Beauty Tips for Ministers

Bring Your Dog

June 9, 2009 on 9:40 pm | In Miscellany | 9 Comments

This is off topic, I know, but if it hasn’t occurred to you to bring your dog on pastoral visits to assisted living facilities or nursing homes, I hope you’ll consider it. My pup isn’t very well-trained but he is a good guy, not hyper at all, and he’s welcome on a leash everywhere but the hospital. Parishioners ask for him now, and he makes a lot of the other residents really happy.

I very cuddly.

Just a thought.

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1. ooohhh, Yes he would be wonderful to take with on visits.

   Comment by god_guurrlll — June 10, 2009 #

2. Bringing a baby or a toddler will do pretty much the same trick. [Really? I mean, ideally a baby or toddler would just be cute and not need special attention but don't they get into extreme fussing pretty often in reality? - PB]

   Comment by Ansku — June 10, 2009 #

3. Love the idea of bringing the pup along as long as you know the person you’re visiting enjoys dogs. Bringing a baby is a little iffy and a toddler–forget it.

   Comment by Maggie — June 11, 2009 #

4. I bring my toddler all the time, as long as it’s not cold and flu season. He’s done it ever since he was a baby and the people love to see him. He brings so much joy. I usually have prayer and communion right away while he’s generally shy and quiet. Then, as we chat, he begins to explore and point out things, and make them laugh. You have to know when it’s appropriate to do this – if you’re visiting someone who recently suffered a great loss, bring a toddler isn’t appropriate when someone needs to talk. But children – and pets – are a wonderful gift to those who are a little down and lonely.

   Comment by K — June 11, 2009 #

5. And to add – all children might not be comfortable doing this. My little guy is extremely social. I wouldn’t push it if he didn’t enjoy it.

   Comment by K — June 11, 2009 #

6. I frequently took my daughter along when she was an infant or early toddler – IF I knew that there was clarity about the purpose of the visit ahead of time.

   Now, I sometimes take my young Schnoodle to the office. I work at the judicatory level – and although I suspect that some of my male colleagues don’t love the idea of Theo in the office, I think that he humanizes the setting. He invites a whole different way of being and relating (albeit not “business-like”.) I would like to think that God would approve.

   Comment by Marni Nancekivell — June 11, 2009 #

7. It depends on the baby. My first one was easy to bring to visits that were not intense counseling or emergencies. For birthday visits or short visits at the old people’s home, for instance.

   Older folks LOVE to see small children, the whole ward lightens up. They do not see many children in places like that. And having a child with you, it is easy to keep the visits short!

   Comment by Ansku — June 12, 2009 #

8. Hershey the 55 lb Labradoodle comes to the office with me all the time. She just wanders around and naps under my desk. Haven’t taken her to visits yet, she’s a little big to just let loose in someone’s house, but she’s very very calm. Just clumsy ;o)

   Scratch that – I have taken her on visit. I have a homebound member than lives down the street, and I’ll walk the dog down there and sit on her porch with her.

   Comment by Erin — June 12, 2009 #

9. Once I had to visit a difficult woman and eat crow without exactly admitting I was wrong (I wasn’t wrong but I didn’t want her to leave the church in a huff) Brought my adorable 6 month old daughter. Went a LONG way in breaking the ice…

   Comment by Joelle — June 15, 2009 #

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