Hot Diggity Dog gatherings open to seniors and canines

The Cora Coleman Senior Center isn't going to the dogs. The dogs are coming to it.

A program called Hot Diggity Dog began in December and the organizers plan to put the event on the second Monday of each month until they take a break during the hot summer months .

The program brings together seniors and their dogs for socialization and exercise. A set of exercise equipment was constructed for the group, including a platform for the dogs to hop on and a jumping fence. The sessions usually begin with casual socialization and play with the equipment and end with a walk around the Robert E. "Bob" Price Park's trail.

Each month the senior center brings in a speaker to discuss a subject of interest to dog owners. The February session featured Jayne Brass and her dog Harley, a 200-pound Harlequin Great Dane.

"He thinks he's a Chihuahua. He has no idea how big he is," Brass said. "He's got a good temperament. I've had lots of dogs over the years, but I've never had one as well-behaved as he is."

Harley is a registered therapy dog, and after giving the attendees the rundown on life with Harley and the work she does with him, Brass answered a lot of questions on the process of becoming a therapy dog.

"People think I took him to some fancy, expensive training place, but it wasn't," Brass said. "All of Harley's training was done at PetSmart."

Neighborhood resident Lynn Hall was among several attendees who were pondering taking dogs through the paces to become therapy dogs. She brought her Lakeland terrier Dixie Girl to the event.

"I'm hoping Dixie Girl can be a therapy dog," Hall said. "My previous dogs had no training, and they could still tell when my dad wasn't feeling well."

At the time of February's Hot Diggity Dog, Hall had had Dixie Girl for only three weeks and was very pleased with her demeanor.

"This is the first small dog I've owned, and this is the first time I've had her around other dogs," Hall said. "I'm very pleased with how she's reacting to the people and the other dogs."

Event attendee Sharon Anderson lives in the neighborhood and visits the senior center nearly every day. She brought her Chihuahua and feels the event benefits both the people and the dogs.

"I think the more they socialize, the better," Anderson said. "They're just in their little area at home and they can't get used to people and other dogs."

Charlie Azar and his German shepherd Shadow came to Hot Diggity Dog with his friend Brian Morgan and Morgan's English bulldog Molly. They've gone to all the events so far, although Morgan and Molly almost didn't make the latest one.

"I just met him in the park this morning," Azar said. "He didn't realize this was going on again today."

Azar said his girlfriend rescued Shadow from the shelter. Molly came from a breeder, but to see the dogs interact, you would think they'd been together since they were pups.

"The dogs really like each other," Morgan said. "We're helping each other get our exercise and getting out and about."

The next Hot Diggity Dog is scheduled at noon Thursday at the Cora Coleman Senior Center, 2100 Bonnie Lane. Admission is free and open to seniors 50 or older. For more information, visit clarkcountynv.com or call 455-7617.

Contact Sunrise/Whitney View reporter F. Andrew Taylor at ataylor@viewnews.com or 380-4532.