BEMIDJI — Think back to when you were learning to read. Did you ever struggle, or stumble or feel nervous? Wouldn’t it have been great to have a completely nonjudgmental dog to listen?
That’s what Bemidji Area Reading Canines, or BARC, provides.
Tracy Parthun is program coordinator for BARC, which is an offshoot of the Paul Bunyan Dog Training Association. She was a recent guest on the KAXE Morning Show.
All dogs in the program are trained as therapy dogs before becoming reading dogs. While many breeds of dogs have gone through the program — from Chihuahuas to Newfoundlands — Parthun explained that it does take a certain temperament to be a reading dog.
“We look for ones that, obviously, are very calm, are outgoing and love children,” she said. “ ... That calm demeanor, that patience — the dogs need to enjoy being touched and handled all over.
"I have golden retrievers, and they'll lay on their side and the kids can actually put their heads on the barrel of their body and use them like a pillow.”
Dogs can put kids at ease, according to Parthun.
“Children usually are a lot more relaxed when they're interacting with the dog and comfortable. They feel safe. The dogs are nonjudgmental, they're not going to laugh at them if they don't pronounce the word right. But most of all, it's really fun.”
Kids have also been shown to increase their vocabulary, fluency and reading comprehension with BARC, according to Parthun.
Each dog has a human handler who trained alongside them. The humans know how to help sound out letters and to tell the dog to use its paw to help cover up part of a word. They also ask questions about the book the kids are reading to make sure they are comprehending it.
“But they ask it as if it's through the dog's eyes, so they'll say, ‘Oh, my dog didn't understand what just happened on that page, can you explain that to her in your own words?’" Parthun said. "So, we interact with them as if the dog is really understanding. And that's what really makes it special."
Training sessions for therapy dogs occur each spring and fall for six weeks at a time. Reading dogs (and their handlers) go through six additional hours of training. Each class can accommodate just 10 teams, due to space limitations, so they tend to fill up fast.
If you would like more information on BARC, or to see all the different types of training offered, visit Paul Bunyan Dog Training Association at pbdta.com or call program coordinator Tracy Parthun at 218-766-4935.
Listen to our full conversation above!
Is there a Bright Spot in your community? Let us know!
The Bright Spot is made possible by the Minnesota Arts and Cultural Heritage Fund and the citizens of Minnesota.
