Today was our R.E.A.D. program debut at the local college that hosts a summer reading program for kids who are having a little trouble with reading. We were a bit nervous -- well, ok, I was a bit nervous. It looked like Tango had been doing this all his life.
He said a polite hello to his canine colleague (another yellow Labrador also involved with the program) and then got down to business.
Maybe it was the fact that he had a vest on - Tango spent the first year of his life in training to be a service dog for physically disabled people. (A bum shoulder sidelined his career and let him live with us.) He spent a year or so in an office setting with me (before I made the full-time move to training) and was always business-like when wearing the vest.
He entertained each of the children with a sloppy dog kiss on the cheek or the nose before settling in to listen to whatever book they brought to read to him.
He got a little too comfortable once or twice and wound up on his back, feet straight in the air, for a rousing back scratch (which turned into a belly scratch as soon as the child noticed).
We had a terrific time with the kids, and I hope they got as much from the session as we did! We're looking very forward to the new school year and working with the county schools and the reading specialists!
