Nearly every day, in the AKC Canine Good Citizen department, we receive calls from dog owners who want to have their dogs certified as therapy dogs.
The first step is to provide your dog with basic training. Therapy dog organizations often require the Canine Good Citizen Test as part of their screening. After getting certified through a therapy dog organization, you and your dog are ready to get the approval to visit from the setting of your choice whether it is a school, nursing home, or classroom for children with autism.
I’ve been thinking a lot lately of two of my past therapy dogs. Laddie was a large, mostly white Border Collie and he provided me with my introduction to animal assisted therapy. With a Utility title in obedience, he knew nearly 200 commands. But Laddie had far more than training going for him. He was a natural when it came to therapy work. I gave talks on animal-assisted therapy to psychology classes at Florida State University. I would ask if anyone was dog phobic and once I knew the students all liked dogs, I would say to Laddie, “Go say hello.” He would systematically go up and down the rows of desks stopping to greet each and every student. I never taught him that. He just did it.
And then there was Sarge, my dear, sweet Welsh Springer Spaniel. I loved that little dog and he loved me. Wanting to share his goodness with others, I went through the process to have him certified as a therapy dog. We attended a class for therapy dogs and Sarge was soon steady around people who moved with unusual gaits, loud noises, wheelchairs, and other health care equipment.
Ready for our first visit, we showed up at a nursing home and went into a day room where 20 elderly residents sat in their wheelchairs. It didn’t take me long to figure out that Sarge wanted to be a therapy dog, but he wanted to be a therapy dog for me and no one else. He gave me a look as if to say, “No thank you, I don’t really want to meet these people.” For me, it stung a little bit, but I had to do the right thing by my dog, and by the people we visited. They deserve to have a dog who wants to be there. I chose to retire Sarge from therapy work except for when I worked with only one abused child at a time.
Have any of you worked with a therapy dog? What do you think the characteristics are that make a good therapy dog?
AKC's Canine Good Citizen and S.T.A.R. Puppy Director, Certified Applied Animal Behaviorist
The number one characteristic of all good therapy dogs — a knowledgeable and caring handler!
A knowledgeable handler is a requirement, but it wont do you any good at all if the dog does not want to be there. You can have all the knowledge and caring in the world, and if that dog does not have the temperament for the work there is nothing you will be able to do to make it a good therapy dog. The dog has to want to be there, and want to go to those people and let them touch and hug or be near that dog. I did therapy work for 2 1/2 years with an amazing doberman, her name was Mysti and she was born to the work. She loved people, loved being petted or simply sitting near someone just to make them feel good. She loved children, and did a reading program at our library where kids read to her, and she laid in that circle of kids, listening to them, occasionally crawling close to one of them to nudge them with her nose. She would let them toss her a ball or just lay with her. If the dog isn’t suited for the work, a caring handler cant make the dog work. However, if the dog is made for the work, then the handler must also love the work as much as their dog, and must put their heart into it, because their dog will know if they arent giving it 110%. Mysti knew when it became too much for me due to severe migraines and often paid more attention to me than her patients because she knew I wasnt feeling well, and when it was too hard for me to continue she became my therapy dog and retired from her visits to the hospital.
I’m almost at 5 year remission for colon cancer this June. I had a Rottweiler named Macey who was my saving grace. Now I have two AKC Rottweilers that I hope will make it as therapy dogs. There’s a program through LSU Vet school I hope to participate in. Great for health and wellness.
You are absolutely right – Training is not enough, the DOG must want the work. Kudos for listening to and respecting your dogs’ wishes.
One breed we chose, Finnish Lapphund. Best therapy dogs going..
I have 2 TDI dogs- an 11 1/2 Lab whose been a TD for 9 yrs! and a 2 1/2 yr. old Golden- brand new TD. Both Love people- the #1 requirement for a good TD! TD are not made- they’re born. With nuturing and socializing they Shine! I treasure every visit we make together and every memory we make!
I have been an obedience instructor for 25 plus years, a CGC evaluator almost from the beginning of the program (#227) and an evaluator for Therapy Dogs International Inc.for over 10 years. I agree that some dogs naturally have the love of all people and the outgoing confidence that make a great therapy dog. But I have also seen those qualities bloom in dogs as they gain experience working in public places and becoming comfortable in public situations.
Some very sweet tempered dogs have just not been socialized as youngsters. By attending a class focused on working in public, being introduced to all kinds of people, and desensitization to hospital equipment, I believe at least 80% of dogs in a class where the owners are highly motivated, can become good therapy dogs.
Thank you for writing on this topic. I have been visiting with my dog for two years now. She is a collie and very outgoing and friendly. But lately I have noticed that while she likes to ‘go say hello’ to anyone and everyone on the street or at the dog park she’s been too focused on me and shying away from the patients. I don’t want to make her do it but she loves to meet people under other circumstances. She does not seem scared. Just not very involved with anyone there. I wish I could figure out what changed or how to turn it around. Sadly, I have thought of ending our visits. Any thoughts?
Hi Phoebe,
My first thought is that something must have scared her or been unpleasant at a previous visit. Dogs are very situational and if something bothers them, when they are confronted with a similar situation later, they will react. Example would be a little Golden I had years ago who got stung by a nest of ground bees while retrieving a duck to me in field training. She took a year to feel comfortable bringing a duck to hand after that experience. It even manifested to not wanting to bring a dumbbell to hand in obedience. See what I mean ? Very situational in their response.
So what I would do is to retrain a command for her to visit with strangers. If you use a bridge word or clicker to reinforce training, I would take a cookie and lure her to put her head on someone’s lap and give it a command, like “Go say Hi “. When she has her head on the lap, bridge and treat. Pause and then release her, with your release word like “okay”. Repeat that many times and with many types of people. Then change the situation by varying location and equipment. Say “Hi” to people in a bed, in a wheelchair, a child in a stroller. etc. Hopefully she will realize that visiting is still fun !
Karen
Great article! We often have clients express an interest in having their dogs be therapy dogs. Nice to have some information to give them.
Although we have trained our labs for field work for over 15 years, we are just getting into conformation and therapy with our 1-year old lab. She already knows basic obedience as well as retrieving commands. We will start her with CGC soon. As I am just recovering from knee surgery, she is already familiar with walkers and canes! I look forward to reading more of your blog.
This is some fabulous input on the ideal characteristics of therapy dogs. Mark, your story about how therapy dogs helped you and now you will work with your dogs as therapy dogs is so touching–thanks for ‘paying back.’