How to Begin Pet Therapy With Your Dog

This article is written to give you helpful information about becoming a therapy pet team with your dog. It takes a very special person and their dog to do this type of work.

Difficulty: Moderate

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Soft cloth dog collar and 4' or shorter dog leash.

1. To begin visiting health care facilities with your dog – you and your dog MUST become a TEAM prior to visiting. This is vital in making any type of therapy visits. You BOTH must be friendly and love interacting with people of all ages and often with disabilities or health problems.

2. You and your dog must be able to work together and know what each other is thinking. You should practice and develop a very close relationship with your dog before considering becoming a pet therapy team!

3. Your dog MUST have excellent obedience training and excellent manners! Check your city for obedience training classes. If possible attend:
   Basic and Advanced classes. It is also advisable to teach your dog hand signals, if possible. If the obedience class does not teach this you may teach them to your dog. The Dog should know the verbal commands: Sit, stay, down, wait(before entering or exiting a door).

4. Some health care facilities do not mind if your dog barks - on occasion. While others such as hospitals require that your dog DOES not bark while on a therapy visit. You should teach your dog a Quiet Command - this will let your dog know that they are not allowed to bark while on that visit.

5. You will need a soft dog collar and 4’ or shorter leash for your dog. You must keep your dog VERY close to you at all times. It is best to keep the dog close to your left side.

6. Your dog should have his/her teeth brush occasionally and should never be taken on a therapy visit if he/she has bad breath.

7. Your dog must be tolerant of being petted roughly and allow people to touch their feet/and or pick their feet up and touch them.

8. Most health care facilities require that your dog have ALL vaccinations. They will have a list to give you. Most dogs must be at least six months of age before all of the required vaccinations are given.
   Contact the Director of any health care facility you are interested in visiting with your therapy dog and ask what their qualifications and requirements are for a therapy team to visit.

9. If you begin therapy visits with your dog when he/she is six months old watch their personality. Some dogs may change when they mature.

10. Breed or size of a therapy dog depends on you as the handler. Can you be in COMPELETE control of a large dog ALL of the time while on a therapy visit? Small dogs may be carried while on visits. Health care facilities may at times be dangerous for a small dog walking down a hall or anywhere in the facility. Patients/residents in wheel chairs or walkers may not see the dog and stop on it.

11. A person with dementia or Alzheimer’ may try to pull your dog’s fur, pull their tail, try to hit them, pull their ear or poke them in the eye. It is up to you as the handler to keep your pet SAFE at all times on a therapy visit! If you see the patient/resident may attempt to harm your pet, back away from them immediately

12. A therapy visits officially begins the moment you and your dog step out of your car. There may be staff members, vendor drivers, delivery drivers, visitors, etc. who may want to interact with your dog as soon as they see him/her.
    
    As soon as you arrive at a facility for a therapy visit take your pet to a designated area so he/she may use the restroom. Always carry a baggie, scoop and bag or container to put any waste in and throw it away before entering the

13. Stop and allow your dog to interact with visitors and medical staff at a facility. They have stressful jobs and petting a Therapy dog is a welcome break for them

14. Commitment is important. Once you begin regular visits to a health care facility, the residents/patients and staff look forward to your visits and expect you to be the there with your dog at the appointed time of your therapy visit. If you are unable to make the visit, call the Director and inform them.
    
    Most facilities are flexible on a schedule when you may visit their facility. Some allow visits only during the day, with others may allow evening or weekend visits. Sometimes holiday visits are especially important.

15. If your dog loves children, consider visiting a health care facility for children. Or, if they prefer older people visit a nursing home, assisted living or geriatric hospital

16. You should practice with your dog going to new places, meeting new people. Entering new buildings. Entering electronic doors, riding in elevators, climbing stairs. Your dog should be comfortable in all of these circumstance and never be afraid. Some businesses will allow you to bring your dog into their business, if they know your are in training to becoming a therapy team. Often large building supply or lumber companies will allow your to enter with your dog if you inform them you in training for therapy work.

17. Your dog should get along well with cats, birds and other dogs. You probably won't encounter another pet while on a therapy visit, but it may happen. A resident may have a pet that lives in their room or a visitor may bring a pet. Some nursing homes have a resident cat or dog. If your dog cannot see another pet and not become aggressive or excited -DO NOT do therapy visits! Even if your dog is not aggressive the pet where at the facility you are visiting may be aggressive toward your pet. Always ask a facility before you visit if there will be any other pets other. Visit a facility that does not have any pets.

18. Train your dog to tolerate new places, new smells and various noises. Especially loud sudden noises. While on a therapy visit, a staff member may drop a metal tray right behind your pet. A member of house cleaning may vacuum near your dog or use a shampoo carpet machine. Construction may be going on including loud hammering, sawing, etc. There are numerous noises, smells and activities that your dog has NEVER experienced. That why it is vital to get your dog out and acquaint him/her with as many new things as possible before beginning therapy visits.

Tips & Warnings

• Always give your dog a bath at least one day before you go on a therapy visit. His/her toenails MUST be trimmed. There should be NO sharp edges or long toenails. Always carry a small bottle of water and a small non breakable dog water dish with you on a therapy visit. Give your dog a small drink before entering the facility. Visits usually last for one hour. Give your dog a small drink halfway through the visit and when you finish the visit. Also, take your dog back to the designated restroom area. Watch enough to know when he/she may need to go to the restroom. Take him/her outside immediately. NEVER allow your dog to relieve himself inside a facility!
• Always take a towel with you on a therapy visit. It may not be raining when you leave home, but may be pouring when you arrive at the health care facility for your therapy visit. Never take your dog inside the facility if he/she is wet.
• Limit your therapy visits to one hour. You may wish to visit a facility weekly or less often. Therapy visits are very tiring on your dog! Never visit too often or your dog will get burned out on the therapy visits; most dogs’ do well visiting one hour per week. You may wish to visit the same facility each week. You and your dog will develop a bond with the residents/patients and staff, if you visit on a regular basis.
• It is very important that you make the therapy visits FUN FOR your dog! Reward him/her with a treat and praise when the therapy visit is over.
• Enjoy enriching someone’s life with your dog!
• If you have more than one dog and would like to make therapy visits with each dog, NEVER take more than ONE dog at a time on a therapy visit. You must concentrate and give your full attention to one pet! Things can happen in an instant on a therapy visit. You must be always be totally aware of exactly where your pet and what he/she is doing while on a therapy visit!
• Your dog MUST NEVER be aggressive towards a person or other animal at any time while on a therapy visit!
• Your dog must be taught to NEVER jump up on anyone whether they are sitting, standing or lying on a bed!
• Your dog must be taught to NEVER put his/her paws up on anyone during a therapy visit.
• Your dog must be taught to NEVER lick people! Some facilities will ask that you not come back if your dog licks a patient/resident. This is for health reasons
• NEVER allow your pet to eat anything off the floor while in any facility or outside a facility while on a therapy visit. Food, medication or other objects may have been dropped which could harm your dog.
• This article is very basic guidelines for a dog handler and dog to become a Therapy Team. I cannot be held responsible for anything that happens before, during or after a therapy visit or while you are are learning and or training with your dog. The sole responsibility of whatever happens is upon you and your dog!
• Most health care facilities require that you have insurance on your pet. Check with your local insurance agent. Many insurance companies now offer therapy dog insurance. Do not make therapy visits if you do not have insurance on your dog!
• I cannot be held responsible for anything that happens while you are training, preparing or while on a therapy visit.

[mysami1980]

on 1/7/2009 great article I must say..I work in a long term care facility for the elderly, and I too take my two dogs into my work to provide pet therapy what a wonderful gift to give someone!...everything you wrote is very detailed and accurate and am sure very helpful to others out there!!

[genehoffpauir]

on 1/2/2009 I'd give you 10 stars if I could! Great article. Very detailed. Thanks for all the good information.

[sgsasaki]

on 11/21/2008 Very thorough and informative. Sounds like you have a lot of experience with pet therapy. 5 stars