Teton followed the directions perfectly.
When told to “place,” he sidled up to a woman sitting on a chair and plopped down between her feet. When told to “go lap,” he placed his front paws on her legs.
“This is one of his favorites,” said Allison Stolz, his handler. “He doesn’t need much motivation for this.”
Next was “visit.” Teton responded to the command by placing his head on the woman’s lap. He helped her practice balance when she was standing; he picked up a dropped towel.
Teton, a new therapy dog, places his head in the lap of handler and physical therapy assistant Heather Soto at the Reading Hospital Rehabilitation at Wyomissing, 2802 Papermill Road, Spring Township, on Thursday, July 7, 2026. (BILL UHRICH/READING EAGLE)
After each task, Teton looked lovingly and expectantly at Stolz. And she responded by reaching into a black bag hanging from her waist and pulling out a piece or two of kibble.
The tricks weren’t too complicated but were performed with precision by Teton. He took them seriously, clearly wanting to perform his job well.
Teton, a 2 1/2-year-old golden retriever and Labrador mix, is Reading Hospital Rehabilitation at Wyomissing’s new facility dog. The position provides him with a chance to help patients perform speech, occupational and physical therapy.
He is trained to assist with balance exercises, pressure point activities and retrieving, and integrates into individual sessions for physical therapy, occupational therapy and speech language pathology.
He also provides quite a morale boost.
“He brings a lot of magic into the sessions,” said Nikki Hartman, the hospital’s program director.
Hartman said Teton has generated lots of positive feedback from patients and staff in the month and a half that he’s been on the job. When he’s included in a therapy session, she said, he tends to bring the best out in everyone.
“We can have someone who isn’t motivated, who isn’t really participating, and when he comes in they’re a new person,” she said. “They’re smiling, they’re laughing. It’s a whole new ballgame.
“It’s just amazing what an animal can bring. It kind of unlocks a whole different part of people’s brains.”
Stolz, a language pathologist at the hospital and Teton’s lead handler, said Teton has the perfect temperament for his job.
He was bred and raised by Susquehanna Service Dogs in Grantville, trained from birth to respond to basic commands. When an opportunity to work in a hospital setting arose, he was picked for special training to fill the role.
“He loves people, he loves helping,” Stolz said. “He was suited for this kind of thing.”
Stolz said Teton has been a huge hit.
“We’ve seen an amazing uptick in smiles from patients, we’ve seen happy tears,” she said.
One of those smiling patients is Felicia Hall.
The Mount Penn woman is a patient being treated for multiple sclerosis. An animal lover, she said she loved being able to interact with Teton as well as a therapy horse the hospital recently introduced.
“It’s a lot of fun, it kind of keeps your mind off things,” she said. “I love Teton. I just want to hold him and hang out. I want to squeeze him.
“When you pet a dog you relax. It meditative.”
Teton was acquired by the hospital thanks to financial support from the Reading Hospital Foundation, Shillington Lions Club and the Piasecki family. He can be found wagging his tail there on Tuesdays and Thursdays, with his work week likely expanding in the near future.