The front door of the Lödöse Museum flies open as nine-year-old Elias Hoffman rushes in with his mother Pauline in tow. He is registered in advance to meet the reading dog Lovis, who is waiting for him in the door.
– Is it the reading dog? I thought she would be a little smaller. But I wear gloves so I don’t get dirty with their fur.
Elias is full of energy and his mouth drops as he introduces himself to Lovi’s owner, Emelie Henriksson.
– My name is Elias and I am a paleontologist, which means dinosaur researcher. What is that over there? It looks like a dragon.
Lovis comes in to the library to select books for Elias and the other children to read to her. She is here to work when the Lödöse Museum organizes the “Quiet Holiday Monday” activity for children with neuropsychiatric and intellectual disabilities on a sports holiday.
Lovi’s blue back cover reads “Social Service Dog.” This means Lovis is trained to meet and interact with many different types of people. But she is an expert at listening when children read to her.
Elias and his mother enter the sensory room, where Lovis is waiting with a stack of books. Elias chooses the book “Valpen Ville” and sits down on the carpet next to her.
– Is it dangerous to have dog saliva on your pants? Can it corrode? Elias is surprised when Lovis licks his leg.
Lovi’s owner Emelie Henriksson assures him that there is no danger.
Elias reads carefully every page in “Pulp Ville.” Lovis listens and puts her paw on his foot. Then she rolls onto her side next to him and sighs deeply.
– Now she’s asleep. My sister is an expert on dogs even though she doesn’t have a dog. She has a hamster, says Elias and continues reading.
When the book ends, Lovis gets candy and pats his head. Elias jumps into the hallway and before he disappears, Lovis and Emelie hear him happily saying to his mother: “That went better than expected!”
Siblings Isak and Ida Gergil’s Sahutogullari has never met Lovis before and Isak signs with his hands that he also wants a dog.
– A big one. In the fall he signed with his mother Marie.
The book he chose is called “The Lion and the Mouse,” but as soon as Isak sits down on the carpet in front of Lovis, he finds it difficult to concentrate on what he is reading. He quickly turns to the last page, notices that the book is finished, and strokes Lovi’s soft fur again.
Lovis can easily read the different children. Her temperament is calm and the more energy the children have, the gentler she becomes. The same applies if children are taken away.
Alma and Ebb Andersson is accompanied to the reading lesson by his father Niklas. The siblings are careful and do not dare to approach Lovis alone, but instead hold on to their father’s hands. Lovis notices that the children are reserved and stay quiet on the carpet.
– She’s huge, says Alma and crawls into her father’s lap.
Lovi’s mother Emelie picks up the book that Alma has chosen and presents it to her little brother Ebbe.
Ebbe is leafing through a book about a cat and Alma helps leaf through it. She doesn’t want to pet Lovis and that’s okay. Lovis stays and listens. The cat in the book runs into the forest.
– What do you think will happen next? Emelie asks and shows Lovis the book page, who sighs heavily in response.
The book will have a happy ending when the cat returns home. Alma and Ebbe feel ready and want to go home too. They say goodbye and disappear out the door.
Another successful day at work for Lovis in the service of the love of reading.
Lovis, the reading dog
Age: 3 years.
Race: Leonberger.
Family: Mother, husband, two children.
Life: On a large farm with cats, horses, chickens, ducks, goats, sheep, lizards and two dogs.
Weight: 54 kilos.
Do: Social service dog trained at the Swedish Therapy Dog School. Works as a reading dog in the library of Lilla Edet, which works with the Lödöse Museum. Also visits nursing homes and elementary schools.
Favorite activity: Swim, run, cuddle on the couch, socialize.
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