Zena was a "pat" dog this morning

I took Zena up to visit mum, and she was downstairs in the big lounge with the 30 other residents and the staff told me to go in there coz all the residents (apart from one! Well, you always get one don'tcha!) adored dogs. So in we went, she found mum and went straight up to her, climbed onto her lap and started licking her face, much to the amusement of all the others sitting around in the armchairs in a big circle! Then she went and said hello to most of the others and I can't believe how nicely behaved and quiet she was considering I didn't walk her first, I was worried about that bit!!!

Then I had to wait for this old man on his zimmer who had always had collies and although she barked at him at first (well, he was the only MAN and she doesn't like a lot of men), I waited for him to sit in his chair and took Zena up to him. He made a big fuss of her but she barked again, so I got down on the floor by his knees, calmed her down and she was fine, she liked him then!

Considering there were 30 people there altogether, plus the staff, something which she has never done before, I think her behaviour was exceptional, at one point she even laid down for me and rolled over and laid on her side right in the middle of them all! I think I have found her vocation, she's gonna be a "pat" dog when she's old enough, and quiet enough of course, unless she gets chatting to those two "norties" of Tawneywolf's then of course, this will all go to pot!

My little star - can't wait to tell the trainers at dog training tonight how well she behaved herself!

Well done Zena and you too H.

she a star ,helena . i think its a lovely thing ,for the old folks ,to be able to see and stroke a dog ,like that ,like you say ,a lot have had dogs ,and really miss them ,she a clever girl . my mom and dad and aunty ,love my two ,my mom rings up (she 80 ) she says are the dogs comeing to see me ,when dad get up to move (he is disabled ,uses a zimmer frame ) they both get up and move out his way .

Thanks Rach, I thought she'd be a blooming nightmare, but thankfully she wasn't!!!

That's what happened here at home Tracy When mum came down for her bath, Zena would be put in her crate and as soon as she saw mum on her stairlift from the dining room, her tail would slap so hard on the floor, as mum spoke to her quietly. Then she got to be left out when I trusted her more, and she somehow knew mum wasn't safe on that zimmer if she zoomed around, and she would just lay quietly under the stairs watching her, but with that tail slapping on the bed! Lol! Sadly, my mum is very ill now, she doesn't have long, and whenever I mention Zena on a visit, her little face lights up and she starts talking again. I'm sure she made the day of every oldie in that room today, they couldn't wait for her to come and say hello, and Zena was lapping it up, and behaved impeccably, even though she's only 6 months old! I had to hold onto that harness of course, just in case, coz I know her sooooo well, and I know how lethal those little claws of hers can be! Lol! Thanks Tracy. I'm definitely going to look into this.

They'd love old Georgie of course, but sadly, I can't manage the pair of them at the moment whilst Zena might go off on one! Georgie would be just perfect for this, he's just a big cuddly bear with no hidden agenda like Zena!!!!

aww thats lovely we have pat dogs visit every week the residents love it x

That really is something special you have there Helena. Little Zena the PAT dog. how wonderful of her and so young too. You would think she would be hyper with all those people around but she was just so gentle. Maybe she sensed that they were old and some infirm.

Bless her...give her a big doggy biscuit from me.
Elaine xxxxx

I'm sure they do Lise, everybody was smiling and laughing at her when I said I AM going to training with her, even though she wouldn't sit down when I asked, she wanted to carry on showing off in the middle of their circle! Lol! She was sooo funny at first, all excited, and it gave them something to talk about, something to laugh about didn't it, I will definitely be doing it again, and again, and again! xxx

Thanks Elaine, I have given her a markie for ya! Although hyper at first when she saw mum, it really doesn't take much to calm this little monkey down, I use that "watch me" command and she's on me and does as I ask (usually! Lol!) I would love to be able to take Georgie coz they would just adore him and he's sooooo quiet, I'd have no fear of him jumping up on their laps like Zena, but at the moment, I couldn't handle it, she needs too much from me at the moment, but having just done our 3rd night of training at this new club, I am going to see it through to the very end (all 12 weeks of it!! ) and hopefully, by that time, we can start taking the route as a pat dog, I know she's too young, but it's nothing strenuous is it, so maybe we can at 9 months old I don't know, I'm going to have to find out all about it.

I'll definitely do it again next week, I won't do it too often coz otherwise they won't be so impressed with us will they!!! xxxx