Therapy/AAT Training
Sometimes the comfort of a dog hug goes beyond what words can express.
Therapy Dogs, by formal definition, are dogs used by professionals in a work environment to help or aid in a therapeutic way. Professionals vary — I have worked with professionals in psychology, social work, physical therapy, school teachers and administrators, funeral home directors, occupational therapists, speech therapists and counselors to name a few. The role the dogs can play varies as well and, as with service dog training, we do not take a cookie cutter approach but rather design what the needs are based on the functions desired.
If you are a professional interested in acquiring a suitable dog for therapy work, or evaluating a dog you already have, please email your specific interests for a no obligation discussion on the services you can receive from A Better Pet.
Animal Assisted Activities, or AAT, is the use of a dog trained to go with an owner/handler into a nursing home, hospital, hospice or other facility to spread good cheer. My own experience with using my dogs to spread good cheer dates back to my dogs Teisha and Maeya and continues today. Many of the clients who have used the private and group dog training have gone on to very successful therapy dog and animal assisted experiences.
Depending on your interests in the type of location you are interested in visiting, credentialing your dog may vary from none to quite restrictive. This could include formal CGC (Canine Good Citizenship Test) testing, need for insurance and minimum age requirements. Many nursing homes would love more visits from nice dogs to visit lonely and isolated residents. Check out one near you to find out their policies. Usually that person to look for would be a volunteer coordinator or activities director. Hospitals and other larger institutions usually have greater requirements due to the liability, health and safety concerns of patients, visitors and staff.
Just remember if you’re going to try taking your dog to visit a nursing home or similar location, there are a few suggestions to ensure success.
1.The dog should be clean and groomed. For added visibility, control and calm, we recommend Har-Vest.
Har-Vest is a great therapy dog tool.
2. Your dog should be on a leash and managed. There should be NO jumping up on people, inappropriate barking or soiling.
3. Keep visit short at first — suggest 15 minutes and certainly no more than 45 minutes. Make the experience as positive for your dog as you can. While your dog may be seeming to soak up the love offered, staying calm and well behaved is hard work! You may find that your dog is more exhausted from a 45 minute nursing home visit than a long hike in the woods.
4. Enjoy the experience. If at first it’s not great, don’t give up. Sometimes just being nervous can affect your dog’s comfort level. However, if your dog behaves very agitated or inappropriate, accept that therapy work isn’t the right venue for your dog’s definite strengths.
