Many of you have had the opportunity to meet my special teacher's aid, Madi. Madi is an American Staffordshire Terrier and is trained as a therapy dog. Her registered name is Chappell's Iron Maiden Madigan. The name Madigan is a Gaelic name that means. "little dog".

     People often ask, why I choose an American Staffordshire Terrier to be a therapy dog? There is no short answer to that question, because there are so many wonderful things about Amstaffs.

     Before I got Madi, I had been volunteering at the local animal shelter as a dog trainer who specialized in bully breed dogs. While volunteering, I fell in love with the Amstaff breed and knew that I would soon have one of my own. The Amstaff is an American Kennel Club registered breed and has a long history as an "All American" dog. I searched for 9 months for the perfect puppy before buying Madi. I wanted a dog who was a good representative of her breed with potential as a show dog. But most of all, I wanted a dog that was bred to have the perfect temperament of a working Amstaff. I needed a dog that would be friendly, confident and always stable in any situation. After months and months, I found the puppy I was looking for. She was one of a litter of eight puppies from champion bloodlines whose lineage was made of proven stable and loving working dogs.

     I bought Madi into my home in February of 2007. From the time she was four months old, she has accompanied me to school as part of her socialization and training to become a therapy dog. Since that time she has completed obedience training and has become a wonderful part of my classroom.