I spent most of my Sunday in a wheelchair. No, please, no need to be concerned, it is all part of my therapy dog training. Allow me to explain. I am training my Newfoundland "miniature horse" to be a therapy dog. It's a multi-step process that basically means she - upon graduation – is able to take the test to be registered as a Canine Good Citizen dog. Translation: she will be formally recognized as a well behaved dog, and, for that, is able to participate in animal-assisted therapy. If you're not familiar, therapy dogs along with their handler (me) make regular visits to retirement communities, schools, hospitals, etc. and help bring smiles to the faces of anyone in need.

That said...back to my Sunday. One of the testing requirements Bella must complete is the ability to walk on her leash, along side a wheelchair. Not whiz down the isle. Not pull the chair 5 miles per hour in a zig-zagging fashion. Spinning the occupied wheelchair in a counter-clockwise direction is also bad. It’s not as if I needed anyone to tell me that - but I definitely found out the hard way on Sunday. Let's just suffice it to say, Bella needs work. A lot of work. We spent our training class in a back isle of PetSmart while Bella and I tried to maneuver this chair. Trust me, it is easier said than done. My shins are completely banged up from careening out of control and crashing no less than a dozen times.

In hindsight, I should have put a sign on the chair that said “therapy dog in training” and here’s why…at the end of the class, I simply got up, and walked away.

It would be an understatement to say that this generated some attention. Since it’s not uncommon for some pet owners to spend their day at PetSmart walking their dog, more than one visitor saw me in that wheelchair. But one gentleman in particular, spent a lot of time looking on, quite sympathetic, as Bella spun me through the isle. In fact, at one point, he was kind enough to stop and pick up a box of dog bones we unknowingly knocked to the floor. Since I knew what I was doing, it never registered in my mind that the people seeing me think I’m in this wheelchair for a reason. Had I considered that - I certainly would have taken the time to explain...

As I was being pulled out of PetSmart (Bella also needs to learn not to drag me like a rag doll behind her leash) that kind gentleman stopped me. Politely, but with obvious concern, he said he just had to ask…Was I miraculously healed?

It took some explaining, but he and I parted ways, smiling, over the experience. In the end, we both agreed to count our blessings that we have two functioning legs...and together, he and I walked away, without assistance.

As always, I enjoy hearing from you! Email me anytime at pat.vanzandt@wsee.tv