DRAKE POSES WITH HIS FRIEND QUINN MOHRE … At Cabela’s before the quarantine.
By: Rebecca Miller
Laughter, shouts of excitement and cheers have been heard coming from the lobby and individual rooms of Park View Nursing Home in Edgerton, Ohio over the past few weeks, as a large yellow lab and his owner have chosen to practice there instead of at home.
Drake, who is three years old, is what is known as a Gun Dog, and is the first one that owner Moses Mohre has ever had. Drake is getting well known in the area as he has been featured for an article in the online version of Edgerton Earth as well in the Albion, Indiana paper.
“We need to practice for hunting anyway,” Moses said in a phone interview, “so decided we might as well do it somewhere that would give people something fun to watch.”
Drake hops down from the kennel in his owner’s truck, and proceeds to bring smiles to the residents over the next 30 to 45 minutes as he practices on the front lawn and parking lot area.
He has also brought smiles at Hillside Nursing Home and SKLD (formerly Genesis) since the “stay at home” order was given and his owner got laid off from work at BPG.
This is not a time for tricks, but an actual practice session as Drake does what is called his “yard work.” The owner throws a “bumper” which is a rubber dog training piece and can be seen in Drake’s mouth in the pictures.
When “a mark” is thrown, Drake has to see it go from air to ground and go get it where he saw it land. They also practice “blinds” which is done by the owner hiding bumpers and guiding Drake to the vicinity so he can retrieve them, when commanded to do so. These practice sessions are usually in the morning as the dog can get overheated in the afternoons.
Mohre said that his good friend Stan Wright has been training dogs for thirty years or better and helped him connect with Bob Knipper at Boberosa Gun Dogs, in Albion, Indiana, for Drake’s initial training.
“He absolutely loves to hunt,” Mohre shared, “and when he hears the buttons for the gun cabinet he comes running. He has hunted for two years and is really good. He is only a gun dog, though, not a field trial or hunt test dog. He might do that someday but not now.”
“He is gentle and wonderful inside and around the kids at home, but when it is time to train or hunt he has a different way of relating and is totally a gun dog.”
Park View Activities Director Summer Owens said in a phone interview that the residents absolutely love it when Drake and Moses show up. She has heard joyous shouts of, “Oh, they got it!” along with comments like, “I love seeing the dog!”
The audience members are either alone in their rooms watching out the windows or seated six feet apart in the lobby if their room doesn’t face the yard and parking lot where the performance is happening. “We open the door so they can holler their Thank-you’s to them before they leave,” Summer said.
Summer has been at Park View for five years and is creative in coming up with fun ways for the people who live there to spend their time. It was always a fun but big job, but with the restrictions placed on them during the COVID-19 crisis, it has required new levels of creativity.
She was very happy when three weeks ago, Mr. Mohre called to ask if they would like for him to come spend his dog’s practice time outside Park View for the residents to enjoy. “We are so happy that he is giving back to the community in this way while he has time off from work.”
Owens shared that some of the other fun activities they are enjoying while no visitors are allowed are Hall Bingo, Hallway Dancing and Balloon volleyball across the hall from one doorway to the other, of course with an assistant to go and get the wayward balloons.
On April 2nd, the residents were treated to Peanut Butter Pie from Rita’s and Summer expects that they will continue to think of fun ways to get through this time together. “We also are encouraging one on one visits with each other, with each at the end of a table,” Summer said.
Recently they sent a letter out to families letting them know that FaceTiming or Skype is possible with a loved one, and anyone who has a friend at Park View can call to get scheduled for a face to face chat with your friend via computers. The number to call is 419-298-2321 and ask for Summer who said she will be very happy to schedule it with you.
You just might have to schedule around Drake’s visit though, as he has been there five times in the past two weeks, bringing smiles to all, as he runs to catch or find the “bumper”, becoming quite the local entertainer.
Rebecca can be reached at publisher@thevillagereporter.com