COOL listeners

5-year-old Stanton and his friend Faith sat patiently while a 4-year-old girl curled up next to them and read from her favorite book. They sat for a long time while 20 other children read to them. The only sign that one could tell they were really enjoying themselves was the way their tails wagged as each child read their favorite story.

Stanton and Faith are a part of the national Read to a Dog Program. The program introduces children to dogs while they sit and read to them. Parents who either knew about the program or ones who stumbled upon it were pleased with the concept. Jennifer York, mother to 3-year-old Betsy, woke to find her daughter practicing reading prior to going to the library for the event, "It's never too early to get children started on reading books and I love that it encourages kids to read by letting them interact with animals. I wish there had been a program like this when I was growing up."

4-year-old Violet Lewis was apprehensive about reading to such large dogs but was glad she did, "I could tell he liked the book because he was wagging his tail. He was a good listener and a nice dog." Violet's mother, Amy, appreciated the chance for her to be up close with such a large dog, "It was good for her to be in a controlled environment with a large dog who was so well-behaved."

Mary Letourneau, Stanton's owner, was overjoyed to see how much the children appeared to connect with him. They have been a part of the program for over three years, "It's so rewarding to see children gaining confidence by reading to these dogs. And Stanton enjoys being entertained by these kids so much. His tail never stops wagging."

Here's to the dogs, as well as their owners, who sit so patiently while children read to them and gain confidence-keep your tails wagging-stay positive, stay generous, and STAY COOL!

What do you think of the "Read to a Dog Program" and how the children respond to it?