Therapy Dog?

[Guest MurphysMom]

As our Murphy has been coming out of her shell more, my husband and I are quickly discovering how much she LOVES people, children, babies, everything. We had 14 people over the other night, and I was worried it would stress Murphy out, but she flitted around like a social butterfly, sniffing, tail-wagging, leaning, teeth-chattering, following the kids down to our living room couch while they played video games... the whole nine yards. We'll have only had her for four weeks on this coming Saturday and I can't believe how fast she's adjusted.

 

So now I'm sitting here thinking how wonderful would it be to get her certified as a therapy dog. I did a small amount of therapy with my elderly horse, but I have no idea how to go about therapy training for dogs. I would still like to get to know Murphy even better first, and wait until her broken leg has fully healed before diving in of course, so this therapy dog stuff is further down the line in my mind... but I'd like to learn what it takes and hear about people's experiences!

 

Whether or not we decide to pursue it, I love animal therapy and I'd love to learn about it

Thoughts? Experiences?

[a_daerr]

I'd probably give her another few months to get to know her more and find out if any potential issues crop up. A month isn't a very long time, and you want your dog to be 100% adjusted in her new environment before making the decision to work her. Also, you also want to become 100% familiar of her reactions/triggers in a wide array of situations related to space, certain people, certain dogs, resources, etc. If, at that time, you decide she's still a good candidate for therapy work, your next step would be to prepare her for the CGC/TDI (Canine Good Citizen, Therapy Dog International) test. There are a few other certificate agencies, but I believe TDI is the most commonly recognized. The test focuses on basic obedience commands (sit, down, stay, recall), noise distractions, medical equipment, and interactions with other people and dogs (small dogs included). Once she's passed the test, she would receive certification and insurance.

 

Just a note on this, some hospitals and nursing homes will tell you that your dog doesn't need to be certified. Just my humble opinion, I would never work a dog without it, mainly due to the insurance issue. Once your dog receives certification from TDI, they are assigned an insurance policy that protects you in the event of an unexpected situation. For example, if your dog is having a bad day (in pain, stressed out, whatever) and bites someone, the insurance would cover you if you're sued. There are a lot of litigious people in the world- it helps to have this safety net in the rare event something goes horribly wrong on a visit. Although we think we *know* our dogs, we can't predict what they will do in every situation, with every type of person, and it happens more often than you'd think.

 

If you decide that you are really serious about doing therapy work, my advice would be to look for a TDI-prep class in your area. Make sure the trainer is reputable and certified in positive reinforcement training (they should have a certificate from the Certification Council for Professional Dog Trainers, or CCPDT). Take a few classes and see how your dog does. Both of my dogs are certified CGC/TDI, and although neither of them does visits anymore (one is reactive to dogs, the other is sketched out by kids), I don't regret taking the classes. The skills they learned are invaluable and make for socialized, well-rounded pets. Good luck!

[Guest MurphysMom]

Thank you for all the info, a_daerr! Yes, don't worry, when I said this was "further down the line" I did mean it, I promise, lol. We're not going to therapy classes tomorrow morning, I'm talking a year or so from now. I had my horse for ten years before I pursued therapy with him, and even then I was still learning new things about my horse. I still do today!

 

I will definitely start gathering information about the certification tests and classes around here. And I agree, I like the idea of taking the classes even if we do not do visits; it's fascinating and really a great opportunity to learn so much.

 

Thanks again for all the greyt advice!

[BatterseaBrindl]

I have had Therapy Dogs for nearly 15 years, all through St John Ambulance.

My first TD was an GSDx, then a PointerX and a Dobe, before getting the Greys.

 

It is the best volunteer job ever!

Currently Nixon and Nigel visit at an Old Age Home, as well as a School Reading Program.

 

There are several other TD's here on GT

 

Glad you recognise that Murphy still needs to get settled into your home and routine before considering this for him.

 

That said... I knew Nixon was going to be a good TD the day I met him at the Kennel.

St John has a 'rule' that new-to-you dogs must be with you for at least 6 months. I'm sure other organizations have similar conditions.

And it was well over a year after that before I had him do the special test with children.

 

Nigel was with us for over 2 years before I felt he was ready for the program and I just had him tested with children in March.

[Guest Lillypad]

Congratulations on your new greyhound. How wonderful that you are considering therapy. She sounds like she has settled in beautifully. My girl really blossomed at the 6 month period. I did enroll in a basic/puppy obedience class within the second month but that was because "I" needed to learn to train her properly. But thinking back on it, I am convinced it was the best thing for her too. She learned house rules, manners and self control. The self control comes into play everyday when leaving the house and car. She would not even consider going out the house door or car door before being released by me. I have never tested it mind you, but I am willing to bet she has a pretty good recall to. After our basic obedience we trained for and passed Canine Good Citizenship training. With these two training sessions under her belt she was a shoe in for therapy work. We passed the test with flying colors. Most all greyhounds are wonderful therapy ambassadors. I think you should go for it when you are ready. I am sure you will enjoy it. I know for a fact the seniors at our complex look forward to our visits and often ask about the dogs in our group.

 

http://www.akc.org/dog-owners/training/canine-good-citizen/

[FiveRoooooers]

Congratulations! If you are seeing a potential therapy dog with Murphy, you can start now with the American Kennel Club's Canine Good Citizen (CGC) training. The test and what she needs to learn are on line and frankly (IMHO) it's good training for any dog, not just those who are looking to further their new careers. Two of my angel greyhounds were therapy dogs and now Aiden is continuing that tradition. They all earned their CGC and became registered Pet Partners (fka Delta Society). As you already know, it is wonderful "work" and so gratifying for everyone involved, from the moment you step out of the car until you hop back in. Awesome that you are thinking of this with Murphy. and please keep us posted. Hope her leg heals well!

 

Soo cool that you had a working therapy horse, love that.

 

eta Thanks to Lillypad for posting the AKC link

Edited May 28, 2015 by FiveRoooooers

[Guest AngelPup]

You've received a lot of excellent advice. So I can't add much. I also would love to do therapy work with Cindy Lou, as she's really come out of her shell over the past few months. I highly recommend starting out with obedience training and working toward the CGC certificate. I've taken three of my dogs to PetSmart for training as they use positive reinforcements, they are reasonably priced, and the trainers seem very knowledgeable. They also sponsor the AKC Canine Good Citizen test which they prepare you both for in the advanced training. You don't have to go through all their training though to register for the test. We really enjoyed basic and am hoping we can do intermediate and advanced at some point in the near future.

 

Good luck with everything. Murphy sure does sound like a great candidate!

[Guest MurphysMom]

Thank you all so much! This info is fantastic. I'm excited to learn more. The therapy I did with my horse was so different: I called up the group, they scheduled a time to evaluate him; he passed their preliminary test with flying colors and then a few weeks later we trailered out to the site where they gave lessons to special needs children. Unfortunately we didn't do a whole lot after that... they needed my horse to stay with their other therapy horses and they didn't have any pasture! My horse has been a fabulous boy to me, and no pasture = no deal. As much as I LOVED volunteering, my horse's happiness has to be a priority. He's taken care of me since I was 13, now it's my turn to take care of him in his golden years.

 

So of course I was so excited when we adopted Murphy and she began to show off how gentle and calm she is.. hooray, more therapy potential I'll definitely check out Petsmart soon to learn more about the CGC certificate. Dog training is new to me, so thank goodness Murphy is a smart cookie.

[Guest HoHounds]

Hi, I'm in Colorado and my previous three greyhounds were therapy dogs through Pet Partners www.petpartners.org. I am training my current grey, Boomer, to be a pet partner too. I belong to a local chapter of Pet Partners, Denver Pet Partners, www.denverpetpartners.org. The websites have a great information about volunteering with therapy animals.

 

Your grey sounds like a perfect candidate for therapy work. Good luck!

 

Mino

[sobesmom]

I have no experience or advice to offer - but congrats on your new pup! I have a grey that I think would've made a greyt therapy dog if I'd had the time and resources to train her. So - try it.