Getting Into Therapy Dog Training/volunteering

[Guest Ashmore721]

. I am also wanting to train and work with the grey i am in the process of adopting, into making him a great therapy dog. (Im prior military and would love to eventually get him and i involved with the Wounded Warriors and/or the local VA hospital.) Does anyone have any experience with this process, and help/advice? I'm reading and learning everything I can as well as becoming familiar with the CGC requirements via the latest manual/publication on the CGC. Thanks everyone.

[Guest Ashmore721]

(I apologize for all the typos, my iPad keyboard is not being user friendly tonight...or perhaps I need my glasses....).

[OwnedBySummer]

No experience with therapy dogs in the US, we are a Canadian team. But I can say, good for you! -- it's very rewarding! There are US therapy dog teams on the forum and I'm sure they'll give you some information.

 

To see a fairly standard (at least it is in Canada) therapy dog evaluation document, go here Therapy Dog Evaluation and on the top right, you'll see a tab for Dog Evaluation. Click on that and it will open a .pdf document detailing the steps in the evaluation.

 

Also, we don't need a CGC certification here before the therapy dog evaluation & certification but I think you need that in the US.

Edited February 1, 2012 by OwnedBySummer

[Tallgreydogmom]

Make sure you let them know you want one for therapy work. You might consider asking for a return. They already are broken in and know the ropes. They usually are returned due to people problems rather than dog problems. You also might consider fostering until you find the right one.

 

I currently take our greyhound to visit at nursing homes. All I need is a copy of the rabies certificate. I started out with Delta Society but felt it wasn't what I needed. I just wanted to visit nursing homes.

 

There are various ways to get certified. I'd rather be able to visit and work on certification as I go along. I didn't want to have to get certified first.

Edited February 1, 2012 by Tallgreydogmom

[Sambuca]

Make sure the adoption group knows that you want to become a therapy dog team. I have 2 wonderful, sweet greys that would be horrible therapy dogs. One melts down in public and crawls under tables and the other doesn't like to be pet by strangers. They are both extremely sweet and affectionate with me and in my home, but as I said, not good therapy dogs. If the group knows, they can help match up a friendly, bomb proof dog with you.

[Guest Ashmore721]

This is great feed back everyone, thank you! And yes, the group is aware of my desire to have the grey and myself become a therapy dog team. (we're located in the US.) awesome information and this helps me out a lot! I'm doing research constantly so, every little bit helps! Thanks again.

[Guest iconsmum]

You can't train any dog into therapy dog work. The evaluations are all based on the dog's natural temperamental aptitude for service work, which includes being handled by people who don't know "dog rules" when they greet your animal; being able to recover quickly and confidently from unexpected sights and sounds; and most importantly, being a confident, forward moving dog who truly enjoys the company of people enough that the unfamiliarity of health facilities won't drag on him over time. There are a few outfits around who claim that they will "train" a therapy dog for you - but it's a bogus proposition given that the only opinion that counts is that of the evaluator... on the day your dog is seen- if your dog doesn't enjoy visiting, you're not doing him any favour by insisting.

 

I can not even imagine going in to a facility to visit with a dog in tow, just me alone as a sole entity not completely covered by the insurance-umbrella of a Delta society or a St John Amb or similar. It is a very litigious world we live in and the smallest incident could easily balloon into your being blamed for a vulnerable person's injury due to tripping, nipping, frail skin damage, an alleged improper sanitation procedure, alleged cross contamination, mrsa transfer, etc etc - you are very much at risk for what you consider just a good deed.

[FountainLady]

I echo what the others have said about telling the group you need a special hound for Therapy dog training. You need a dog that has never met a stranger! One that is not fearful of new places, sounds, people ... etc.

 

When I adopted Gus last memorial day weekend I told the wonderful adoption group (Grateful Greyhounds) that had him that disposition was my #1 priority. I didn't care how many legs he had ...

 

We took a basic obedience class over the summer and we tested and passed both his AKC Canine good citizen and his TDI Therapy Dog certification in October with ease. My Rainy was also a TDI therapy dog, so I have been doing therapy dog work for the past 5 years and had already trained one dog for this. When I lost Rainy to cancer in October, I tested with Gus two weeks later and got his certification in order, so I could continue the Therapy dog activities I enjoyed so much with her.

 

I feel it is very important to be connected with TDI (Therapy Dogs International) or the Delta Society and be certified by a nationally known organization. The liability insurance they provide is required by many places where you will take your dog to work. We participate in the children's reading programs at the area libraries, do nursing home and hospice visits, stress relief for the athletes at the Special Olympics ... etc. We do all sorts of different Therapy dog activities and volunteer where ever we can spread a little Greyhound love around. If you have the right credentials and certification it will open the door for you and your dog to do so many more things.

 

You are going to LOVE doing therapy dog work! It is so rewarding and such a good way to shine a positive light on the greyhound breed.

[Guest Ashmore721]

Thank you for you amazing post 'fountain lady!' your post is inspiring and incredibly helpful. I have let the adoption group know my wants, needs, and intentions with the dog I am interested in, as it is the same dog that they are recommending to me. I get to meet him in a couple of days and I hope and pray it all works out to everyone's best interest...as I'm sure it will! Thank you so much, this helps me a lot in my research and reading! -Amanda

[a_daerr]

Henry is certified in both CGC (Canine Good Citizens) and TDI (Therapy Dog International). I somewhat agree that you can't turn any dog into a therapy dog. However, we had a host of problems when we first adopted Henry. He was extremely shy, terrified of children, had mild separation anxiety, problems with resource guarding. All in all, he was not confident and scared of new situations. Looking back, I never thought Henry would have made as much progress as he did. My advice is to work with your adoption group to try to find a dog that is more on the outgoing side (it's just easier). Then socialize, socialize, socialize. We took Henry EVERYWHERE with us. We had him for about a year before we started doing any type of structured therapy training. After three classes, he passed both CGC and TDI. It's important that you also be an advocate for your dog. Try to read their body language to understand what they like and don't like. Henry is certified in both, but we don't do too many TDI events because I know he'd rather be snoozing or going for a walk. From my experience, the training is really fun. Even if you don't end up with a "therapy dog," you'll still end up with a well-behaved dog. Good luck!

[Maddiesmom]

Maddie is TDI certified as well, she is in the Paws to Read program at our local library ( Rainy - fountainlady's grey inspired me to get Maddie into this) and I am finalizing the Paperwork to get Maddie to be a TD dog at Ronald Mcdonald House here in Charlotte. When I first got Maddie she had seperation anxiety, we worked through it and amazingly she passed the TDI test with flying colors, I say this as we found out about the test literally 48 hours before it took place. If you go online to Therapy dog international, it tells you what you and the dog need to do in order to pass the test. It is fun and rewarding and Maddie knows she has a "job" to do when we pull up to the library. Good Luck.

[Guest gzgreytfun]

Raz passed his Canine Good Citizen test last year. I was really excited to do some visitation or get involved in a program but haven't found any locally. I think you can tell by their personality if they will be a good candidate for therapy work. As stated above, just the training and working with your dog is greyt fun!

Edited February 3, 2012 by gzgreytfun

[Guest Ashmore721]

Thank you so much a_daerr and maddiesmom for the awesome posts. I realize that if things work out and I'm able to adopt the amazing boy, that there is always a possibility the TD thing may not work out. But either way I look forward going through the testing, training, and programs with him either way. I've been glued to the TDI site and have been reading my CGC manuals constantly. I love doing research and learning as much as I can about TD programs, training, and events. Thank you so much for your encouraging words and helpful information. The grey group that I am working with thinks the main dog that I have my eye on would be a great fit for me and what I have in mind for him. I will be meeting him for the first time in a couple of hours and I am beyond excited!

[Guest EasyPeasy]

How did your meeting go? Is he on your couch now?

 

I agree with what the others say. Easy is registered with Delta(rename to Pet Partners in the future) and also a R.E.A.D dog. We brought him everywhere from the moment he joined the household. He was fairly skittish and hated tin foil in the beginning. He's extremely food motivated, which makes training easier. We did participate in a class that helped him prepare for unexpected situations. Like random food on the floor, uneven surfaces and medical equipment. Our favorites are festivals and fairs. He sneaks pets from everyone's hands. Best of luck!

[Guest Ashmore721]

Update: I think overall the visit went really well! We have another dog that will be three in June. We haven't had any other dogs in the house since we moved here and it was little man's first home visit so, in the beginning they were a little nervous/excitable. But like I said, I felt like everything went really well. I fell in love with him!!! I almost cried when i first saw him, he absolutely gorgeous and so sweet! He has the most amazing disposition, he's so sweet and affectionate, and it was really great seeing how he interacted with our other dog and all the toys. I think he would make a perfect addition to out family and a great therapy dog. I'm suppose to get a call from the adoption group probably tomorrow or Sunday but, she said that we could maybe even pick him up tomorrow at their meet and greet. I'm nervous waiting for the official phone call and just so excited! Not yet 'Easy Peasy' but, I hope and pray that this awesome little guy gets to come to his forever home very soon and will be laying on my couch with me in a short time!

[a_daerr]

Yay! So excited for you!

[OwnedBySummer]

Sounds like it's working out GREYT!

[Guest Ashmore721]

So far, so good!!!

[Guest EasyPeasy]

Saw your pics on your other thread. He looks like a happy guy. Congrats!