Therapy Dog Club
The Therapy Dog Club is a group of therapy dogs and handlers that exists to promote the proper training, use and certification of therapy dogs to ensure a better quality of life for those they help.
What is a Therapy Dog?
A therapy dog is a dog that is trained to provide comfort and affection to those in hospitals, nursing homes, retirement homes and schools with children who have learning difficulties and developmental disorders. Therapy dogs also respond to assist people and families who may find themselves in stressful situations and environments such as disaster areas.
Therapy
dogs come in all shapes and sizes. Breed and gender are not important for
therapy dogs. Temperament is the most important trait of therapy dogs. Good
therapy dogs must be calm, patient and gentle with strangers in all situations.
Therapy dogs must crave contact from humans and be content with the physical
contact that will be bestowed upon them.
Therapy dogs work in various settings and must be comfortable with being handled by a variety of different people. Therapy dogs often enjoy the visits as much or more than the people they are there to assist. Therapy dogs often contribute to their visits by performing tricks and playing structured games.
Therapy dogs and their handlers are volunteers who enjoy going into the community to help those that need their services. Becoming a therapy dog takes hours of work and practice and is a huge commitment for both the dog and handler. The purpose of this club is to promote the use of therapy dogs in areas of the community where they are needed, as well as assisting dogs and handlers with the proper methods of conducting therapy dog visits.
Benefits of Therapy Dogs
Animals have long been acknowledged as being a positive force in the healing process for many. Dogs have a calming and therapeutic effect on people, especially those in hospitals, nursing homes and similar environments. They help people deal with the emotional issues that are related to their illness. Therapy dogs also offer direct physical contact with another living creature, something that is often missing in the lives of those in clinical environments. They always summon pleasant memories of past pets or experiences. Best of all, they avert a person's attention from the problems of the day. Therapy dogs help the elderly more easily deal with the boredom and loneliness that they too often encounter.
During
therapy dog visits, everyone involved often gains from the presence of these
canine health care providers. These dogs often bring a smile not only to the
residents but also to the visitors and staff. When Therapy Dogs visit these
facilities, it is often a struggle to separate the dogs from the staff so
that they can perform for the residents. Therapy dogs also provide a much
needed break from the routine and stress of working in long term care facilities.
Living in a long-term care facility can be lonely for its residents. Visits from therapy dogs can break their daily routines and stimulate the mind in spectacular ways. The most serious problem for older adults is not of disease but loneliness and depression. Therapy dogs can make a resident of these facilities vibrant again, welcoming them back into the world around them.
The benefits of therapy dogs are endless. These dogs and their handlers brighten almost any environment that they choose to work in.
Requirements for Therapy Dogs
Therapy dogs and their handlers must undergo a great deal of training and evaluation to fully ensure they are prepared to actually conduct visits. These dogs and handlers must first successfully pass the American Kennel Club Canine Good Citizen Evaluation. Then they go through a number of classes and practical evaluations before they “earn their vest” and become working therapy dogs. The American Kennel Club CGC is a ten part test that evaluates the dogs’ level of training as well as its' temperament. Therapy dogs are not covered by the Americans with Disabilities Act and are not afforded the privileges that service or assistance dogs are. Therefore, therapy dogs must be invited into the public buildings where they assist.
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