LIBRARY DOGS.COM
~ Unknown author
| All-Around READing Dogs | ||||
| Maine ~ "Cirra" |
In all, 124 children contributed their written tales about the artful Island Dog picture book. The children read their stories to Cirra and the other Troop dogs at the community Island Dog Celebration and received certificates of accomplishment for their writings.
Cirra thanks the children for reading with bookmarks for the children to adorn with their earned stickers, paw print pencils, and reward books upon completing their goals.
During the summer of 2010, Cirra began a reading program with her handler Robyn Douglas at the Northeast Harbor Library.
They plan to continue with an afternoon library reading program each Thursday and the Mount Desert Elementary School reading program on Tuesday mornings during the school year.
Cirra is always ready for a new adventure and is a wonderful ambassador for the Great Pyrenees breed. Children learn about Great Pyrenees with Cirra's Breed Cards and word puzzles about Cirra.
Cirra has a socialite personality and playful nature with a great joy and exuberance for life. She always manages to bring a smile to people's faces, which makes her an excellent therapy dog. The children love their big white fluffy Library Dog! Stories about Great Pyrenees include: Aloha Adventure, by Amadeus the traveling dog (Click on the titles above for a brief description and convenient ordering information.) |
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Cirra is a Great Pyrenees. Known as a giant breed, these handsome dogs can weigh 100 pounds or more. For hundreds of years, their keen intelligence, devotion, and excellent eyesight and scenting ability have made them invaluable to the working shepherds high on the Pyrenees mountain slopes.
Although primarily a shepherd’s working companion, they are exceptional guardians and were adopted as the Royal Dog of France in the court of King Louis XIV.
A breed with many names, sometimes shortened to Pyr, they are typically confident, gentle, and affectionate with their family, patient and tolerant in general; however, it has also been said that because of their independent nature, the Great Pyrenees may not be as easy to train as some breeds.
Meet Cirra. Cirra was born in December 2004, and when she was only one year old she passed the AKC Canine Good Citizen test and then earned her AKC Rally Novice title—with a blue ribbon!
When she was two, she completed her Therapy Dogs International training and also earned three titles with the Dog Scouts of America. Cirra is a founding member of the first Dog Scouts of America Troop in Maine. She has earned her community service, cleanup, therapy dog, and backpacking badges.
Whether working dog or dog of French nobility, it has been said that the Great Pyrenees were considered so useful, each one was counted as equal to two men.
When Cirra was three, she completed the requirements for the three Versatility Titles of the Great Pyrenees Club of America: Versatility Ambassador, Versatility Emissary, and Versatility Excellent! Her Versatility activities included: public education, walk-a-thons, therapy dog visits, boating, hiking, backpacking, mountain climbing, agility, and rally obedience.
Cirra's Dog Scout Troop friends, Bri, Rissa, and Timber helped her to learn about being a Library Dog. Cirra also became a Reading Education Assistance Dog with her team partner, Robyn Douglas. Since that time, children have read to Timber and Cirra each month at the Somesville Library in Mount Desert, Maine. In 2008 Cirra also began helping the readers in the kindergarten through third grades at Mount Desert Elementary School.
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