THE COMFORTER SPANIEL – CAVALIERS AND PET THERAPY

By Diane Zdrodowski

I was asked to write and article on Pet Therapy for this publication.  Even though I have been doing it for quite a long time, it’s still hard to know where to begin.  Most people want to know how to get started, what is involved in the training and certification process, how will I know if my dog likes the work, how do you find a place to go, etc.?

I think the first thing people need to understand, is Pet Therapy is volunteer work done by a team – you and your dog.  It’s just not about the dog or about you!  If you don’t have the time to make the commitment for actual visitations, you may want to reconsider.  Being a Therapy Dog is not a title, it’s a certification.  Yes, it’s an accomplishment you and your dog have achieved, but if you never make a visit, and I see this happen all the time, your dog is not truly a Therapy Dog.  Please consider your time and your availability before you decide to undertake this “project”.

So where do you begin?  Generally speaking, the dog should be at least a year old.  I am familiar with about a half dozen Therapy Organizations and most, in order to pass the test, require the dog to have a “high beginner” to “intermediate” level of obedience training.  The dog will need to be able to follow commands such as “sit”, “stay”, “come”, “down”, walk on a loose leash without pulling and various other exercises.  Most of the tests are a combination of obedience testing and temperament evaluation.  The other major issue people tend to forget, the test is for the TEAM, and how well the handler and the dog relate to each other.  This concept is often misunderstood; people think only the DOG is being tested.  So, the first thing you need to do is to get your dog trained.  There is no specific time frame for readiness; it’s a matter of your schedule and your dog’s learning ability.

For the rest of this article I will speak about one organization, TDI (Therapy Dogs International) but most organizations require very similar training and have similar procedures. With TDI, the first portion of the test is the CGC (Canine Good Citizen Test) designed and administered by the American Kennel Club.  All the information on the contents of that test is available on their web site.  If your dog has a CGC, then you are already half done!  Most testers don’t actually separate out the “two” portions of the test any longer, as used to be done in the past, but if your dog passed the CGC once, he/she won’t have any problems passing it again, correct?

Once the “team” passes the test, normally a physical exam and some other paperwork is required before the certification process is complete.  Organizations vary in their requirements so be sure to understand exactly what yours specifies.  Some are varied in their immunization requirements, some have a specific number of hours you must work to maintain your certification.

At this point you might be wondering, “Why even get certified?”  “Why can’t I just go to the Nursing Home down the street with my wonderful dog Fluffy?”  One of the main reasons to become certified is INSURANCE!  All of the organizations with which I am familiar, provide liability policies for their member volunteers.  This is important, and I use the scenario:  What if you were at the Nursing Home with Fluffy, and Mrs. Smith sees you from 20 yards down the hall.  She lets go of her walker, throws up her arms in the air and yells “Princess” (the name of her former pet), falls down and breaks her hip.  You are partially liable in that situation because it would not have happened, but for the presence of you and the dog.  People who make visits without the safety net of an organization and this coverage are making a very big potential mistake.  The liability would then revert to your Homeowners Policy, and it might not be covered at all.  Don’t take any chances.  Sad but true.  Just as a point of interest, TDI’s policy does not cover you unless you are doing “volunteer work”, so for instance, if you are a Teacher and you want to bring your Certified Therapy Dog to work, you are not acting as a volunteer at that moment, you are a paid employee and are NOT covered by their policy.

Ok, let’s back up.  You have passed the test, but you don’t know what to do next.  How do I find a facility to visit?  How often should you go, and for how long a visit?  The organization you certified with may have a visitation schedule already established at several facilities.  You need to think about what your interests are, your time availability and the “safety” of the facility for you and your dog.  Err on the side of caution.  If you don’t feel comfortable in a certain environment, your dog will sense that and probably won’t do his/her best work.  Most people (and I was certainly one of these) are very over zealous when they first begin.  They want to make a couple of visits a week and stay for hours.  I was fortunate in that my mentor clearly stated “one visit every two weeks, not more than 45 minutes or you’ll burn out!”  I could have done that with bells on, but what she told me turned out to be sage advice, and the main reason we have endured for this length of time.  Visits should NEVER be more than an hour long, ever.  The dog may be exhibiting signs of stress you might not even notice.  The visits should be short and pleasant and for the most part, the dog will tell you when they are done for that visit.

Pet Therapy is one of the most magical and rewarding things you can do with your dog, if you keep it fun, and simple and don’t over do it!  Anyone with questions may contact me at cavalierz@earthlink.net and I will be happy to help you in any way I can.