs next to a bike. The dog pulls the bike when doing this sport, it is similar to dog sledding. A famous Slovak musher, Marcel Dučák, will tell us what equipment you need for it, what dogs it is good for,...
