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Pet Therapy Teams
GETTING STARTED Interested in bringing smiles to some lonely faces? Well don’t look any further! If you are willing to share your dog with others, bring happiness to residents of nursing homes, hospitals, and children with special needs read on. Since most people wanting to get started have so many questions. I hope that in this article we can answer most of these questions and help you get started today.
Soft cuddly fur, a wet nose, a lick, a tail wag, an outstretched paw or a gentle nudge. These are things we pure bred dog owners experience every day, and perhaps even take for granted. But for thousands of nursing home residents, and special-care children a visit from a pet therapy dog can change a person’s outlook from gloomy to cheerful. Sharing this love goes far. It prompts a resident to recall fond memories, encourages calmness and lowers blood pressure. Plus brings a smile to so many faces.
When we walk through the door of a nursing home or a hospital, I sense the excitement in the Chessies. Likewise, many residents are waiting anxiously in the lobby. There is a big cheer as they enter the building. Lucy goes over and puts her head in a residents lap, while Coco goes into a circus act of sitting up begging and barking. Everyone breaks out into a good laugh. Residents of the Veterans Home love to tell us stories about the "good old days" when they had a dog, worked with a K-9 unit during the war or grew up on a farm.
Coco who specializes in children at a local hospital would bring smiles to all the children. Just the look on their faces "wow a dog in a hospital" would bring smiles. The children get so excited, love to give her a treat, play ball with her, brush her, or just cuddle. On many occasions we get to meet family members. They are so grateful for our visits, and can’t thank us enough. They tell us of how their family member will talk about the dog that came to visit. It’s these heartfelt moments that make working with therapy dogs so rewarding. Show dogs are well-behaved, outgoing, and are very people oriented.
These Another excellent idea is to hold your clubs annual Match Show on the grounds of a facility. It is a wonderful way to bring a fun activity to the residents. Family members can enjoy a visit with their relative while watching the show. They especially enjoy the obedience and agility rings. If both you and your dog are outgoing, love people, and can spare a few hours once a month, you should consider getting involved. Start bringing joy and love to people by visiting with your dog today. Programs are set up throughout the United States by dedicated volunteers. Workshops and seminars are also available now in most areas. Most people want to know if their dog is suitable. You should ask yourself it your dog has the following traits:
These are the basic traits that your dog should have. Certain populations can be more stressful to visit than others, so please keep that in mind when asking where you would like to visit with your dog. Back to top
What is expected of the handler? Be on time and prepared. If you cannot keep an appointment, be sure to call either the day before or first thing in the morning. Most facilities will be putting you on their calendar and the residents will be expecting you. Give the facility ample time to reschedule or advise the residents that you are coming another day. Back to top
How old should my dog be? Can I visit with a
puppy?
What level of obedience training is required?
Is a female or male make a better therapy dog?
Does my dog need to know tricks? Should I visit on my own or with a group?
Should I join and register my dog with a therapy dog organization?
What does my dog have to do for the test?
However, the Delta Society Pet Partners requires an additional test to see where and what type of population the dog is best suited to visit. Back to top
How can I get in touch with these therapy dog organizations? Bright & Beautiful Therapy Dogs Pets and People: Companions in Therapy and Service Therapy Dogs International Delta Society Pet Partners All of the above organizations have different requirements. Please write or call them for information. Back to top
What do I do after I am registered? How do I get started? If you are interested, start today. It is a wonderful and rewarding
experience. ã copywritten Back to top
Volunteering and Giving Back at World Trade Center We have all been affected by the World Trade Center and September 11th. Volunteering where one can and giving back for many have been a very gratifying experience. Besides the Search and Rescue dogs, the Pet Therapy Organizations and their teams have been busy at work since September 11th. On Sunday October 28th we had an opportunity to be at Liberty State Park. Usually my remembrance of Liberty State Park were bringing out of town visitors and Palisades Kennel Club Dog Show. However, on this day we were there for the families and the volunteers. The Memorial Service was held at Ground Zero this day. After the service at Ground Zero the families returned to Liberty State Park or 94th St Pier. As the families waited for their turn to receive their Urns and Flags, the Red Cross served dinner for "thousands". The dogs were there to comfort the families and their children. Between the tears there is always a heart warming story and I just had to share this one with you. This day I was working Lucy, and she is a trooper even as the food was whipping by her and she wished for one meat ball to slip, she continued working. We met a lovely family with two young boys. I would say there were around 5 and 7 years old. Well they just feel in love with the dogs. Lucy was working the crowd for food and doing all her tricks. The boys had a wonderful time giving her treats as she did her favorite sit up and beg and give paw. Lucy also laid down for them so that they could hug and pet her. The family went to get their Urn and Flag and put the boys in the Children's Care Area. Lucy and I went into the other room to visit the people waiting. About an hour later, the two boys came running towards us waving 2 stuffed animal dogs. The Children's Care Center gave each child a toy of their choice. They had been looking for Lucy to show her their new toys. The younger boy had a reddish brown dog he was hugging. He couldn't leave until he showed Lucy his toy and he wanted to ask my permission if it was ok to name his new stuffed dog Lucy. Well Lucy and I were flattered, that was such a compliment. It is just nice to know that Lucy left such a wonderful impression on these young boys. I guess that this is what Pet Therapy is all about. The day was a total success in Lucy's view. She managed a piece of chicken, two chocolate chip cookies, a whole bunch of dog treats, tons of hugs, and she chased the pigeons around Liberty State Park when I walked her. She is, after all, a Chesapeake and birds are birds no matter what the setting. A state trooper who observed her performance said it was quite a sight when Lucy locked on a pigeon and pulled me across the parking lot. He was beginning to wonder if he would need to organize a human/dog rescue from the Hudson River when the bird stopped fooling around and got serious about flying. Once Lucy realized the bird was not a cripple that she could catch, she gave up. (Chesapeakes are renowned for perseverance but they are also smart enough to know when the cause is lost.) We have all been affected by September 11. Not only was my country attacked but the worst attack happened almost in my back yard. For a middle-aged, slightly-out-of-shape woman, the options for retaliation against the bad guys are limited. Volunteering where we can has made me feel like I'm doing something to fight back." The dogs of Bright and Beautiful Therapy Dogs that worked were all added to the New Jersey Veterinary Foundation's Animals Hall of Fame with a wonderful ceremony on April 13th. All the dogs received a Medallion and certificates. It was great to be honored and recognized. Joanne Silver
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Lucy, a 6 year old and Coco, an 11 year old Chesapeake Bay Retriever
know all about unconditional love. Between shows and hunt tests they visit
at the New Jersey Veterans Home. I’ve found for Lucy it relaxes her
after a long show circuit to make these visits. For Coco being a veteran
dog she looks forward to the visits. As much as the residents enjoy the
love they give, the dogs receive in return lots of love, a scratch behind
the ears, a good back rub, and sometimes special treats.
Chesapeakes
have a keen sense of knowing who needs them. While working with Lucy in an
Alzheimer’s unit, I was warned that one of the male residents was having
violent outburst. I proceeded with caution, but Lucy was pulling towards
him. The man was calm for a moment, we weren’t sure if he was focusing
on Lucy. Lucy made her presence known by licking his hand. He smiled. The
therapist was amazed by the man ‘s gentle petting. On our next visit
according to the therapist, the man was calm for the balance of the day.
traits, coupled with basic obedience training and comfort around
medical equipment, are all that is required for pet therapy work. Dogs
must be reliable, controllable, and predictable. Taking the Canine good
Citizen Test is an excellent way to see if your dog is qualified for Pet
Therapy Programs.
Silvercreek Chesapeakes