IT is said that the dog is a man's best friend, offering unconditional love to its owner and anyone else that shows it affection. And no more is that true than for border terrier Finn, whose job it is to offer companionship and brighten the day of the people he visits.

Seven-year-old Finn is a PAT dog (Pets As Therapy), and visits care homes, schools and organisations with his owner Wendy Johnson, in and around Callington.

Pets as Therapy started in 1983 with the aim of providing volunteers with their temperament tested PAT dogs or PAT cats to visit hospitals, hospices, residential homes, mainstream and special needs schools, to give support, comfort, pleasure, stress relief and stimulation.

Wendy grew up on a farm and has lived with dogs all her life.

The dogs she had before Finn, she used to show and do a lot of obedience training with.

She reared Finn from a puppy of eight weeks old.

She said: 'Finn is such a nice dog to live with — he's very intelligent.

'I'd gone from having a few dogs to having just one on its own.

'I thought I'd done all the dog showing and obedience training so I didn't want to do any of that again, but he was so intelligent I wanted to do something.

'A friend suggested PAT dogs, and I thought it was a great idea, as he gets to go out and meet people, and others benefit from him.'

Wendy applied and Finn was put through an assessment to test various aspects of his character, but unfortunately he failed for being 'too exuberant'.

Six months later, when Finn was 18 months old, they tried again and were successful, and now Finn splits his time between care homes in Callington, Callington Primary School, Callington Memory Café and a nursery school in the town.

'When we first started going to the care homes it was surprising because Finn knew exactly how he should behave — he's calm and quiet.

'He sits next to them and they stroke him and tell their stories about dogs they used to have — they just like being with him.

'Now, if Finn sees someone in town with a walking stick or zimmerframe, he wants to go up to them.

'One lady said she used to live in a big house and people used to go over for a cup of tea all the time. She said when you're in a home you don't get that, so ours is like a sociable visit.'

Finn also visits the Memory Café, a support group for people suffering with dementia and their carers.

Wendy said Finn has an impact on the people he meets: 'Some people can't remember their husbands or wives but they do remember Finn. It seems to trigger something in their memories and they tell stories of past pets.'

PAT dogs can also be used to help dog-phobic people and stroke victims, as Wendy said: 'You don't need to be coherent to talk to an animal, they respond to your tone and different noises.'

On his nursery visits Finn interacts with the children, and once a week he visits Callington Primary school for PAT's Read 2 Dogs scheme.

The scheme aims to help children that are nervous or stressed when reading aloud in front of others or those with speech, language and communication difficulties or who are reluctant to read.

PAT research has shown that when a PAT dog enters the group, a child becomes less stressed, less self-conscious and more confident as the dogs are non-judgmental, encouraging positive social behaviours and enhanced self-esteem.

'We go to the school and the children read to Finn,' said Wendy.

'We've been doing it for about three years now. The kids are great. Sometimes Finn chooses the book by nudging which one he wants, and sometimes he falls asleep — one child asked me if he was dead!

'The kids are interacting all the time, asking me things about Finn, if he likes the book and they get a certificate at the end of the year.

'I love every minute of it and he really loves the kids.'

When not being a PAT dog volunteer, retired Wendy also acts as a companion animal bereavement councillor, offering support to people who have lost a pet, and she regularly writes about 'The Adventures of Finn' for her church magazine.

Wendy said Finn had no plans to stop being a PAT dog anytime soon: 'He'll go on for as long as he is healthy and able to — or until he is fed up.'