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Plenty of tails and tales at the Yellowknife Public Library

Saturday was a tail wagging good time judging by the kids who came in to read aloud with a furry friend at the Yellowknife Public Library’s TAILS program Saturday.

Nevaeh Hicks, who came to the TAILS program for the first time, said reading to the big, gentle seven-year-old rottweiler labrador Stella was a fun experience. Hicks chose a book Stella would like, about a big dog bone, and Stella appeared to be following along.

“It’s really fun when I pet the dog and read,” Hicks said. “She’s looking at the book, she’s kind of pointing at the words so it looks like she’s reading.”

The dogs are specially trained therapy dogs. Their owners trained as handlers through the St. John Ambulance Therapy Dog Program. Normally children between six and 12 come in to read one-on-one with a dog in 20-minute sessions. Saturday was a chance for children to get acquainted with the idea of reading aloud to dogs.

Megan Clark, public service librarian at the Yellowknife Public Library, said the TAILS program is a good opportunity for children who are shy about reading or are reluctant readers. The benefits of reading to and spending time with a therapy dog are more than just better reading skills.

“Confidence, comfort with books, comfort around animals,” she said. “All of the things they say with therapy dogs, stress release, giving kids a safe place to read and learn and be themselves with an animal.”

Dave Kellett, Stella's owner, the program is an excellent way for dogs to be ambassadors for ‘dogdom’. He said people often come in afraid of dogs, but through the TAILS program he sees an increase in comfort around the animals in both children and their parents.

The therapy dog program has 14 dogs and is looking for more friendly, well-trained dogs comfortable with many different people and situations. The dogs not only take part in the TAILS program, they also visit Avens Manor, the Association for Community Living and the Salvation Army mental health program.