Fit as Fido

Do YOU Have What It Takes To Be A Therapy Dog?

01.24.2012 // Fit As Fido // Dawn A. Marcus, M.D. // No Comments

There are so many wonderful facets to therapy dog work. One of my favorite is that therapy dog work isn’t restricted to certain dog breeds, pedigrees, or ages. In fact, some therapy dog programs, like helping children struggling with reading, are often better suited to the older, less active dog. This means that your dog’s therapy work can evolve with him, selecting therapy venues that suit his changing needs. Therapy dog work is also a wonderful opportunity to educate the public about dogs in general and your breed in particular.

For example, Border Collie Birdie flunked out as a goose chaser, but is a therapy dog star in The Power of Wagging Tails

Therapy dog work, however, is not for every dog. Therapy dogs need to be obedient, cheerful, outgoing, and engaging. They have to enjoy encounters with strangers and strange situation and tolerate handling from lots of people. In The Power of Wagging Tails, we have a list to help you decide if therapy dog work is right for your pup.

Does my dog have what it takes to be a therapy dog?
Check each statement that correctly describes your dog. My dog:

- consistently follows commands for sit, down, stay, and come—even when there are distractions;
- walks nicely at my side on a leash, especially through groups of people
- enjoys being greeted by strangers
- is able to be greeted, petted (including clumsy petting), and hugged without jumping, straining, barking, or biting
- is able to avoid sniffing or picking up interesting items (when told “Leave it”)
- tolerates crowds, activity, and noise
- tolerates getting bathed, brushed, and having his nails clipped in preparation for visits
- greets new situations, unusual equipment, and strangers of different ages without distress

A therapy dog needs to be able to do all of these things. If you can honestly say that each statement describes your dog, you make have a future therapy dog. If your dog struggles with some of these skills, you may want to attend therapy dog training classes, which offered by many dog clubs and shelters that administer therapy dog testing to help improve your dog’s obedience skills. (Chapter 3)

Most dogs need training to become comfortable with everything in the list — that means lots of time working on basic obedience skills, walks where you will be able to meet and pass other dogs, and social outings where strangers, noises, and the unexpected will be encountered. I’ve had friends who have rescued older dogs and were able to pass their therapy dog test right away. Others, like my terriers, took a TON of work. Wheatie, for example, was in weekly classes continuously for his first 18 months, with continued classes after. Toby was signed up for double classes for several months before he was eligible for testing, attending classes about 3 days a week, with lots of training time in between. It was a lot of work for my wheatens, but every day that we’re out walking, or they’re sitting quietly and politely with me in the house, or we’re out on a visit, I reflect how grateful I am to have two such nicely behaved dogs at my side.

This week is going to be dedicated to some incredible therapy dog stories to help inspire you. Two great places to get started with therapy dog work are the American Kennel Club’s Canine Good Citizen program and, of course, a copy of The Power of Wagging Tails!

RESEARCH OPPORTUNITY
Do you get migraines? Do you live with a dog? Then we’re looking for you to help out with an online survey Migraine.com is conducting with the University of Pittsburgh asking about your migraines and your dog. The survey is completely anonymous and should take approximately 15 minutes to complete. You will be asked to answer questions about your background (age and migraine frequency) and questions about your dog. Click here to get started with the survey. Thanks!