Meet Oakley, the 1-year-old Bernie Doodle, the resident therapy dog at Dr. Brett Langston’s dental offices in Atlanta and Brookhaven. With her fluffy black and white fur and always wagging tail, Oakley brings comfort and joy to patients who may feel nervous or anxious about their dental appointments.
Oakley completed a 6-week training program with a certified therapy dog trainer to earn her Canine Good Citizen certificate. This means he mastered basic obedience and learned to interact gently and calmly in distracting environments like a busy dental office.
Now, Oakley comes to work daily ready to help patients feel at ease. She’ll gently rest her head in their lap while they wait to be seen, knowing that petting her soft fur can help relax them. During procedures, Oakley might lie down next to the dental chair so patients can see her big brown eyes looking up at them. Her sweet, attentive presence helps put smiles on faces even when patients have a mouth full of dental tools.
When she’s not busy comforting patients, Oakley loves greeting everyone in the office and bringing them his favorite stuffed animal to play with. She especially loves kids and will roll over for belly rubs from little hands.
So the next time you visit Dr. Langston’s office and see Oakley’s friendly face, give her a pat and let her work her therapy dog magic on you! She takes her job of bringing comfort and care to patients very seriously.
