Can Pointers be Good Therapy Dogs, Despite Their Size?

You betcha!

I guess you’d describe me as a middle-aged guy. I wanted a Pointer because I thought I’d take him out hunting. Well, that didn’t work out, although it wasn’t the dog’s fault. As it turns out, I can’t hit the broad side of a barn, so I gave up that idea pretty quickly.

I still wanted something I could do with my Pointer, though. I thought about it for a while, and eventually I came up with the idea of training him to be a therapy dog. I saw a show on TV that showed how these amazing dogs help people in hospitals and nursing homes. You’ve probably heard about therapy dogs before, but that was the first time I knew they even existed. Well, I know my dog loves just about everybody, so I thought he might be good. The only problem (in my mind) was his size. You see, it’s pretty common for therapy dogs to climb right up onto a sick person’s bed or into their lap. Obviously, my big Pointer wasn’t going to be able to do that!

In the end, I decided to go ahead. After all, a therapy dog’s heart and love for people is the most important thing, not his size. Therapy dogs have to be gentle, loving, patient and adaptable to different situations. And that describes my dog to a "T." So, off we went to therapy dog training, where he learned how to provide comfort and companionship to adults and children in hospitals, nursing homes and similar places. I got him certified, and guess what? So far, he’s been a big hit despite his size!