Archie The Great Dane Therapy Dog For Children's Hospital

Therapy dogs are pretty common at Oklahoma Children's hospital, but none are bigger than 4-year-old Archie.

“Even though he’s a big, huge dog, he thinks he’s a lap dog,” said Archie’s owner Debbie Trachtenberg.

Archie, the Great Dane, was a rescue dog, and loves bringing love to the kids at Children's hospital. Sometimes he can see up to like seventy-five to eighty-five patients a day and no matter how often he goes, everyone knows when Archie arrives.

“The minute we walk in the door, the ladies at the front door love him and the nurses and the doctors,” said Trachtenberg.

“He is huge, he has a huge smile on his face at all times he leans right into you and just makes you feel like you’re his new favorite person,” said Skyler Taylor, dog coordinator for Children’s hospital.

17-year-old Hadly McIntyre has been battling cancer since 2016 and remembers the first time he met Archie.

“One of the first things he did was drink out of my sink,” said McIntyre

McIntyre just underwent a bone marrow transplant and is doing well, but always looks forward to seeing his friend Archie.

“It really comforts me; it causes a distraction from everything else that’s going on during the day,” said McIntyre.

Archie is partially blind and partially deaf.

“Sometimes he’ll listen to our voice, he hears certain pitches, and sometimes it’s by hand command,” said Trachtenberg.

His disabilities possibly help him to relate to the patients.

“If they want him next to the bed, he might sit on the floor and put his head on the bed. Sometimes the patients want him to get on the bed, and depending on what they are here for, he can do that,” said Trachtenberg.

Some kids read to him, play games with him, or even take him for a walk.

“I have certain friends just really want to take a little nap with him, it’s just anything that’s comforting to them and he’s up for anything,” said Trachtenberg.

After a tough day at work, Archie looks forward to one thing.

“He goes home and gets on his pillow and passes out for the rest of the day,” said Trachtenberg.

Archie is also somewhat of a social media celebrity; you can follow him on Instagram and Facebook @GreatDaneArchie.