Tia comes from a breeder in Georgia; Noah's Little Ark.  She is of the Havanese breed, which is a breed that originated in Cuba.  This breed is known for being outgoing, intelligent, funny, having soft silky hair, and having a spring in their step.  They are also friendly towards children, learn tricks easily, and are excellent watchdogs (but keeping the barking to a minimum).  Well, we seemed to have gotten jipped on that last trait, LOL!  

Tia has lived with the Gronski family since she was 11 weeks old.  Unfortunately, she came to them the weekend before everything shut down for COVID, so she did not get socialized with lots of people and other dogs as she should have to become a Therapy Dog.  However, she did complete a puppy kindergarten course on-line during closure.  In addition to this, Tia has completed an obedience class through Ruff Ranch, and a Therapy Dog class through the Wisconsin Rapids Kennel Association.  She has also been to about 4 individual training sessions for specialty work at ABC Dog Training and Boarding.  Tia knows all the basic commands, as well as a few fun tricks too!   In fact, sometimes she can be a bit sassy!!!  She enjoys greeting students each morning, cheering up those who might be having a sad or hard day, and sleeping in favorite places in each of the classrooms she works in. She is very good at communicating what she wants, and likes to steal comfy seats and get on top of desks to get a better view of what's going on all around her.  

Tia is still in training.  Her big hurdles to overcome yet are barking at men, specifically, and sometimes other dogs.  It is the hope that she can pass her test within the next couple of years to officially be licensed a Therapy Dog.  Until then, she continues to add a smile to the hallways and classrooms at ILS.