Having the companionship of a dog does wonders for the soul. Any dog owner can attest to it. When therapy dogs visit patients in nursing homes, hospitals, or even prison inmates and people in shelters, they lift spirits, give unconditional affection, and provide many emotional benefits to those who are unable to experience this wonderful companionship otherwise. If you are interested in sharing the joy of your dog with others, consider therapy dog training. Passing the therapy dog test will undoubtedly take some work from both you and your dog, but the rewards will certainly make your work worthwhile.
A therapy dog accompanies a handler on visits to places to provide mental stimulation, physical therapy, and emotional benefits to people there. Therapy Dogs International is a company that registers these dogs, and provides resources for finding training classes as well as other therapy teams in your area. Even if you are a skilled trainer, attending classes will introduce your dog to working calmly around other dogs and handlers, and usually offers field trips to nursing homes and hospitals as a group to accustom your dog to visiting such places. Make sure that you will be available regularly as the handler, and observe another dog and handler team to see exactly where they go, and what the dog’s responsibility is.
The single most important trait of a good therapy dog is an even temperament. A dog who genuinely likes people and is quite friendly is a good candidate. A highly reactive dog, even if well-trained otherwise, is not the best dog to have in uncontrollable environments. Bed pans clang to the floor, medical equipment makes loud, unpredictable noise, and sometimes patients scream or yell. An easy going dog who is confident and relaxed will deal with these occurrences much more easily than an excitable animal.
To become a therapy dog, your pet must pass the Therapy Dogs International test. Your dog must be at least one year old, have proof of all vaccinations, be checked for heartworms, temperament tested, and must pass the AKC canine ‘good citizen’ test. Luckily, what you learn for the good citizen test will be useful in passing the therapy dog exam as well. Your dog must be of proper grooming and appearance, and allow a stranger to perform the grooming. He must accept friendly strangers, sit politely for petting, walk on a loose leash with a left turn, right turn, and about turn, with at least one stop, and walk calmly through a crowd. He must sit, lie down, and stay on command, and come when called. His reaction to another dog will be tested; you as the handler will greet another dog/handler team and your dogs should quietly sit by your sides as you briefly exchange greetings. He must remain calm to distractions such as loud noises, an opening umbrella, or dropped book. He will be tested with supervised separation, where you briefly leave the room while someone else holds his leash to see if he becomes anxious without you. He will be asked to say hello to a stranger to see the willingness of the dog to visit people and make himself accessible for petting. As he is being tested on all of these points, the evaluator (judge) will watch his reaction to medical equipment which will be on premises, his reaction to any children nearby, and his confidence when exposed to someone coughing or wheezing, or walking with an uneven gait.
Training your dog to readily perform each of these tasks may seem overwhelming, so it is best to look at each portion separately, and see where your dog needs the most improvement. If you have already completed basic training, your dog knows the commands of sit, stay, down, and come. You will most likely need to focus on getting your animal to obey these commands under any circumstances, and will need to desensitize him to medical equipment, noise, and crowds.
Take your dog to shopping centers, and take him up and down the escalator or on the elevator if one is available. Take him to restaurants during slow time for training around food (food will be around in hospitals, and you don’t want him helping himself to someone’s dinner). Take a walk downtown during rush hour, or to any place with busy car and foot traffic. The clapping and whistling noise of a respirator seems to take practice to get used to, so find a therapy dog class that is taking a trip to a hospital, and expose your dog to this noise so that he can grow used to it.
As with any training, start small. Keep your training sessions fun and short, and maintain a positive attitude with your animal. Therapy dog training can be a wonderful means to improve your relationship with your dog, and share his warm, loving personality with those who truly need affection.