She is known as one of the best therapists at Graydon Manor Behavioral Health Services in Leesburg, VA; however, she does not wear pants. This canine has shown that she is able to help patients in ways that no human ever could.
Tahoe II, a Labrador/Golden Retriever mix, has been spreading her unique blend of therapy at Greydon for many years. She often encounters children and adolescents with serious emotional problems who are unable to communicate painful and repressive memories. Tahoe II knows exactly what to do. She can assess and evaluate a situation quickly and will act in a variety of different scenarios.
Her human handler is Dr. Richie Calvin who says that "I never cease to be amazed at how Tahoe finds a way to communicate with the youngsters. Once, a young person was very upset at one of our center-wide events. The youngster was depressed. Tahoe went over to her on command. However, Tahoe, after making initial overtures, stopped and waited for the youngster to signal readiness. This took about 20 minutes. She will often seek out someone who is upset and go to them."
Tahoe is a graduate of the Canine Companions for Independence (CCI), that provide highly trained specialized service to assist professional caregivers and people with disabilities. According to Rob Manaseri of CCI, "People are learning a lot more about the benefits of having an animal interact with people who are disabled or ill."
Tahoe II is one of the 1,688 dogs that have been trained and placed by the organization since 1978. The dogs are placed free of charge.