Paula Xiberras
I recently spoke to the lovely Caroline Lovick, owner of Ralf the dog. Caroline is a woman, with a hearty laugh, emphasis on the ‘hearty’ because Caroline is all heart in the work she does as a volunteer with the aptly named Ralf. Ralf means ‘Wolf Counsel’ and Ralf is as large and commanding as a wolf that in his role of therapy dog, provides counsel to all.
I feel as if I am in the presence of greatness, as Caroline tells me that Ralf the giant schnauzer, famed Royal Children’s Hospital therapy dog is in the room with her. Caroline his owner and loyal companion in Ralf’s therapy visits tells me she hasn’t been to Tasmania as yet but her children have enjoyed kayaking here and tell her the sushi was ‘the best ever’.
Caroline informs me that Ralf has appeared on the past Friday’s episode of ‘Homes and Gardens’ and that he announced his soon to be retirement which Caroline suggests might indicate a tree change for the family to a country environment. It won’t be easy for Ralf to retire but Caroline believes he has earned it and Caroline assures me her work as a volunteer at the Royal Children’s Hospital will continue.
Right from his birth in Tasmania, Ralf was different to the other dogs in his litter, he was subdued, quiet, thoughtful and calm, as much as his brothers and sisters were loud and playful. It seemed as if Ralf was born for the discipline required for the role he would later assume.
Before he worked at the children’s hospital Ralf worked at Trinity Manor, a residential home. In those early days Ralf already showed the features that would single him out as a therapy dog. Ralf would know when to drop his head and lower himself to the floor to engage with someone in a wheelchair.
Ralf was so good at his work at Trinity Manor in his engagement with the residents it was almost a foregone conclusion Ralf would make a career of being a therapy dog. Caroline had noticed how attentive Ralf was when he accompanied her with the children to school and how he would lay down at the school gate and would wait until all the children were in school before wanting to head home. Naturally his work as a therapy dog would see him train to work with children.
It was a strict process that was required to equip Ralf with the skills necessary to take the new position. Dogs doing the course had to acquire the ability to navigate themselves around obstacles without touching or disturbing them because if they were to work with children in hospitals they would encounter wheelchairs and other medical equipment and aids. The dogs also had to stay unaffected and calm when there was a lot of background noise such as in a hospital. Ralph passed all these tests and more with flying colours.
So began Ralf’s work at the Royal Children’s Hospital where he again demonstrated his uncanny ability of connecting with children and the cover of the book which displays the famous photo of Ralf and Royal Children’s Hospital patient young Zeke Harrison enjoying a moment of closeness as Zeke walks around the hospital corridors with Ralf, that flashed across the world making the giant schnauzer an international celebrity.
The Lovick family’s profits from the book go to:
The Royal Children’s Hospital
http://www.rch.org.au/home/
and
The Lort Smith Animal Hospital
