# Mercy recieved her Therapy Dogs Inc Credentials



## MercyMom (Dec 19, 2011)

Here are a couple pictures of Mercy's TDInc certificate and tag.


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## GoldenMum (Mar 15, 2010)

Congrats! Good girl Mercy!


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## MrsKuhn (Aug 22, 2013)

Happy dance!!! Congrats! 


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## Max's Dad (Apr 23, 2012)

Way to go!!


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## lhowemt (Jun 28, 2013)

Woohoo! Way to go Mercy and mom! 

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## dborgers (Dec 7, 2011)

Congratulations!! Way to go!!


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## Goldngirl01 (Oct 17, 2013)

*Mercy..*

Congratulations to both of you...makes a Breeder Proud


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## inge (Sep 20, 2009)

Congratulations!


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## PiratesAndPups (Sep 24, 2013)

Congrats, that's awesome!


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## hotel4dogs (Sep 29, 2008)

congratulations! way to go!


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## CAROLINA MOM (May 12, 2009)

That's fantastic, Congratulations to you and Mercy!


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## Pixie (Jun 13, 2012)

Congrats


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## Dallas Gold (Dec 22, 2007)

That is wonderful. Congrats!

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## Neeko13 (Jul 10, 2010)

Congtats to you and Mercy....Neeko gets tested in 12 days...:crossfing:crossfing


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## MercyMom (Dec 19, 2011)

Nash666 said:


> Congtats to you and Mercy....Neeko gets tested in 12 days...:crossfing:crossfing


Praying and hoping that Neeko passes his test.


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## olliversmom (Mar 13, 2013)

Yay to Miss Mercy and to you for all your dedication and hard work. Congrats!!


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## Brinkleythegolden (Jun 18, 2012)

Big congratulations to you and Mercy.


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## MercyMom (Dec 19, 2011)

*Next Step*

Thanks everyone for your well wishes. My local therapy dog club, Manassas Therapy Dogs is the Therapy Dogs Inc affiliate that evaluated Mercy. I sent an e-mail to the main person last night, telling her I got my credentials and how I would like to join the club. She is also the person Mercy jumped on during our second observation at the nursing home on September 19th. She has gotten in touch with me so promptly before when I've e-mailed her. She asked me at the end of this particular observation if I was going to join the local club or go solo. Each staff member has their own opinions, but I am concerned what if the main person, who is in charge of enrolling new members is not too crazy to have me and Mercy join the local group? Hmmmm.:--dumbfounded:

I also have another set of credentials from Canines for Christ that came last month. Any dog that has passed the CGC is eligible for these credentials. The church that runs this ministry is based in Florida. I plan to start a therapy dog ministry through my local church, thereby starting a local Northern Virginia chapter of CFC. I've got my work cut out for me.


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## love never dies (Jul 31, 2012)




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## MercyMom (Dec 19, 2011)

Okay, I sent Sherri, the membership enrollment person a second e-mail this morning. Hopefully, she'll write back soon. I am wondering if I should go solo or join another Therapy Dogs Inc. affiliate. There is an affiliate named Waggin Hearts in the Peidmont region of Virginia with some visits in Fauquier County, but most of their visits take place in Rappahannock and Warrren counties. I was thinking of joining their R.E.A.D. program. I attended a R.E.A.D. workshop in 2006 when I lived in Maryland with the intent of using my previous dog Coal, who was Delta Pet Partners certfied as a R.E.A.D. dog, but I got married and never pursued it further. Any dog through Delta Pet Partners or Therapy Dogs Inc. is eligible for R.E.A.D. certification. I might inquire about it since they do visit a library in Fauquier County.


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## lhowemt (Jun 28, 2013)

Don't assume a lack of a response means anything at all. She could be on vacation, sick, swamped with things, etc. Sometimes email does actually get "lost" too. I'd join with others, so much to learn (both pro and con)

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## MercyMom (Dec 19, 2011)

*Got a hold of the membership chairperson*

Okay, the membership chairperson got back in touch with me. She doesn't seem to have much patience for people who struggle with their social skills like I do. During the last observation visit at the children's health fair, the volunteer overseeing my visit strongly suggested I use a Gentle Leader instead of the Easy Walk harness I am now using. Not all of the senior volunteers are necessarily 100% mandating Gentle Leaders, but now the main chairperson knows of the other senior volunteer's strong recommendation of a Gentle Leader, and now *she's* stressing that I use one. Mercy hates Gentle Leaders. She pulls them right off. We get along just fine with the Easy Walk Harness. I might have to ask Anne, my CGCA instructor to help me with the Gentle Leader I recently bought Mercy. Anyway, I will be mailing the application for membership with the local therapy dog group and asking to go on visits to the places where I would like to visit.


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## inge (Sep 20, 2009)

Why did she want you to use a Gentle Leader? I use an Easy Walker for both dogs. As long as she doesn't pull or jump, she should be fine in that, I would think. I mean, if Mercy is a little over the top with kids, you can always focus on some other age group. How does she do with elderly people?


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## Max's Dad (Apr 23, 2012)

We use the Gentle Leader with Max. He does very well with it, although I do not think he likes it. Now that he has been using it for a long time, we put it on his muzzle very loosely--he knows that if he is wearing the GL he has to be on his best behavior. 

If you should use the GL, never leave Mercy alone with it. When we first started using the GL, we left Max alone in the back seat of the car, and he pulled it off and chewed through it. Not a good thing at $25 each.


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## Bentleysmom (Aug 11, 2012)

I'm just reading about this now. CONGRATULATIONS!! Mercy has come so far thanks to you and all of your hard work. You believed in her from day one! ♥


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## MercyMom (Dec 19, 2011)

inge said:


> Why did she want you to use a Gentle Leader? I use an Easy Walker for both dogs. As long as she doesn't pull or jump, she should be fine in that, I would think. I mean, if Mercy is a little over the top with kids, you can always focus on some other age group. How does she do with elderly people?


Mercy does wonderfully with all populations especially kids. I want to just flatly refuse to use the Gentle Leader and use the Easy Walk harness. What would take more guts I wonder? Using the gentle leader or saying no to the gentle leader! :lol:


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## MercyMom (Dec 19, 2011)

Bentleysmom said:


> I'm just reading about this now. CONGRATULATIONS!! Mercy has come so far thanks to you and all of your hard work. You believed in her from day one! ♥


Thanks Joyce!


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## Bentleysmom (Aug 11, 2012)

Well she did say "strongly suggests" not "You must" so I think there's a little wiggle room there


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## MercyMom (Dec 19, 2011)

*Okay, here's the latest scoop*

I decided to contact a couple places to visit solo to get me started. I left messages with a residential school for at risk youth and with the volunteer coordinator at the local juvenille detention center. I already knew that my local group visits the local hospital, but I called them to see how to get started. Lo and behold, the same woman who observed me at the children's health fair and recommended the Gentle Leader is the one who takes the group(s) on visits to the hospital. I sent her an e-mail about my interest in visiting the hospital. In the meantime, I will be attending an information meeting next week as required by the hospital.


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## inge (Sep 20, 2009)

MercyMom said:


> Mercy does wonderfully with all populations especially kids. I want to just flatly refuse to use the Gentle Leader and use the Easy Walk harness. What would take more guts I wonder? Using the gentle leader or saying no to the gentle leader! :lol:


Yes, but what I am wondering about is why she was insistent about the Gentle Leader? Insistent enough to tell the chairwoman. Today I had to go through some tests with Liza in our hospital. My supervisor is the contact person for Therapy Inc. in Connecticut and she is very strict (the first time Tess went there, we had to take a timeout of a month because she jumped on someone when my picture was taken by HR and she didn't like it I went out of sight. So yes, strict...). But never ever did she suggest I had to use a Gentle Leader. So if Mercy is doing good, I would question the advice if she is more comfortable with as Easy Walker. And I would have asked why she suggested/insisted on it.


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## MercyMom (Dec 19, 2011)

inge said:


> Yes, but what I am wondering about is why she was insistent about the Gentle Leader? Insistent enough to tell the chairwoman. Today I had to go through some tests with Liza in our hospital. My supervisor is the contact person for Therapy Inc. in Connecticut and she is very strict (the first time Tess went there, we had to take a timeout of a month because she jumped on someone when my picture was taken by HR and she didn't like it I went out of sight. So yes, strict...). But never ever did she suggest I had to use a Gentle Leader. So if Mercy is doing good, I would question the advice if she is more comfortable with as Easy Walker. And I would have asked why she suggested/insisted on it.


She did not think I had as good control over Mercy using the Easy Walk harness in her opinion. The Easy Walk harness works wonders for me and Mercy. She even said that Mercy calmed down after a while. 

Jumping on people is a serious doggie social faux paus isn't it!


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## MercyMom (Dec 19, 2011)

*More updates*

I got a hold of the volunteer coordinator for the Juvenile detention center. I have decided to meet with her this Tuesday, the same day I plan to go to the orientation at the hospital. I e-mailed the Manassas Therapy Dogs senior volunteer in charge of visits to the hospital, and still waiting to hear back. I want to visit the juvenile detention center the most. That would bring me the most joy!


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## MercyMom (Dec 19, 2011)

I got an e-mail back from the senior volunteer of the hospital who also conducted my last observation. She basically told me sorry that I cannot take Mercy to the hospital since she barely passed and have not had the experience that the other members have. I think I'm gonna just go solo at this point unless I get correspondence telling me where I CAN visit. Praise God I have an interview with the volunteer coordinator at the juvenile detention facility on Tuesday. I would be happier going there anyway.


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## Eowyn (Aug 29, 2013)

MercyMom said:


> I got a hold of the volunteer coordinator for the Juvenile detention center. I have decided to meet with her this Tuesday, the same day I plan to go to the orientation at the hospital. I e-mailed the Manassas Therapy Dogs senior volunteer in charge of visits to the hospital, and still waiting to hear back. I want to visit the juvenile detention center the most. That would bring me the most joy!


That is awesome that you want to do that with Mercy! I hope to work with juveniles in detention centers one day as well. Good luck, I am sure you will be a huge blessing to those kids.


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## inge (Sep 20, 2009)

MercyMom said:


> I got an e-mail back from the senior volunteer of the hospital who also conducted my last observation. She basically told me sorry that I cannot take Mercy to the hospital since she barely passed and have not had the experience that the other members have. I think I'm gonna just go solo at this point unless I get correspondence telling me where I CAN visit. Praise God I have an interview with the volunteer coordinator at the juvenile detention facility on Tuesday. I would be happier going there anyway.


Gosh, I am so sorry. Doesn't Therapy Dogs Inc have a website where they list facilities that are looking for therapy dogs?


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## MercyMom (Dec 19, 2011)

*Still coming upon resistance and other obstacles*

It seems like noone is getting back to me. Is my way of communicating really that pathetic? With that rant out of the way, I will explain what I am dealing with. First of all, I took Mercy to the Juvenille Detention Facility on Tuesday afternoon. The volunteer coordinator told me to e-mail her on dates for the orientation. I e-mailed her on Wednesday. I have not yet heard back from her. I still have yet to hear back from the Manassas Therapy Dogs coordinator about places I can visit with the group even though I sent in my application for membership with the local group a week ago.

I know things take time when I am getting started and that I should be more patient. 

I am also contacting people with regards to using my Canines for Christ credentials. I contacted the missions outreach pastor and he said the church was already setting up programs. I sent an e-mail to the pastor of the church that founded CFC about what my pastor said, but have not heard back. I contacted the local battered woman's shelter. It is now the end of another week. I decided to contact the local library about READ therapy today. Every time the phone rings, I think it's someone important, but it's just a telemarketer or follow-up personal business call unrelated to pet therapy.:


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