Dogs, volunteers help improve reading levels

An organization in Huntington that is made up of therapy dogs and volunteers is helping children's self-esteem one day at a time.

Reading Education Assistance Dogs is a nationally known program that enables volunteers and trained service dogs to help children of all ages increase their reading level.

Jude Grumbling, obedience dog trainer, started the program in Huntington at the Cabell County Public Library in 2004.

The program is on the fourth floor of the library in the juvenile department.

"My niche in this field is obedience training and having dogs work with children who are slower learners in the Huntington area," Grumbling said. "Children who have trouble reading might eventually lose self-esteem, which might make them have zero interest in reading out loud — let alone reading all together. So I bring my therapy dog in, and one-on-one, a child will read to my dog."

Grumbling said she has a one-year-old Rottweiler named Boo that comes with her once a week to the library and helps children build their confidence in reading.

Grumbling said the students and parents treat their sessions with the dogs like appointments. They must schedule days and times and call ahead if they are unable to attend.

Niza Uslan, youth service coordinator at the Cabell County Public Library, said children feel comfortable with the dogs when they know it's just them and the dog.

"Our job is to make the children feel more comfortable with their reading," Uslan said. "The dogs' jobs is to sit there and listen while the children read to them. We do this in 20-minute sessions at a place where no one can make any judgments toward the child reading. I think that's why this program has such great results."

Uslan said they treat the sessions like a classroom. At the end of the year, the children who attended the sessions receive a certificate and a book.

Uslan said, one year, the graduates received a children's book written by Alexandra Day, who writes about her Rottweiler, named Carl, in every book.

Grumbling made clear that her main goal in starting the R.E.A.D. program in Huntington is to raise children's reading level by teaching them self-confidence in their reading.

"We've gone from three children, since the program began, to over 400 who have gone up in their reading level," Grumbling said, "so that's where my interest lies, and that's what I enjoy seeing."

Grumbling said the children build friendships after coming to the R.E.A.D. sessions and begin to enjoy reading and learning.

"This program has been a wonderful thing," Grumbling said. "Children are now visiting the library, getting involved and enjoying to read. We have so many stories that show how much the kids enjoy reading to our dogs, which makes it hard to share just one."

The volunteers and their dogs had to complete the Delta Society's Pet Partners Program, which allows them to work with children at the library.

The dogs must obtain certain skills in order to register for the program, and the volunteers must complete training requirements that prepare them to work in the library with the children.

According to Uslan, trained dogs must be registered so they are covered by liability insurance.

Grumbling said any dog has the ability to be taught basic obedience and suggests a Canine Good Citizen certification as a first step for any potential therapy dogs.

"There are about 11 dogs and 11 trainers all together," Grumbling said. "Any breed of dog is able to join this program. Right now, we have dogs such as a toy poodle, Labradors, shelties and a cocker spaniel. Taking obedience classes really benefits, the dogs because the owners give them the opportunity to be trained for the good of the community. I raise Rottweilers, and there is a stigma about those kinds of dogs where people immediately assume they are vicious animals. So getting my dog a CGC can immediately assure the area that my dog is able to dwell in this community without any problems."

Grumbling said a CGC is a great way to get dogs started. However, in order to earn a CGC, the dog must acquire multiple skills and pass a test.

The components of the CGC test contain the following: Accepting interaction from a friendly stranger, sitting politely for petting, appearance and grooming, walking on a loose leash, walking through a crowd, sitting down on command and staying in place, responding when called, reacting to another dog and reacting to a distraction or disturbance and supervised separation.

Grumbling said awareness of the R.E.A.D. program has grown over the years in the Tri-State area.