Bless Those Dogs 

     I do some part-time work in an environment where service dogs are occasionally brought in to give the patients something to think about other than their aches and pains. One day I was sitting in a chair that was half-blocking the doorway to the room of a male patient. The man’s wife was in the room with him. During the time I had been there he had become less and less enchanted with having to be in the hospital, with the food, and to a lesser degree the staff. He had not reached a code-gray condition but was quite disturbed about his situation. 
     The language he was using to express his discontent was unusually crude compared to what most patients use. 
     That’s when I noticed, coming around the corner on the end of the hall, a man and a service dog. A big service dog. The man stopped at the nursing station where the dog got plenty of attention. It was obvious that the staff was acquainted with him and that they enjoyed his visits. The dog’s name turned out to be Adam. Then the man and Adam came down the hall and I was introduced. 
     I found out that Adam was a mastiff of some sort and that he was small for his breed as he only weighted 125 pounds and stood only about 28 inches at his shoulders. But the man explained that Adam was still young and might yet get bigger. 
     While the introductions were going on it was obvious that Adam wanted to go into the room. His handler asked the patient and his wife if they would mind Adam’s coming in and they both said that it would be fine. 
     Adam walked over to the patient and placed his big head on the bed next to the patient’s hip, where the patient could easily reach him and stroke his head. 
     The change in the patient was dramatic. He stroked and talked to the dog in a quiet voice. His whole demeanor changed. His red face lost its angry/excited color and he looked more relaxed than he’d been since I came on duty. 
     The Handler then asked the patient if he would mind having Adam on the bed. The patient was a little surprised but said he would like that. 
     The Handler gave Adam a command. Now between the patient and the edge of the bed there was maybe eight inches. I watched as this big dog got up on the hospital bed, never stepping on the patient, and then stretch out alongside the patient and sort of snuggled up against him. Adam’s head was mid chest. Adam had his head on his front paws and looked like he was going to fall asleep. In all his movements there was never anything quick, jerky, or frantic. It was all so relaxed. 
     The patient was soon just as relaxed as Adam as he continued to stroke and talk to him. 
     After about five minutes the Handler gave Adam a command and he got off the bed as gracefully as he had gotten on. 
     A nurse came and took the patients vitals soon after Adam and his Handler left. She told me the patients blood pressure was significantly lower than it had been before Adam’s visit. 
     It was an amazing performance and one I appreciated being able to witness.