Is Your Canine Best Friend a Therapist?

When I adopted Tito, never in my wildest dreams did I anticipate he would become the type of dog suited to support others in transitions, challenges and personal journeys. But slowly, after he out grew his puppy, teenage and young adult stages and matured, his true inner beauty and kind heart emerged. Now, looking at my dogs Aine and Tucker I can see their inner healers boldly shining. Aine, the gentle soul, was born ready to be a Pet Therapist and will be able to officially wear her vest by the end of August 2010, whereas Tucker will take a few years to mature before stepping into this roll. But I’m patient!

When you look at your dog, do see “just” a dog or do you see a healer? If you want to spread some happiness through your friendly and loving pet, then it truly begins with you. Your intention and attitude toward your dogs will empower them to expose this healing side sooner rather than later (or, sadly, never).

Pet therapy is believed to work wonders for children with special needs and people suffering from Alzheimer’s. Pet therapy, in fact, is also believed to be an excellent technique for dealing with stress. So if you want your pet to spread a little more love and happiness, here are a few tips I’ve learned along with way that may be beneficial to you.

The first thing you need to ensure is you are supportive of having your pet be a therapist. This is not as easy as it sounds, as it involves training and time on your part as well as your pet’s. You need to know your pet may not be ready for therapy work until he is much older. Rarely are dogs “therapy ready” at young ages; just as children need to go through their stages, so do dogs. This is the part where you need to be patient and stay in trust.

When getting to know your pet through these growth stages, determine where or not he is a “people dog.” Some dogs are just not people-friendly in strange locations or medical situations. Some dogs will grow out of this type of shyness and others won’t. This again will depend on your time, so make sure you take them to public dog-appropriate places to interact with different age groups and mobility levels. To get a true reading of your animal’s personality, be sure to make visiting new places a regular part of your life and theirs.

Training is a very important piece of making sure you give your dog the best opportunity to step into his therapy role. There are numerous dog training opportunities; research them and compare what they offer with the types of results expected. Sending your dog away for training with a stranger may not be in the long-term best interest, as you need to take a serious interest and responsibility for learning the commands along with your dog. If you are not vested in the training piece, then ultimately you need to revisit the first topic about which I spoke and answered the question, “Am I ready for pet therapy?” If the answer is truly no, then take a breath and don’t judge yourself. As much as it may be admirable to have your dog be a therapist, it is not for everyone. Just like not all children become doctors or teachers, we all have our talents—and dogs are no different.

Additionally, you can decide whether you want to help people on your own or if you would like to enroll your dog in a professional pet therapy organization. The advantage of opting for the latter might be benefits like insurance and other support services. If you want to start providing pet therapy services on your own, contact your neighboring hospitals, retirement facilities, special schools, etc., to determine if they need a dog’s services and what their certification requirements are.

Providing pet therapy services is extremely satisfying for both the pet and its owner. However, before you decide to spread some sunshine and smiles, make sure your pet is comfortable with therapy work as much as you are. Personally, I am overjoyed at the idea of Aine beginning to step into her journey as a healer and my role of supporting her in it.

Until next time, embrace your inner wisdom.

Namaste,
Karen