D-O-G, My D-O-G

That's my D-O-G, Sadie, but believe it or not, she actually wasn't the inspiration for this song!  Just yesterday during my last group music therapy session at The Autism Program, one of my students asked me if I had a dog.  I saw this as an opportunity to start a conversation, so I used an adaptation of Cathy Bollinger's song "I Like Movies, So Do You" (replacing movies with pets) to encourage my students to discuss their own pets or favorite types of animals. 

Almost every student in the group had a dog, so I asked questions like "What is your dog's name?" and "What kind of dog do you have?" and so on.  Most could answer the first one, but some of the other questions were a bit trickier for them.  So I came up with this song, which has these questions and more built right in. 



D – O – G, my D – O – G,
My dog’s a part of my family.
I take her for walks, we run and play,
She’s by my side, every single day.
D – O – G, my D – O – G,
My dog’s a part of my family.

People ask me questions, like
“What’s your dog’s name?”
And this is what I say: __________
They also want to know:
“What kind of dog do you have?”
So I answer in this way: __________

D – O – G, my D – O – G,
My dog’s a part of my family.
I give her water, food, and toys,
When she barks, she makes so much noise.
D – O – G, my D – O – G,
My dog’s a part of my family.

People ask me questions, like
“How old is your dog?”
And this is what I say: __________
They also want to know:
“Can I pet your dog?”
So I answer in this way: __________

D – O – G, my D – O – G,
My dog’s a part of my family.
I teach her tricks like how to shake,
We take her swimming in the lake,
D – O – G, my D – O – G,
My dog’s a part of my family.

Notice that I fill in the answers to each question using Sadie as an example.  But if this is a song that might be useful for your child or student, let me know and I will send you two versions: one with the answers left blank, and one with answers pertaining to your specific dog (just make sure you provide those answers in your email). 

I think I almost have to write the song "My C-A-T" so that I don't leave out all the cat owners who are reading this right now!  Look for that one soon :)