Animal Assisted Activities/Therapy

Hey, I'm not sure if I did mention before that I'm a therapist by profession. The reason I mention this is that I'm actually very interested in Animal Assisted Activities/Therapy (AAA/ AAT). What's AAA/AAT? Well, AAA?AAT are activities or therapy for human with the help of animals. They provide opportunities for motivational, educational, recreational, and/or therapeutic benefits to enhance quality of life. AAT are goal directed and are integral part of therapy treatment process. For more information please visit Delta Society website. Anyway, there's a non-profit association in Singapore that provide AAA service to some of the organization in Singapore. I've went to observe one of their PAT (Pet Assisted Therapy) at one of the home for intellectually dissabled before. That was during my last year of my therapy course and definitely before I got McMug.
As you can see, since I'm was about to graduate and then a very enthusiastic therapy student, I wish I can integrate both my interests together. Initially I hoped to be part of the Therapy Dogs, Singapore team after I got a dog. But too bad. Looking at McMug: A dog that is active; not totally obedient; love to bite (not real bite, it's the playful kind, and I can't say he nibbles!), jump and run and simply out of control when he meets fellow doggie friends. He is OUT for AAA. Hahaha... Kind of cute in his own way though. Too tame a dog is not for me. Heee
Oh, back to the topic... ya, and then I started work as a therapist and every thing is so NOVEL, OVERWHELMING, ANXIETY PROVOKIING, EXCITING(?)... I didn't have much thought about AAA/AAT for a long time. Until recently when I actually had some time to ponder about my future plan (one fine Sunday morning when I'm travelling peacefully in a non-crowded bus, along a scenic route), that I thought of having a career involving AAA/AAT. The thing is, I wanted to have some form of training or education on AAA/AAT and how I can integrate it into therapy. After I searched on the internet, it seems like the courses are mostly available in US. Ha! imagine the cost! I wonder if there is any available at some where nearer to this side of the world. Actually I'm not sure if one need to be certified to carry out AAA or AAT. Seems like one can do it after doing some self reading on some of the books on AAA/AAT. But just to be sure that I'm on the right track, perhaps it's better to go through some form of training.
Oh well, I guess I just have to save up money to fulfil this dream then.

McMug's name
Some people may wonder why I choose the name McMug for my dog. Well, you see, at that point in time (and now still) I'm "obsess" over the My Life as McDull animation. And personally, I prefer the character McDull more than McMug (McDull is also a pig) but I feel that McMug sound nicer than McDull, I mean a name for a dog that is. Imagine how "dull" life is going to be for the dog. Hahaha, just kidding. So anyway, I prefer the name McMug(I like this character too) and thus my dog got his name!
I mean look at it this way, calling him Spot, Jack, Russell, Milo, Fang, Champion... those names are a bit erm... usual(no offense to those whose dogs names are those listed above) Anyway, I like to give my pet more unique names. As in unique in this region of the planet. Haha... I'm sure in places where McMug & McDull stories are popular, McMug's name may be very common. And one more thing, I need to find a name that is easy to call too. Some times we just call him"Mug", which is short and easy to pronounce :P

Yo! Here's a drawing of McMug. Done by me. Hee hee. and test the uploading of images as well. testing testing...

Ticks!!
That's right, ticks. McMug had got TICKS! AHhhh... Dad brought him over to the empty field to run about with Zach (Bull Terrier) and Pepper (Schnauzer). And when he returned home, he brought back with him these tiny, creepy, brown, ugly, blood sucking creatures. And they clung on so tightly to McMug's skin. We have to comb through his fur to find those little things. And one actually clung on so tight that when Dad tried to pull him off, he actually pulled off some of McMug's fur. Poor dog. It must had been quite painful. So this call for the anti-fles/ticks spray! Well, actually we haven't buy any yet, and I think it's time to get a bottle. Argh... horrible tiny, creepy, brown, ugly, blood sucking creatures...

McMug's friends II
Alright, this is an entry about McMug's doggie friends.
Top on the list is Pepper the Schnauzer! Pepper is owned by a family and usually his 2 "sisters" or "mum" will bring him out for his daily walk. Also twice a day like McMug. You should look at the way the two of them play with each other. Both of them are energetic and just lately when we brought both Pepper and McMug to the big empty field nearby(no other people around) to play, we unleashed them and they ran like they never run before. Hahaha... They would jump/pounce on each other; tumble on the ground or chase each other until they are too tired to run. Usually McMug would run first and Pepper tries to chase him from behind. And each time after they play with each other, both will be wet. Why? Saliva from the other party. Hiak hiak... Well, not everyone can be Pepper friend. There's this dog name Lucky, well, Peopper and Lucky just don't seem to like each other.

Ok, next is follow by Zach the Bull Terrier. Zach is about twice the size of McMug and usually his not as hyperactive as McMug or Pepper. He would sniff McMug and maybe wrestle abit with McMug. When Zach is tired, he would lie on the floor and refuse to get up and his owner would have to pull and tug him along. heh heh.

Then there is this Golden Retriever/German Shepard mix, NoNo. NoNo is a female. She is black, with features of a German Shepard but temperment of a Golden Retriever. Well, she is much much larger than McMug. Initially when we first saw NoNo with her owner, we didn't dare let McMug go near her, afraid that she might be fierce. But after knowing her, she's such a darling. She's not really very gentle, but she is friendly and not agressive at all. Regardless of her size, she and McMug enjoyed playing with each other, especially at the big field I mentioned earlier. There they were both unleash as well. Lately NoNo just had a surgery done. So poor thing. She also had the E-collar on as well. We didn't dare let them play with each other in case they got too rough and rupture the stiches. We just let them sniff each other for awhile.

Hmm... who else? There's Echo the black and white JRT; Roxy the wired hair Parson Jack (his friendly daddy and mummy likes to tease McMug, haha); Wich the tiny JRT that we acquainted recently, YoYo the over friendly JRT, ToTo the macho, well build JRT; Happy (JRT) and Shadow(retriever) (Happy and Shawdow belong to the same owner); Stuby the JRT from a nearby estate; Winnie the JRT (McMug's girlfriend?? HA!); Milo, also JRT (I haven't seen him before, but my dad met him.

The list goes on: Too(hmm not sure of the spelling), Desert the two Schnauzers and their daughter Rain; Violet, the puppy Schnauzer; Lucky, the Maltese; Girl Girl (I think is Pekingese); Max (white color dog, fur shaved, not sure what breed) and ViVi (miniture pinscher), Frisky the japanese Spitz, Korgi the mix breed doggie (think he should be a terrier mix)...

Heh, until now after I try to list them down, there's so many dogs... some we met frequently, some not so frequent. Wow, McMug has got so many friends. How I wish we can have some kind of gathering for the dogs and owners. But I have no experience in organising this kind of event. Anyone has any idea where we can have a gathering, what activities to do, how to control the large number of dogs etc? Hmm... I suppose too many dogs can be quite hard to control isn't it? And not everybody likes dog, I wouldn't want to receive any complains from the neighbours. hmmm...