Therapy Dogs: Bringing Comfort and Support

Could your dog could help other people as a Therapy Dog?

I often get calls from dog owners who want to train their own dog to be a therapy dog for others, or a service dog for themselves or a family member. Because people aren’t always clear on the definitions and differences of these designations, I thought that a series focusing on more common types of assistance dogs might be helpful. Let’s start with the Therapy Dog.

What is a Therapy Dog?

Therapy dogs and their owner-handlers participate in activities-usually through a volunteer organization or program- that bring comfort and support to others. Animal-assisted activities might include visiting patients at hospitals, hospices and eldercare facilities, bringing comfort to post-crisis sites or providing a “listening” ear to school kids learning how to read. Therapy dog teams may be allowed to enter places that are otherwise off limits to dogs only during the animal-assisted activities, but these access rights do not extend to dog-restricted areas, housing or transportation outside these activities.

Key Points

• Therapy dogs bring comfort and emotional support to children and adults in a variety of facilities and situations.

• An official therapy dog group or program often vets volunteers, organizes visitations and carries liability insurance.

• Therapy dog teams do not have public access rights (allowance in dog-restricted areas) outside therapy dog activities.

Therapy Dog Candidates

The canine personality best suited to therapy dog activities is a social, emotionally unflappable dog that enjoys meeting and interacting with both people of all ages, genders and appearances. These dogs, sometimes referred to as “bombproof”, are calm, non-reactive and resilient when encountering noises, sights, odors and situations that fall outside the everyday experiences of many pet dogs. For example, therapy dogs may encounter loud or large medical equipment, people that move or speak differently, and highly-charged emotional situations and behaviors. They also need to have a high level of comfort with physical handling and touch from strangers.

In many ways, a good therapy dog candidate is born, rather than made. This is because the personality traits required are largely determined by genetics, pre-natal and neonatal experiences, rather than created through training. What we dog owners can do is help our dog’s make the best of their genetic inheritance through well-planned and executed socialization during puppyhood and through maturity. Having positive experiences with a variety of sights, sounds, smells, people and environments helps dogs get used to commonplace scenarios, and may improve their responses unusual ones. Carefully selecting an adult dog or a responsibly-bred puppy from a knowledgeable breeder who selectively breeds for the relevant temperament traits, may increase the chances that an individual dog will have the right temperament, but it’s no guarantee. [Soapbox Warning! If a breeder claims to be breeding for service or therapy dogs, they should be able to show detailed knowledge of the therapy dog world and ongoing participation in recognized therapy or service dog organizations. Simply producing a litter of golden retrievers, labs or doodles or having one therapy dog relative is not enough.]

Key Points

• Therapy Dogs must be able to cope in a calm, friendly and non-reactive way when encountering a variety of sounds, sights, and experiences that may be outside the norm for a typical pet dog.

• Therapy Dogs are friendly, stable and not easily frightened or stressed. They enjoy social interactions and physical handling with people of different ages, genders and appearances.

• Selecting an appropriate puppy or adult dog and following a thoughtful, thorough socialization plan may help to increase the chances of a dog developing with the characteristics that make a good therapy dog.

Training the Therapy Dog

It surprises many people to know that therapy dogs mostly need to have standard good manners, such as greeting without jumping, walking calmly on leash through busy areas, calmly accepting petting and handling, lying or sitting patiently for periods of time and leaving items when asked. Many organizations use the AKC Canine Good Citizen or Therapy Dog International exams to test dogs suitability, so it is wise to know and use these in setting your training goals. Some dog training schools and clubs, like Y2K9s and Dog Training Club of Chester County offer periodic prep classes and exams. The AKC and TDI websites can help you locate examiners, although some therapy dog organizations do their own testing. Contact a few local organizations and ask about their specific requirements for entry. The AKC’s Recognized Programs list is a helpful resource for identifying therapy dog programs and organizations near you. The AKC also offers a Therapy Dog title to recognize successful therapy dogs meeting the requirements, but this is not an requirement for actually doing therapy dog work.

Key Points

• Both the AKC Canine Good Citizen and the Therapy Dog International exams are commonly used to evaluate dogs for therapy work, although some organizations use their own exam.

• Check with local dog training schools, clubs and organizations for prep classes and testing.

• The AKC Recognized Programs List can help you identify local therapy dog programs.

Respecting the Needs of Therapy Dogs

An essential part of being a therapy dog handler is being aware and responsive to signs of canine stress, which can affect every dog. I learned this lesson when I worked as a social worker in a residence for people with serious mental health and substance abuse disorders and my late dog, Einstein, accompanied me daily. Einstein came to group and individual therapy sessions and supported residents and staff in an often emotionally charged atmosphere. After a few months, he began whining to go outside more often throughout the day. Then, he was decidedly less enthusiastic than usual on a few mornings as we walked to my car to leave for work. Once I put two and two together, I began giving him far more “days off” and quickly saw him return to his normal behavior. If we are going to ask our dogs to be helpers, it is so important that we read and respond to their needs, too.