Diesel

“Diesel the ‘double’ Therapy Dog here. I’m a Pet Partners / Centegra Caring Paws Animal-Assisted Therapy Dog, and I’m a regular therapy client of Mary Kay Dobbeck’s Balanced Motion. Double therapy, get it? Without my rehab work with Mary Kay, my weekly visits to Centegra hospitals never would have happened.

Almost two years ago now, when I was still a pup, I had to have a giant bone chip removed from my elbow. Piece of cake, but while I was still at the hospital, I slipped and broke my femur. Ouch! Four pins and weeks of recuperating later, I discovered the existence of canine rehabilitation specialists. One of them was right in the neighborhood, and raised Bernese Mountain Dogs!

Twice a week, Mary Kay worked on re-establishing my range of motion in both limbs, and taught my mom how to do flexing and extending exercises at home. Then she started to work on my posture, which was all catty-whampous from favoring limbs and laying around. She stretched my back muscles and hips on her mat, and then worked to strengthen my core muscles using her steps and pillows and peanuts. It’s amazing what a dog will do for a treat! Then we harnessed up to work on my gait, looking for more extension and power from my hind end.

When she cleared mom and I to go back to obedience class, we worked hard and passed our Canine Good Citizen and TDI tests. And then we went to work to pass the Pet Partner (Delta Dog) evaluations required for our hospital work. All the while, we continued to work with Mary Kay, believing that an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. She is making me even stronger, so I can start to work on Draft Dog certification. I’ll match my six-pack with any other dog around.

I’m living proof that directed exercise and therapy keeps both people and dogs healthy. Every time I get to jump onto a patient’s bed, or stand up on a bed when mom says 'two feet,' or walk all around the hospital without getting tired, I think 'Yep, I’m a Balanced Motion therapy dog.' Thanks, Mary Kay!"

(Jayne & Joe S.)