Kat Camplin I retired my obedience dog and started therapy dog work. It wasn’t something I planned. I’ve since trained and certified lots of dogs to do therapy work. There are tons of variables and types of therapy work, everything from the dog lying on a mat and being read to, to active handling by children, to doing shows or demonstrations for entertainment with little handling. Each type requires some special skills; for instance, staying on a mat while a child sits in front of the dog without [its] breaking the stay can be difficult.
The hospitals we worked in all had elevators and automatic doors, which require early habituation. We would visit one assisted-living location after lunch in the dining room, so there was spilled food on the floor and on the tables. A default “leave it” got us through that one. A lot of hospitals don’t allow dogs on beds, so having an “up” on a chair cue vs. a general “up” (which could be taken for the bed) was also helpful.
That said, a lot people burn out, and I think that’s more that they don’t enjoy the type of visits they are doing than they don’t like the work itself. Some people don’t like the isolation and pressure of going up to strangers alone, so going in a group could be a good remedy for that.
Not every dog is going to like it—not just be good at it or “can” do it, but actually like it. As with any other activity, if the dog isn’t enjoying the outing and interaction, other activities should be considered instead.
Erin E James My Russell terrier, Tulip, was a certified therapy dog but she really did not like the work. Her usual demeanor was to start pulling me away from the door of any facility we visited. It didn’t take long for me to get the idea that she was really uncomfortable with the whole thing, so I stopped trying to make her do what she obviously didn’t enjoy. I think that’s an important thing to remember. No matter how dedicated the handler, not all dogs want to be therapy dogs.
Thanks to Erin E James for the photo.
Frania Shelley-Grielen Daisy and I were a registered therapy-animal team. Therapy dog and handler are tested and, depending on the organization, a registration lasts one or two years. We started with Delta Society and two years later passed our second test (by then Delta was Pet Partners). On our third test, we were with New York Therapy Animals.
While I had done training classes with Daisy prior, I did do a therapy-dog class, mostly because I wanted us to pass that test on one go, and a good class is a good class. I did the therapy-dog training because I wanted to bring Daisy with me to work when I was teaching a pet-care technician course at a vocational school for individuals with disabilities. How can you teach a pet-care course without a pet? The school was in a large office building in downtown Manhattan, and without some formal certification no dog was getting in. As I don’t have a disability, I could not go for a service dog certification.
When you work with a therapy dog to further a profession, such as teaching or physical therapy, it is “animal-assisted therapy,” and when you work with a therapy dog as a volunteer visiting residents or patients or students, it is “animal assisted activity.”
While not every dog is suited to this work, I think the important distinction is to remember that dog and handler are a team. Brian Kilcommons told me years ago that when you are working with your dog, you need to be the advocate for them and not put them out there alone. That stayed with me with this training. Get down on floor next to your therapy dog and face people with them. Show folks where your dog likes to be pet and how to do it. Keep your dog next to you, where they should be, and not leading out in front. You are a team. http://animalbehaviorist.us
Thanks to Frania Shelley-Grielen for the photo.
Dia Barney Nonaka Therapy-dog work is for you if you, and your dog, like hanging out with people. You both will be meeting new people throughout this process; the four-legged partner is clearly the star, but it’s a team event.
Some dogs aren’t made for this. If a dog is too nervous around new things, this work won’t be fun. There are always new things on a visit; new sounds, new smells, people wearing different clothes, etc. Getting dogs used to as many things as possible, especially while they’re young, is essential. But exposure doesn’t always guarantee success. If your dog can’t quite get used to new things, I wouldn’t push this for him/her.
Most dogs respond to socialization well. While you should always be cognizant of how you handle new things, once you’ve done the initial socialization push, you can focus on training. I recommend working on situational cues as much as hand and verbal cues. For example, when you stop to chat with someone, pup knows to sit. When you go to reach into your bag to grab a business card, pup knows to sit.
Make sure to train some boring, but essential, skills. Pup should learn “Go say Hi” = waiting for your permission before greeting someone. “Wait” = hold on a minute. (It doesn’t have to be a strict stay, but a pause.) Throw in a few tricks if you’d like, they’re usually crowd-pleasers. When trained correctly, they’re a blast for puppy, too, so it’s a win-win.
You will know you’re ready for this work when your puppy is predictable. You don’t have even the tiniest bit of curiosity about what s/he might do. You just know how your teammate responds to situations. Your dog also knows how you respond and often predicts what you’ll like. It can be hard work, but it’s worth it!
Then . . . find a type of visit that appeals to both of you. Whether you find it rewarding because you can see results, or you simply enjoy the activity, make sure you see some benefit. Watch your teammate to ensure that you’ve chosen a good fit for pup as well. You want the visits to be something both of you look forward to.
If you’re selecting a dog specifically for this work, good luck! Keep an eye out for an animal that is willing to get cuddles and explore the environment (but note age-appropriate behavior as well, if selecting a puppy). Don’t worry too much about initial selection, though. Most dogs are able to be socialized to new things if you take the time to do it correctly when they’re puppies.
But not all. I sadly had a dog that was too brittle for this work; everything new startled her. She was the sweetest, most lovable animal, but we could never become a team. Getting her to the people to visit would’ve been too rough on her.
Don’t try to become a team super fast. Enjoy the process, build your bond, and take the time to build your confidence in each other. Once you do that, everything else is easy.
If you are into this to show off your dog, get access to public places, or any other reason beyond going on visits—stop. You won’t have fun, and you will be disappointed. Therapy-dog status doesn’t grant you access to many places (some businesses are kind enough to allow teams to enter for practicing purposes). If you rush this and end up with a growling dog in public, you will erode the public’s confidence with animals. This negatively affects people with service animals, so please . . . don’t risk it!
For information about training, testing, and certification of therapy teams:
Alliance of Therapy Dogs (formerly Therapy Dogs, Inc.)
Pet Partners (formerly Delta Society)
American Kennel Club Therapy Dog Program (list of therapy dog organizations)
http://www.akc.org/sports/title-recognition-program/therapy-dog-program/therapy-dog-organizations/
