Alpine Update

Long time no write! Alpine and I have been busy at work and moving into a new house. She was so much help while we were unpacking... I think she likes the new house, there is plenty of space for her to run around and nice hardwood floors for her to slide on. Here is a picture of her "helping" me unpack at the house.

At work, Alpine has been quite popular. Everyday I get at least one request from a staff member who needs some "Alpine therapy." We have been very full at on the unit and the staff have been using Alpine to relieve some stress. Everyone keeps asking when her last day is and saying how much they are going to miss her! The staff have even started giving her little gifts. The rec therapists got together and made her an IU Health bandanna with her name embroidered on. Alpine likes wearing her bandanna and gets very concerned when I take it off. When I take it off she sits in front of me and tries to take it back until I put it back on her. Another staff member got her a new bone and although it is not a type of bone she is allowed to have, the gesture was very sweet. Here is a picture of Alpine in her new bandanna.

With the patients, she has been working her magic as usual. She was able to get a very sad patient to smile and even laugh a little bit with her tennis ball talents. It is really amazing to see how much someone brightens up with her around. Alpine is getting better at understanding what patients need from her. If a patient is upset and sitting on the floor, she will go up to them and lay next to them (often falling asleep). If patients are bed ridden, she has learned a new command so she can help them- bed. This command tells her to jump up on the bed and lay down quietly. She LOVES doing this and takes her bed visit time very seriously by lounging around on the patient and allowing them to pet her and love on her for as long as they would like. Alpine has done a fantastic job this summer and I really hope the hospital looks into a full time therapy dog.

Alpine took a trip with Cameron and I to Louisville KY where his grandparents live. While we were there we went to the slugger museum and factory. We, of course, took a tour and received our commemorative "mini bats" at the end. The tour guide was so impressed with Alpine that he gave her mini-bat! She carried it around for a while and then decided it made a better chew toy then a bat. She behaved very well on our trip. Here is a picture of her at the museum in front of the giant baseball bat and a picture of her with her new bat.

It has been so much fun having her here. I can't believe it's almost time to take her home! The house is going to be way too quiet with out her.

-Alpine & Rachel

Week Three for Alpine

Alpine's third week at the hospital went pretty well. She was a little bit sick on Thursday and Friday but felt better (and much more playful) on Saturday. During a group session on Saturday she did a wonderful job of sharing her beloved tennis ball with all of the patients who wanted to throw it for her. I'm not sure how she knows, but she manages to share the ball almost equally with everyone throwing it for her. All the patients think it is hilarious that she actually throws the ball back in your lap. During the session we talked about what everyone's "tennis ball of life" was. This topic came up because one of the patients pointed out that no matter how Alpine is feeling or what she is doing, a tennis ball instantly makes her happy so that turned into talking about our own "tennis balls" in life. It ended up being an amazing therapy session.

Alpine had a last minute trip to the vet last week. On Thursday she was not acting like herself and had a weird accident. Luckily, her vet has a branch here so we took her to see her. Turns out she is ok and just needs to have cranberry juice a few times a day to clear up some bladder issues (just like humans!). She was very good at the vet so we let her pick out a new toy at Petco (she chose a new tug). The staff at the hospital were all so worried about her! I thought they might be mad that she had an accident but no one seemed to care about that, they all just wanted to make sure she was ok. After she went home to rest, everyone kept asking me what happened and if she was going to be ok. I have been pleasantly surprised with how supportive all the staff have been. Everyone seems to love her! Even the vice president of the hospital wants to meet her!

Yesterday on our day off, we decided to go to the Monroe County state fair. What an interesting experience with Alpine! She went crazy with all the new animal smells. Her favorite part was the cows. She was completely fascinated with one particular cow. She slowly worked her way closer to it (nose going CRAZY the whole time) The cow laid there and stared at her, and then decided she wanted to smell Alpine right back! They were nose to nose for quite some time, just trying to figure each other out. I think they liked each other.

After the fair she was pretty muddy so I gave her a little bath in our tub. She, of course, wanted to take her tennis ball in with her.

Today we had several patients who were bedridden so we decided to do some beside visits. In these types of visits Alpine and I go around to the rooms of patients who cannot get out of bed and talk with them. I ask them if they like dogs (so far all of them have) and if they would like to say hi. If they agree, I have Alpine do her "up" command (front paws on a surface). Most of the patients then want her on the bed so I help her gently jump up on the bed. She usually lays down on their legs and lounges on the bed until it's time to see another patient. Today we visited one woman who was having a very difficult time with anxiety. Alpine did an amazing job of helping her calm down. She immediately laid down on her bed and snuggled with her, after about 30 minutes of talking with the patient, Alpine had fallen sound asleep and did not want to move. It took a handful of treats to get her to wake up! Below are some pictures of her snuggle time with the patients.

I think Alpine enjoyed it as much as the patients did! As you can see, her job is very difficult :-)

-Alpine & Rachel  

Week 2 for Alpine

Alpine's second week went wonderfully! She is slowly becoming the favorite "employee" around the unit. Last week she got into a good routine. She usually naps in the morning, then gets up just in time to play with patients during second group, head outside for a nice lunch break, then back to work in the unit for the afternoon. After we do a few assessments and write some notes, the patients usually ask if they can see her and either sit with her on the floor or throw her ball for her. Even when she is napping in the office, many of the staff ask where she is and when she's coming back! There was even a nice note in the conference room "We <3 Alpine"

The patients are loving her. They always say hi to her in the halls and many of the patients who do not usually come out and socialize, throw the ball in the hall for her and end up talking to the other patients. It is a great way to draw people out of their rooms. Another great job she has is walking with the patients. Sometimes we have patients who get very bored and end up just wandering up and down the halls. When I notice this, I ask them if they would like to walk with Alpine (if I think it is safe). I sit at the desk in the front and they walk with her in the halls. The patients instantly brighten up and many of them end up finding other patients who want to walk with her too. This is a great way to increase appropriate social interactions among patients.

Everyone is loving little miss Alpine. We are going to start working on getting the hospital to approve a therapy dog full time. If they are ok with it, I hope to get a dog placed at the hospital soon after Alpine leaves!  I'm so happy with how everything is going and how well Alpine is behaving :-)

Here is a picture of her sleeping in her "spot" after a long day at work. Such a cutie!

Alpine's day off

So while my parents were in town this past week we decided to rent a boat out on Lake Monroe. So much fun! Alpine did way better then I expected. When ever we walk by water she always pulls towards it since her favorite activity besides chasing a tennis ball is swimming, but she didn't try to jump in hardly at all. She would just stick her head outside the boat and watch the water go by. The only time she would try to jump in (or cry when we didn't let her) was if one of us was in the water with out her. I guess she thought that was really unfair! If one of us jumped in the water, she would jump in behind us and chase us around the water until we puller her back out. She loves swimming!

Along with the boat, we rented a tube to pull behind it. My Dad decided it would be a great idea to try and get Alpine to go on it with him. My Mom and I both agreed it was not a very good idea and she would probably just jump off and swim around, but we let him try it any way. Much to our surprise she LOVED it! She just chilled in the tube and let us pull her and Dad around! It was the cutest thing I have ever seen. We took lots of pictures and a video. Check out the amazing tubing dog!

I think Alpine will be known as the adventure dog. Nothing scares her!!

We had a wonderful time with my parents but it's time to get back to work! Back to the hospital for a five day work week.

-Rachel & Alpine

Alpine's first week

Alpine had a wonderful first week! She did a great job cheering up all the patients. She played fetch for about an hour with a group of patients which made them all smile. Alpine is surprisingly good at sharing the ball with others. She rotated around the room ensuring all of the patients had a chance to play catch with her. She is still being requested by patients for individual sessions but she does not sit still for very long so the group sessions are better for her. One patient even said that her favorite part of treatment was Alpine!

The staff are loving her too. On Friday some of the secretaries requested visitation with her since their office was getting pretty lonely. She sat quietly in their office snoozing, chewing on her bone, and accepting pats on the head for about an hour. Today was a stressful day for many of the therapists and nurses so the staff took their turns with Alpine having mini "pet therapy" sessions after which they felt ready to go again.

Alpine did her first bedside visit today. We usually either play in the hallway with her or sit in a quiet room for 1:1 sessions but today I was walking past a patient room and was called in. We had one patient who couldn't get out of bed at the moment so Alpine enthusiastically practiced her "up" command and said hi to the patient (the patient got her a little too excited and she ended up all the way on the bed with her. The patient loved every minute of it and Alpine did pretty well.)

In general the program is going very smoothly. She is still a puppy and still learning but most of the time Alpine is a well behaved little puppy. Most people are amazed at how calm she is (when there isn't a tennis ball around). Hope we can start the HeartMath program with her soon!!

-Rachel & Alpine

Alpine's first day at work

Tuesday was Alpine's first full day of work! She did great! I don't think she slept well the night before because all she wanted to do was sleep at work. During the first group I introduced her to the group and had her sit with me in the corner. She proceeded to lay on her back and sleep belly up the entire hour. From there we had rounds meet at which she again, slept the entire hour. The staff loved her though, they kept talking to her like she was part of the meeting (and awake) and everyone wanted to rub her belly when they left the meeting. The staff have all been really great with her around. Most of them are respectful and ask before they pet her or give her a treat. For the second group I let her go say hi to people while I got group started. She found someone she liked and laid down on their feet and slept through the whole thing (later the patient told me she was even snoring a little bit). Later in the day she had her first 1:1 session. She behaved very well and did "lap" for the patient when there was a treat involved. When she got bored, she took a nap on the patients feet which put the biggest smile on the patients face. It was a great first session.

In the office she has her own blanket in the corner with her toys for when I am charting or on the computer. She figured out quickly that the blanket is her spot and lays down there when ever we go in the office. My office mates love her of course, especially when she is giving "the look" (it's as iff she's saying "I'm bored, can we go play please?!?")

I think this trial is going to go very well. Hopefully the hospital agrees and is willing to let the unit get a full time dog!

Until next time,
Rachel & Alpine

Alpine's trying therapy!

I recently started an internship at IU Health Bloomington and was given the opportunity to do some research while I'm there. I have always been interested in Animal Assisted Activities/Therapy so I came up with the plan to borrow Alpine (the service dog my parents are currently training) and test out some theories at the hospital. After several rounds of approvals I have been informed that we are 99% approved for the project! Everyone on the unit is super excited to meet little Alpine. Her first day of her new job will be July 4th. If all goes well, we will be presenting our research at the Recreational Therapist of Indiana conference in November! I am so excited that the other rec therapists were so enthusiastic about the whole thing. I still have a few things to do before she comes but I can't wait for her to be here! She is getting a new cape that will help me ensue she is safe around the unit and let everyone know she is working and is a CaPR dog. She might even have to get a hospital ID badge! She took a nice portrait for me  to put on some paper work ( I later found out my parents had to take the close up because she decided to eat a bee- notice the fat lip). Can't wait for her to start working with me!