Sherry Davis: What makes a good therapy dog?
| Sunday, Jan 24 2010 11:45 AM
Last Updated Sunday, Jan 24 2010 11:45 AM
Few people buy or adopt a dog with the prerequisite that their pet might become a therapy dog.
They get a dog to be a companion to their family. If the dog is of sound temperament and well socialized, choosing to do therapy work can be an enjoyable experience and a way to bring happiness to others. The dog that is shy of strangers, fearful of loud noises, or doesn't like to be reached for will still be a great pet. For you. Not being suitable for therapy work does not label a dog as inferior, just unsuitable for the job.
I train lots of guide dog "drop outs," and they are wonderful dogs. And what lucky owners to get them!
But how do you know if your dog would make a good therapy dog?
To be clear, a therapy dog is not a service dog.
Under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), a service dog is defined as any guide dog, signal dog or other animal individually trained to provide assistance to an individual with a disability. Privately owned businesses that serve the public are prohibited from barring people with disabilities to bring their service dogs onto business premises in whatever areas customers are generally allowed.
Therapy dogs are used strictly as emotional support dogs to visit with hospital and hospice patients, retirement home residents and reading programs in schools.
Therapy dogs have to be obedient and under control in public situations, but you can have a "well-trained" dog and fail the required certification process.
A dog that doesn't have a genuine love of all adults, children and dogs outside of its family and circle of friends can become stressed and unpredictable when meeting strangers in unfamiliar surroundings.
The dog that is "ok, once he gets to know you" will not make a good therapy dog in a hospital setting where the cast of characters changes constantly.
The reason there is a certification process for guide, assistance and therapy dogs is because you have to set a bar for the desired temperament and stability of the dog.
Have you ever heard of a person being run over because his guide dog pulled him into the path of a car after a cat or food dropped in the street?
Then there is the matter of liability. Insurance to cover therapy dog handlers is expensive to obtain and fiercely guarded. Evaluators must be careful not to pass a dog that leaves any doubt in their mind when it comes to safety.
Liability is another factor. Hospitals and retirement homes take a huge risk if they do not require the dog-handler teams that visit their facilities to be certified by an authorized organization. Plus, any potential danger resulting from an unfortunate incident could tarnish the image of dogs and handlers who do so much to brighten the lives of so many people.
If an owner feels their dog has a suitable temperament to become a therapy dog, their first step is to gain certification. The two most recognizable organizations are: Delta Society, www.deltasociety.org and Therapy Dogs International, Inc. www.tdi-dog.org
Their websites give a list of evaluators by geographical region, testing requirements and dates of upcoming tests. The evaluator will register the team for the test and give all pertinent information. After the test, dogs that have passed will be given a registration form (signed by the evaluator), and a health form (to be signed by the veterinarian) for the owner to send in declaring the handler/dog team as having passed the requirements and suitable to participate in therapy visits. Once approved, the handler will receive a membership packet containing an ID card, rules for visiting teams and a coverage summary of volunteer insurance. Teams may not visit until they have received this packet and must renew their membership yearly to maintain coverage and visiting status. Once registered, a team may contact facilities in their area to begin visits or join existing teams.
A reporter doing a story about therapy dogs once asked me what "I" got out of doing visits with my dog. At first I was puzzled by her question and hesitated. Then I pointed at a young woman lying in her hospital bed, recovering from surgery. Her leg had been amputated.
She was gazing into my dog's eyes as she held his head between her hands.
My response? "Everything."
In case you missed any of my past columns, please go online to Bakersfield.com where I've created a blog (thanks Marisol Sorto) linking my past articles.
Sherry Davis is a dog trainer/owner of CSI 4 K9s. E-mail her at doglady@bakersfield.com. These are her opinions and not necessarily those of The Californian.
