Ciara Parizek/MDN Nora Hokenson, right, talks to Anne Jussero, left, while Sisu listens on Tuesday at READ Dog hour in the Minot Public Library.

The Minot Public Library held its monthly READ Dog hour in the children’s library on Tuesday. Reading Education Assistance Dogs lay and listen to children read, enjoying the pets they receive and the stories they are told.

Anne Jussero arrived first with her eight-year-old standard poodle, Sisu. Sisu settled on her blanket and listened to Nora Hokenson, 6, read “Three Little Bears Jump,” by David Martin.

Kesha Tillia took her three-year-old Australian shepherd, Jax, who rolled over onto his back and let the children rub his belly while they read to him. Jax has been a therapy dog for about two years, encouraging kids to read at the library and cheering up seniors in nursing homes like Edgewood and The View. They can pet him while they’re out and about.

Tillia got Jax from a breeder near Rugby when he was just a puppy. Even though Australian shepherds were bred to herd, Jax didn’t have that instinct, so they tried agility instead. He wanted to do things at his own pace, so when agility didn’t work out, Tillia got him into the Canine Good Citizen program, then began training to be a therapy dog.

“Jax will accept pets from anyone that is willing to give them,” she said.

Jenny Steckler and her white standard poodle, Toby, set up between Sisu and Jax, saying hello to his friends before laying on his blanket to wait for the children. He’s 11 years old, being “the old man of the group.” He patiently waited for Russell Hokenson, 8, to read “Green Eggs and Ham” by Dr. Seuss.

Sisu started training as a therapy dog when she was a puppy, and she has been going to the local library for the “past six or seven years,” Jussero said. She and her new poodle sister, Journey, also go to Bishop Ryan Elementary School in Minot and Dakota Elementary School at Minot Air Force Base. In May and December, Jussero takes either Sisu or Journey to the Gordon B. Olson Library on Minot State University campus to help alleviate the stress of finals for college students.

Jussero started the READ Dog program because she wanted to help people and make them happy.

“I love dogs and I love kids,” she said, so she contacted the library and explained her plans, and the library went with it. The therapy dogs will listen to a child read without judgment, not caring if a word has been pronounced wrong. They will wait for the child to sound out a difficult word and continue on with the story. It also gives the children a chance to practice their reading skills.

Some folks who live in nursing or retirement homes may not have family to visit them often, so the therapy dogs bring some light and smiles into their lives. Jussero is retired, so she uses her time to drop by places whenever she likes and let Sisu and Journey work their fluffy puppy magic.

In order to be a certified therapy dog, pups have to go through the Canine Good Citizen program, then they will move into doing the special training to be a therapy dog. Jussero is part of the Alliance for Therapy Dogs and she is able to certify dogs, but she cannot test dogs she has trained, per ATD policy, to avoid bias.

There are rules as to what the dogs can and can’t do. They can sit and let people pet them all they like, but they can’t give copious amounts of “kisses.”

There are not many therapy dogs in the Minot community, but the few who wag their tails and share their love make a difference to those they visit.