Scott and Kim Marmo and their children are learning a certified therapy/working dog can be lots of fun to own and give pleasure to others as well.
After the family’s beloved yellow Labrador Retriever passed away, Scott, an avid waterfowl hunter, purchased a black male Labrador the family named Hep from a breeder in Mississippi. “We bought this pup before it was conceived. The kennel is an Orvis-endorsed kennel, only breeding British Labrador Retrievers as they tend to be more calm than the American lines,” said Kim. “We have three children and we wanted to make sure our lab was as calm as possible.”
The family raised Hep as a working dog and he had many rules. “We then had him professionally trained at Wildrose Kennels in Mississippi, where we bought him. Scott owns a business and didn’t have the time to invest in training like he did with our other dog. When Hep had completed his training and was returned to us, he was a proven hunting retriever. ” Scott learned about the Orvis endorsed kennel by linking on to its website which directed him to the renowned Wildrose Kennels. “The kennel was on the cover of Forbes magazine. They don’t use shock collars, which is unheard of in lab training. The goal is to make your dog please you without using force. You pay a little more but we would do it again. They are really good.”
Hep spent happy days with Scott in the field. Then duck and grouse season ended. But Hep ’s working days didn’t end. “We wanted to continue working with him so I had the notion to get Hep certified as a therapy dog via Therapy Dogs International and bring him along with us when we visited a nearby nursing home, ” Kim said. Hep soon logged over 15 hours at Broadmore Assisted Living visiting with the patients and bringing them happiness. He is probably most well know for his work at Providence Academy ’s library with children in a program called Tail Wagging Reading Pals. “Kids read aloud to a dog rather than their peers to give them reading experience. The children are less frightened to read to an animal, that won ’t make fun or criticize. We go twice a month to the library and work mostly with 1st to 4th grade students. Many people know him as the Library Dog.”
Hep helped spread goodwill at the Cherokee Indian Reservation recently. Scott, Kim, and their three children, Grace Katherine, 10, Caleb, 7, and Joshua, 3 took a short-term mission trip via Mission to the World to work with children and the elderly on the reservation. “He is truly a versatile dog, serving us as well as bringing joy to those in the community, ” she said. Kim’s church sponsors the outreach program to the reservation. “The program is relational. We go in and build relationships with them. You have to earn their trust. Half of the crew did a construction project. They built a deck on one of resident ’s homes and upgraded the plumbing. Since we had young kids, we went to a nursing home on the reservation and did programs, including a talent show, bingo and storytelling. The Native Americans really enjoyed the stories, ” she said. “They were very friendly. Our kids had more fun at Cherokee than at Disney.” Scott helped bring the elderly residents outdoors and did a dog demonstration with whistles, commands and bumpers, the plastic dummies you use to teach retrievers to retrieve. In the afternoon they did a vacation Bible school at a day care center for ages one to 12.
Certified therapy/working dog owners have many rules to follow in order for their dog to excel. And sometimes they have to train their friends as well. This training makes for a successful working dog and a pleasant family pet. “We wanted a dog trained for no jumping and no excessive barking. We have elderly friends and toddlers and we didn ’t want him bumping them or knocking them down.”
All four feet must remain on the ground at all times “It was kind of training our friends too. These are the rules: You are welcome to pet the dog but not to encourage bad behavior. Some may have thought we were too rigid but there was a purpose behind it. ” People who meet Hep are asked to not get in the dog’s face and to speak to him in a calm voice that won’t get him revved up.
How do people react to Hep? “Lots of people who visit us don’t even know we have a dog! He isn’t allowed to roam around at will. He has his own dog bed and he isn’t allowed on the furniture. We’ve owned him for 1 ½ years and I’ve never heard him bark except sometimes in his sleep – sometimes he’ll have a dream and yelp in his sleep.”
The Marmos also have a German Short Hair Pointer named Ann and a shelter cat named Biscuit. “He’s funny. He rules the roost and tells the dog what to do.”
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