Size Aside, Therapy Dog is All Ears in the Classroom

185 lbs., 30 inches tall.

One doesn’t write a story about an English mastiff without addressing the essentials upfront. Yet, as big as the eight-year old Cubbie is, she isn’t the largest mastiff in the house. There’s eight-year old Redmond (215 lbs., 33 inches tall), five-year old Ryot (198, 33) and one-year old Flower (160, 33). All but one of the mastiffs is a show dog, although they compete daily for the attention of their owners Robert and Kim McFarlane.

The area in which Cubbie surpasses her housemates is the awards department where Kim estimates the brown-eyed pure bred has won more than 150 first place ribbons. And while Cubbie never lets on she is also quite the academic, as she is the most well read dog – correct that – the most read-to dog in the house.

Since 2008 Cubbie has been one of several therapy dogs and their owners volunteering for the Read To Rover program at the Lakewood School in Carpentersville. Introduced by Lakewood teacher Jana Davis and coordinated by Hilery Page, Read to Rover is designed to help fifth graders improve their reading skills. The monthly program has become so popular that an extra credit system was created allowing students who don’t have reading difficulties to spend time with the dogs as well.

As for Cubbie, switching to the classroom from the show ring was a breeze.

“Cubbie just took to those kids like you wouldn’t believe,” said Kim, who signs Cubbie’s name on the back of her first-place ribbons and gives them to the kids to use as bookmarks.

So far Cubbie hasn’t shown a preference when it comes to genres, which works out perfect for the kids who do have one. Spy stories are among of the students’ favorites with the occasional nonfiction book, such as the sinking of the Titanic, mixed in. Then there’s the boy who sat down with a quiz book and began acting like a game show host. 

“We were all listening to him and he’d be (asking us), ‘So do you think that was true or do you think that was false?’” Kim said.

And while such books may put some dogs to sleep, Cubbie isn’t one of them.

“Once we had two guys come in the classroom to work on the (computer) servers and, because Cubbie didn’t know who they were, she didn’t let up,” Kim said. “She kept growling and barking so I had to say to the guys, ‘Would you please come over here and introduce yourself”, which they did.”

Just as she had done for the dog shows, Cubbie received her therapy dog training at the CAR-DUN-AL Obedience Dog Training Club in Huntley, which Kim has been utilizing for more than 25 years and been a member for 20. As part of their training Kim and Cubbie visited several local hospitals, including Alexian Brothers Medical Center in Hoffman Estates, and met with a wide-range of patients.

“One time there was a girl sitting at a table with an adult – and I didn’t know if they were a therapist or not – but Cubbie came around and just sat next to the girl,” Kim explained. “And the girl wasn’t talking. She was just sitting there so Cubbie sort of leaned against the girl and the girl started petting her and getting into it and then, wow, she just started talking. The girl was just bubbling over.”

Later, Kim learned that prior to Cubbie’s arrival the girl hadn’t spoken to counselors in six weeks.

Although Kim has owned and trained dogs since 1985, Cubbie is her first and only registered therapy dog. Kim says she initially got the idea while she was visiting her stepdad in an assisted living facility. Because the dogs frequently accompanied her for the visit, Kim was asked if she and her dogs would be willing to meet other residents, a task for which without proper training, Kim believed only Gracie was prepared. Sadly, Gracie passed away before she could become a therapy dog.

Going forward, Cubbie will still compete in dog shows and Kim recently entered Cubbie and her housemates in Nationals where a win will continue a long tradition of top dogs in the McFarlane household. The honor began in 1985 with Rhodesian Ridgebacks, also known as the African Lion Hound.

“In 16 shows, my Rhodesian Ridgeback (Rocky) had his championship title, his first obedience title, and after he got his second obedience title he was listed in the Top 20 in the nation,” Kim said.

It was only after McFarlane’s then teenage twin boys, Shane and Teague, suggested their mom get something “cute and cuddly” that Kim switched from Rhodesian Ridgebacks to English Mastiffs and purchased Bam Bam from a breeder. 

“Bam Bam was one of the first mastiffs in the Midwest to have two obedience titles and he’s mentioned in Dee Dee Andersson’s book (“The Mastiff: Aristocratic Guardian”),” Kim said. “Then I got Teddy and he ended up being one of the winningest mastiffs for the short time he was shown.”