She was once a presumably unhappy dog in Hungary.
Emma is now helping people.
She and her master Hans Schenk worked for 16 months.
The dog Emma escaped a killing station.
In Fischbachau she was trained as a therapy dog.
Now she helps children and the elderly
Fischbachau
- With therapy, animals - especially dogs - can often work wonders.
The three-year-old female Emma from Fischbachau is such a therapy dog.
The special thing about it: About two years ago Emma was freed from a killing station in Hungary by the association “A Heart for Hungarian Dogs”.
Since then, the four-legged friend has lived with the Schenk family in Aurach.
Despite her past, Emma is now working as a therapy and reading dog.
Your master Hans Schenk himself has a difficult past: In the past two years he suffered two strokes.
Nevertheless, he and his Emma are now treating children and adults.
In an interview, he explains what makes his dog so special.
Mr. Schenk, how did you and your wife come to Emma?
I had my first stroke two years ago.
My wife said there had to be a dog in the house so I wouldn't just sit around.
Then she came across "A Heart for Hungarian Dogs" on the Internet and so on Emma.
Only then did I say: “I don't want him.” After three to four weeks, that changed.
Emma is just a bitch who is appealing to people.
Now I'm just excited about her.
Why didn't you want Emma at first?
I just knew it was a big job.
Going for a walk every day and taking care of yourself, whether you feel like it or not.
And how did you get the idea to train as a therapy dog with her?
The trainer in the dog school suggested that we should do the dog companion test from the Bavarian Hunting Association.
What did the training look like then?
We attended various seminars.
I also had to first learn how to introduce the dog to people.
We worked for 16 months and also visited old people's homes and palliative wards.
Then came Corona.
We then completed a six-week training course to become a reading dog.
We did that three times a week and then we did dog school every Sunday.
What exactly does a reading dog do?
The children read something to the dog.
The dog just sits there, listens and takes care of them.
They are also not reprimanded by the dog if they do something wrong.
What qualities does a dog need to become a therapy dog?
Above all, it is important that the dog owner can guide the dog well.
But a certain basic being must also be there.
Every dog wants to be petted.
But Emma is very human.
Even though she was treated so badly in Hungary.
There she was hit on the head and then she was in the kennel for several months.
What was it like when Emma came to you?
Of course, trust in people first had to be rebuilt.
But she soon noticed that normality was returning to her life.
Where can Emma help?
Before Corona, we were often in retirement homes and kindergartens.
We also wanted to go to the hospital, but you can't go in there now, that's why we're in the park.
We then go for a walk with the patient or do therapeutic exercises.
In kindergartens I try to slowly get the children used to the dog and to take away their fear.
I also meet some people privately.
With hygiene rules, of course.
I also have projects in preparation with schools and a home for the severely disabled in Hausham.
Due to the corona, all of this is a bit left out.
Emma is currently treating a maximum of 45 minutes twice a week.
How do the exercises work?
For example, one is for older people to give her a treat from a bag.
The difficulty with this is that you have to open a zipper to do this.
Many can no longer do this so easily.
Or we do exercises in which Emma has to wait until the patient allows her to take the treat.
You mentioned your stroke earlier. Has Emma contributed to your recovery?
Yes.
After the second stroke in March, she never left my side.
Your presence helped me a lot.
I was just busy.
I also had terrible language problems at the time.
Then I went to the forest with Emma and did my speaking exercises there.
And she was just there.
Emma is simply a partner at eye level.
The interview was conducted by Stefanie Fischhaber.
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