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Is Your Dog Ready for Therapy Work?

by Natalie Kidd @ Just Labs Magazine

She's smart. She's beautiful. She's great around kids. You want to share her with the world. You think she would be a perfect therapy dog. Great! Getting involved in therapy dog work can be very fulfilling and rewarding. Bringing a smile to someone's face or helping someone remember their cherished pet from years gone by can be so meaningful. Knowing you had a hand in that just by bringing your dog in to see them may seem like such a selfless act ? and it is ? but before you take the plunge, there are some things you may want to consider: How does your dog behave around strangers? How does she react to loud noises? There are many new sights, sounds, and smells in nursing homes and other facilities that a therapy dog must be able to handle with ease.

Therapy dogs are around many different people and situations. You can help get your dog acclimated to many different things simply by taking her with you. As Liz Palika of Kindred Spirits Canine Education Center in Vista, California, says, "The dog must be well-socialized to people of different ethnic backgrounds, of all ages, and sizes." Palika is the founder of the Love on a Leash therapy dog organization and the author of numerous books on dogs and dog training.

Expose your dog to a wide variety of experiences, such as a crowded open market or a street fair. Therapy dogs sometimes work with a group of dogs and visit a facility together, so your dog must be able to deal with other dogs without aggression or fearfulness. Take her to a pooch picnic or a dog park to get her used to being around other dogs. Be realistic about your dog's potential for therapy work -- if your dog snarls or snaps at other dogs or people, her personality isn't suited for the job. We all know some dog that hates everyone except its owner, luckily those dogs aren't usually Labs. Nevertheless, we can't be in denial about our dog's ability for therapy work -- it isn't fair to the dog or the people with whom we come in contact. Palika says, the owner wants to do therapy work and the dog doesn't, a disaster is in the future."

That said, if your dog is an all-around sweetheart and you're interested in the next step, you'll want to consider obedience training. Dogs, of course, must have an understanding of basic commands such as, "sit," "stay," "lie down," and "come." If your dog doesn't know these commands already, you can train her yourself or register for an obedience class. Keep in mind that your dog must be able to follow your commands in a variety of situations.

A certified dog trainer or obedience class could also help you with any problems you may have walking your dog on a leash, as leash training is of paramount importance for therapy dogs. They must neither pull nor lag behind, so if she has some problems in this area, you may want to work with her a bit before starting the therapy dog certification process.

Most therapy dog training organizations require an AKC Canine Good Citizen (CGC) Certificate to be awarded along with the therapy dog certification. The CGC certificate guidelines, established by the AKC, certify that a dog is well-mannered and obedient. Dogs have to be at least one year old to receive a CGC certificate and therapy dog certification.