# therapy dogs



## Diann (Apr 25, 2011)

Lucy and i recently became an animal assisted therapy team and I'm wondering who else on this forum is an AAT team? Are there enough of us to warrant our own forum? i'm not sure where to post questions? 

I'd also be interested in what therapy organization you're registered in, TDI, Delta, B&B, etc?


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## TilliesMom (Sep 30, 2010)

CONGRATULATIONS!! I think just having a thread like this is a good idea, at least for now as there may be others interested in therapy and we can all learn together! 

We are currently in training with Delta (Rx Pets) and will have our evaluation in mid October ... I had a lot of family things come up over the summer (illnesses, surgery, etc) and I didn't have as much time as I was hoping to work with Tillie, so honestly, I really don't think she will pass the test ... but we're going to try!!  I figure she's barely 2, still a puppy ... she'll pass eventually! 

The hardest things for her are simply being around big dogs without freaking out. I am working REALLY hard on this, going several times a week to a very populated walking area and typically put her in a sit/stay (with treats) as the other dogs walk by. As long as she is totally focussed on me, she doesn't react what so ever. BUT I have had several big dog dog owners that are CLUELESS and let thier giant dog come sniff Tillie's (sitting) rear end! Which of course freaks her out and the fear crying starts up and it's back to step one. sigh. I try to run interferance and be 50 steps ahead of us so I can head off a problem before there IS a problem, but sometimes they just come out of no where! 
Another issue she has is the jumping on people ... sigh ... we are works in progress for sure ... I think when it comes to the test it will be a miracle if we pass. But we're gonna try!! 

When do you go on your first visit??


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## sprorchid (Mar 30, 2010)

TDI. two dogs currently registered and my previous dog was registered as well. congrats!


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## Jill in Mich (Feb 24, 2008)

Congratulations! 

Cody & Tess are both Therapy Dogs through Therapy Dogs, Inc. One or the other does weekly visits with hospice patients.


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## tokipoke (Feb 13, 2012)

TilliesMom said:


> The hardest things for her are simply being around big dogs without freaking out. I am working REALLY hard on this, going several times a week to a very populated walking area and typically put her in a sit/stay (with treats) as the other dogs walk by. As long as she is totally focussed on me, she doesn't react what so ever. BUT I have had several big dog dog owners that are CLUELESS and let thier giant dog come sniff Tillie's (sitting) rear end! Which of course freaks her out and the fear crying starts up and it's back to step one. sigh. I try to run interferance and be 50 steps ahead of us so I can head off a problem before there IS a problem, but sometimes they just come out of no where!


I am sure you want Tillie to be at ease around big dogs just for general peace of mind - but correct me if I'm wrong, in a therapy setting - the dogs are not allowed to sniff each other, especially each other's rear ends because this can start an altercation. Is this correct? So as long as she is around well-behaved large dogs who do not come to sniff her (other tested large dogs), she should be okay? Louis dislikes rude dogs of any size sniffing him, so I understand where you are coming from.

My cat was a therapy cat for some time, and we attended classes to pass a CGC type of test. My cat did really well traveling in a car, being around a group of dogs, and she even did some obedience - sit, stay, come, wave. She's a strange cat because she actually loves new environments, people, and children. We visited several nursing homes and she loved every minute of it!

I've always wanted to enroll my standard poodle into therapy work but he gets WAY to excited around people. He is very handsy and ends up punching people and I cannot have that kind of behavior with children and the elderly. I'd love for Louis to be a therapy dog, but he is scared of strangers and kids!

Good luck to everyone who is doing therapy work! It's a real treat to see the smiles on peoples faces when they pet therapy animals.


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## TilliesMom (Sep 30, 2010)

I didn't know cats could be therapy animals!!! awesome! our oldest cat would have LOVED that type of 'work' as she LOVES everyone ALL the time, to the point of being annoying as she is always all over guests!! LOL

Yes, I am hoping things will go smoothly and that the other dogs are well behaved and respect Tillie's SPACE!!


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## MicheleS (May 9, 2011)

Cappy is registered with TDI


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## Sonic and Aries (Feb 15, 2012)

I've been working Sonic towards the TDI. He got his CGC in June and we are currently going through the CGC class with Aries, so I haven't had a chance to get Sonic TDI tested yet. I figure sometime this fall after Aries takes her CGC evaluation and I have a little more time to focus directly with Sonic and the TDI test.

I just don't see Aries as a therapy dog because she's a lot shyer about meeting people and letting them pet her. We will probably do some basic agility with her if she enjoys it as much as I anticipate.


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## lise (Sep 1, 2006)

I hope that Ted can be a therapy dog.One of the reasons I picked Havanese was for that very reason.


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## Jill in Mich (Feb 24, 2008)

ackerleynelson said:


> That's really great I appreciate it. Even I love to take care of dogs. As a therapist you are doing a awesome job. Animals need assistance all the time, specially pets because they are away from their basic environment. So keep it up...


Just as a clarification for those who don't know about "therapy dogs" ... the dogs aren't in therapy, they are acting as the "therapist" for people. In my case, Cody and Tess go to hospitals/nursing homes/private homes to visit hospice patients. If it's someone very near the end of life I take Tess who just lays on the bed with her head on their leg/lap. If they can, the patient pets her or just lays their hand on her, and smiles. Other times I take Cody who can do tricks for them or just lay with them. The dogs are also a great comfort/distraction for the families who are dealing with the upcoming loss of a loved one.


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## jabojenny (Sep 18, 2011)

I have such admiration and respect for those of you who get to that level of training with your dogs. Timmy and I have been attending obedience classes since he's been about 10 weeks old, he's about 10 months old now. I'm not sure we're even close to being able to pass the TDI test. Passing CDC is first so I guess I need to be brave and get enough confidence to take that. My training center doesn't do CDC until the dogs are at least one year old though so I'll keep my fingers crosses.


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## lise (Sep 1, 2006)

Jill in Mich said:


> Just as a clarification for those who don't know about "therapy dogs" ... the dogs aren't in therapy, they are acting as the "therapist" for people. In my case, Cody and Tess go to hospitals/nursing homes/private homes to visit hospice patients. If it's someone very near the end of life I take Tess who just lays on the bed with her head on their leg/lap. If they can, the patient pets her or just lays their hand on her, and smiles. Other times I take Cody who can do tricks for them or just lay with them. The dogs are also a great comfort/distraction for the families who are dealing with the upcoming loss of a loved one.


And I thank you for it. That is why I hope to do therapy with Ted. When my Mom was in palliative care, a beautiful black lab came to her room and stood beside the bed. The owner gently placed Moms' hand on the labs back and both her and I had tears of joy remembering when we had dogs years before. That was the last time that Mom could move her hand at all and certainly a joyous time for her. The poor woman and her dog were killed in a car accident months later coming from a visit. I will never forget the 2 of them.


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## scootersmom (Jul 29, 2012)

I so admire all of you who have committed to that amount of training with your dogs for them to become therapy dogs. That is actually my goal with Scooter. His obedience training is going well so far (keeping my fingers crossed). He's still really young so I know we've got a long way to go, but the training teachers we are working with are confident that he can do it.


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## mugsymom1 (Sep 6, 2012)

Kyoto & I were tested a few years back and she passed most of the test with flying colors _*except*_ walking on a lead with a regular collar.  She still mostly uses a gentle leader and sometimes a harness. Pulls like a mini-moose and chokes herself on a regular leash and collar and that was the only type accepted at that time...

So, I thought that idea was dead in the water, but just last week I was researching therapy dogs again on the internet and found out that other lead types are now OK!!! :whoo: Now she's almost 9 yrs. old and seems to be more "spookable" with loud noises but maybe there's hope for us after all!


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## sprorchid (Mar 30, 2010)

My little guy ollie pulls on leash like a mac truck with a v12 engine. The examiner was nice about it and let it slide. Now he knows when I mean business, so he can walk on a loose leash, but that's not his style.


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## Diann (Apr 25, 2011)

*Germs*

I hope I don't paint a negative picture of myself, but I must ask.

We are required to bathe dogs at least 24 hours before a visit unless you are doing back-to-back days then it'd be about 48 hours. I have coordinated visits/bathing so that works. My problem is that after the visit I want to bathe her too and don't feel like I can/should.

I am a germaphob (sp) and LOVE to bury my face in her fur, particularly in her neck area. After all these people stroke her, I find myself NOT burying my face anywhere in her fur. Am I the only one with this phobia? What do you do if I'm not the only one?


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## luv3havs (Jul 27, 2007)

After your visit,try going over her coat, where people have touched your dog with a baby wipe, or another antiseptic wipe. This was suggested by one of our facility coordinators.
Do the patients use a hand sanitizer before and after touching the dog? 
It is a requirement at two of the places where we do AAT.
We go to NIH (National Institutes of Health), and they are very particular about the use of hand sanitizers, in fact they have their own brand.


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## Diann (Apr 25, 2011)

Thanks for the suggestion for wet wipes. Yes, we are required to use hand sanitizer on us and the patients/families before and after.

On another note, this last Tuesday we had a group fund raising event and here is a picture of Lucy and her "team mates." She's always so stinkin' cute next to all those big dogs. I am so proud of her and love her to death!


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## TilliesMom (Sep 30, 2010)

awesome!!!!! Lucy is adorable!


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## lise (Sep 1, 2006)

Hav wins, paws down!


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## mugsymom1 (Sep 6, 2012)

Diann said:


> Thanks for the suggestion for wet wipes. Yes, we are required to use hand sanitizer on us and the patients/families before and after.
> 
> On another note, this last Tuesday we had a group fund raising event and here is a picture of Lucy and her "team mates." She's always so stinkin' cute next to all those big dogs. I am so proud of her and love her to death!


Oh, what a cutie pie!!! Thanks for sharing the pic!


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## Meemamar (Aug 6, 2011)

Bennie is registered with TDI..He visits a group home, and an assisted living facility..Fractured my ankle so we're on a hiatus but hope to resume in a couple of weeks. My goal is to work with kids possibly in a childrens hospital. Recently he entertained and comforted a large family at a hospice..


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## davetgabby (Dec 29, 2007)

great stuff. Where hav you been?


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## Meemamar (Aug 6, 2011)

*therapy dog visit*



davetgabby said:


> great stuff. Where hav you been?


I'm on Long Island, NY and we visit Jefferson Ferry Health Center and a group home called F.R.E.E. Our next stop hopefully is Stony Brook childrens hospital. Benny's a bit hyper and feisty but when I put his TDI bandana around his neck he seems to understand it's work time..He also know tons of tricks and loves to entertain..Need to update Benny's puppy photo..He's 1 1/2 years now!


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## davetgabby (Dec 29, 2007)

yeah we need to see more of you, to inspire our other therapy propects. :whoo:


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## wynne (Apr 30, 2011)

I want to get Maya into a therapy program. She was tested once, but got spooked by am Australian Shepherd who was a little aggressive with her. Have not gotten her retested yet.


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## NvonS (Jul 8, 2010)

Lily is registered with TDI We visit nursing homes, assisted living, pet education programs and Paws for Literacy at elementary schools and libraries. Lily seems to love it! I love the smiles she puts on peoples faces.


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## krandall (Jun 11, 2009)

wynne said:


> I want to get Maya into a therapy program. She was tested once, but got spooked by am Australian Shepherd who was a little aggressive with her. Have not gotten her retested yet.


I'm sure Maya will be fine. What happened to her (and you!!!) at that last testing just plain wasn't fair. She'll be great the next time!


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## davetgabby (Dec 29, 2007)

NvonS said:


> Lily is registered with TDI We visit nursing homes, assisted living, pet education programs and Paws for Literacy at elementary schools and libraries. Lily seems to love it! I love the smiles she puts on peoples faces.


right on :whoo:


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## davetgabby (Dec 29, 2007)

krandall said:


> I'm sure Maya will be fine. What happened to her (and you!!!) at that last testing just plain wasn't fair. She'll be great the next time!


I agree. :whoo:


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