what makes a good therapy dog? - Page 1

What makes a good therapy dog?  How do you know if your dog makes a good therapy dog?
What do you get out of your visits with your dog? To owners, can you please share your experiences and insights?

Ok I'll start! I own 7 dogs 6 of which are certified Therapy Dogs [ones just a pup and not ready to test until 1 year of age].  I have a variety of dogs from German Shepherds to a mini Poodle. They all bring different thingsnbm to Therapy work which I just love. Our oldest GSD has a Utility Title and lots of other obedience on her, she loves to retrieve and will retrieve anything including quarters.  We usually bring in a couple dogs at a visit and each does their tricks/obedience etc.   It really depends on where we are going and who we are meeting with then I decide which dogs to take. If we are working with Children I tend to take older more experienced dogs, elderly I like to bring our poodle whos very active.   Personally I love it and really enjoy nursing homes they light up when they see our dogs coming and most residents remember all the dogs names but not mine!! It helps them to remember some great times in their lives and you'll get lots of stories about all the animals they've had etc.  We also visit the local VA hospital and boy the stories you hear of their war dogs are amazing!  I think what makes a good therapy dog is a well trained dog, like I said all our dogs are different activity levels so that really doesn't matter.  The dog must not jump and should have all the basics down. Personally I don't allow our dogs to take food from anyone out at a visit, its just too dangerous as residents try to give them candy/cookies/etc.  A couple of the residents like to "walk" our dogs so we train them to just walk nicely by their side of course I'm right next to them as well.  If you have a dog that you are considering Therapy work with I would recommend finding a local evaluator then see if they are running a few week class with a test at the end.  We have a training area but I'm not certified to actually test a dog for TDI YET so we offering classes to proof/train potentially Therapy Dogs then I send them to an evaluator for testing.  You can check out Therapy Dogs International website for the requirements to test and it also gives a list of upcoming tests by state.  I think you would find it very rewarding, plus its a great day out with your dog!
Hope that helps.
Amy

I have a registered PAT details of charity at http://www.petsastherapy.org/  I have been owned by GSDs for 30 years and this is the 1st dog that was drawn to disabled people to a point that she would stop and place her head on the lap of certain people in wheel chairs, interestly she didn't do this to everyone but seemed to be selective. On one walk we got into discussion with a PAT helper who suggested that she was the type of dog who could read when folk needed a bit of comfort.

We visit a centre which specialises in supporting adults with learning difficulties and she is a real hit with staff and residents. What makes her a good theraphy dog is her tollerance as she does get very rough handling from residents with down Syndrome as they do not know their own strength, she just accepts that they mean her no malice. She also supports those clinically depressed. Humans invading personal space can be threatening or appear patronising, whereas a dog can invade personal space and be accepted so their role in reaching patients with depression is proving to be useful, she seems to pull them out of the depth they are in and after a few visits to see them smile and greet her is so rewarding.

A good theraphy dog can not be trained, athough basic obedience is essential, and I am not sure that I answered the question my PAT dog just seems to want to help people. There are different roles for theraphy dogs so I would suggest you contact a local rep and ask whcy services they require.

Shonnag

Do you mean a visiting dog, one with whom you visit assisted living facilities and old folks homes? Or do you mean a therapy dog, one who is actively involved in physical, emotional, or mental rehabilitation of a person, usually under professional supervision?

I'll share my thoughts about visiting dogs, based on several years of experience with one specific dog.

* Must have empathy
A visiting dog senses the needs and wants of the resident(s). He does not need to be led to a person: he seeks her out. He may sit quietly by her side because he knows that, at this time, she just wants to make contact by resting her hand on his fur. Or he may approach a resident with his tail wagging hard as though that man is his long lost favourite human because the dog understands that this one man needs to feel special just now. Empathy can't be trained. They either have it, or not.

* Must like other dogs
You'll frequently encounter other dogs at facilities. Your dog has to ignore them. Visiting is not the time to meet-and-greet or socialize with other dogs and it certainly won't do for your dog to bark or carry on or even react to another dog barking.

* Must have steady nerves
He'll be exposed to some unusual activities and behaviours by people. He'll have his ears and tail pulled, he may have his eyes poked or his fur grabbed hard. He may be shouted at by someone who hates dogs, he might get smacked with a cane. Not to mention being run into with a wheelchair, a walker, being used as support when an old person rises from her chair or being leaned on when someone feels unsteady. He cannot pull back, growl, or otherwise react in a threatening manner. The tolerance Shonnag mentioned above is critical.

Visiting work is mentally end emotionally exhausting for the dog because he has to behave counter to his instincts at times. He has to be very obedient and be responsive to commands given in a low voice. An 'eh', a shake of your head, a gentle tug on the lead have to be recognized by him. Sharp words, loud commands have no place in a residential facility.

What you get out of it is immeasurable. There's a deep sense of connection with your dog because, as a team, you've brought joy to people. When it becomes clear that your dog thrives on the work you'll soon come to feel that you're really just the chauffeur taking him to his job. You'll notice a difference in his demeanour the moment you put on his visiting lead or bandanna or whatever special attire you choose for visits. He'll appear larger somehow, more confident in some way; there'll be a presence about him, his visiting persona. He will own that place, that time, those people, and you will feel a sense of intense gratification that the dog who just yesterday dragged mud all over your house, who chewed up your expensive boots, who barked madly at the neighbour's dogs while fence running, can calm a crying woman, still a palsied hand, howl in harmony with an old lady singing "You are my sunshine", and stand rock steady while an old man catches himself in a stumble.

Visiting work requires a commitment on your part because the residents come to count on you, and so does your dog. It is emotionally satisfying but it's also a mental strain because you are always 'on', must have eyes in back of your head, must be able to anticipate the reactions of both dog and people. Before you go back home, take 15 minutes at a park, if you can, to give both of you some fresh air and a 'sniffing walk', the sort that doesn't involve tight heeling and obedience, just some relaxation.

Have fun!

I have a PAT dog, not my first, I have had them going  back over 20 years. When I started I used to visit the chronically sick wards  (male and female ) of a hospital I had a Sheltie and a Shepherd. The dogs need to be 'laid back' and very tolerant. The residents far preferred the Shepherd as she was easy to reach! I live in the U K and the PAT organisation only allows one dog to visit at a time - there are so many rules and regulations now plus insurance etc.
Anyway, I have a 3 year old male Shepherd who visits a Care Home for the elderley where he is adored. He is all black which many people think is a bit scary but not the old folk - they love him. I will not allow treats to be given but he occasionally finds food that the residents have dropped under their chairs.
A satisfying thing to do and the dog is contributing to society.

Our dogs are certified with Share-A-Pet and we go weekly to a local nursing home and rehab. Our dogs have typical therapy dog dispostions; calm, trustworthy, obedient, adaptable, steady nerves, non-reactive to strange looking and sounding people, strange noises & odd voices, new environments and strange/loud equipment (such as ventilators), non-aggressive toward both humans and pets, and they really like people and connect well with them. It emotionally does take a lot out of the dogs and an hour is their limit. For the residents (and the staff), at the nursing home our visits are the highlight of their week. They is very little I have done in my life that is more rewarding than this.  

A complete dud working line or a showline that's not scared of it's own shadow.

atc237- very true.  I will say our male (a Shiloh Shepherd) has proven he will seriously protect in a real life situation. He is extremely alert, confident and reacts when it is necessary and there is truly a threat. Our female (LCGSD) has a protective nature, but I'm not sure she would do much :(. I will admit she is a dud when it comes to the GSD standard, but she shines in many other ways and I wouldn't trade her for any other dog out there. I have had both showline and workingline in the past and was involved in Schutzhund and for me, putting my time into doing pet-assisted therapy is so much more rewarding. Of course, I have a great deal of respect and admiration for the owners and dogs who are invloved in sport, SAR and law enforcement.