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I'd like to use this opportunity to tell you all a little about a Therapy Dog training program that I have been using. I have designed this course with my good friend and Trainer Carole Baikow for the following reasons. There is a great demand for visiting pets in the nursing homes and hospitals in Manchester, as there is nationwide. There is also a need for these pets to be properly trained in this work.

My 2 Danes do therapy visits, and they are a great hit in the 8 Nursing Homes and 3 Hospitals that use our services. Both Apollo and Belle are certified Therapy Dogs through Therapy Dogs International. My towing company Mobile One, pays for the dogs' upkeep, and donates their services to the community. We have great time, and I find much fulfillment in the smiles and laughter that my Danes evoke from their huge fan club!

There is training available from the Delta Society for those who are able to travel out of the area, but Delta Society Evaluator and Handler training sessions at this time are few and far between. Travel can be costly, and participants must pay for training, as well as travel and time away from work. Delta Society Pet Partners Program is really great, but I've been trying for 2 years to find a local seminar sponsored by them and have yet to have any luck. Until the convenience and accessibility of such programs improves, I hope this can fill the gap. Hopefully, this program will help people with limited resources fulfill the needs of their community.

Training Dogs for Use in Therapy Situations

Belle at Work

As a member of and Evaluator for Therapy Dogs International, I find that there are many wonderful people in the community willing to volunteer their pet dogs in Nursing Homes, Hospitals and Community Adult Care Centers. While these services are much needed and welcome, I also find that often many of these dogs are lacking in the socialization skills and worldly experience necessary to perform well as Therapy Dogs. In addition, some of the dog owners are unprepared for the situations they will encounter in eldercare facilities.

While there are evaluations for AKC/CGCs and Therapy Dogs available, there are few local programs at present for training Therapy Teams properly. General obedience training is a very necessary beginning, but what is also required is a desensitization and orientation course. A course such as this allows the dog and owner to experience many things that do not occur normally at home, elevators and escalators being a prime example. Dogs are highly sensitive to noises that we barely hear or tune out regularly. The high
pitched whine of a respirator for instance, can be very irritating to a dogs ears, so dogs must adapt by degrees to noises such as this.

The first Items of concern are health and cleanliness standards. I use the standards set by Therapy Dogs International, for qualification for the TDI-CGC test. These include the following:

  1. Proof of current Inoculations, including Rabies, distemper, hepatitis, leptospirosis, and parvo virus.

  2. Proof of Health, such as a current health certificate from a Veterinarian.

  3. Visible cleanliness, no sign of fleas / ticks, clean ears etc.

  4. Dog must appear healthy, alert and not grossly over or under weight.

  5. Yearly physical and stool check.

  6. Annual Heartworm Test

The next items are the basic obedience requirements of the AKC/CGC Test. I will list them in condensed form in this article, but the dogs must be able to fulfill those requirements before completing this course, or it would be a waste of time for the owner and dog alike.

1. Appearance and Grooming
The dog must appear well groomed, clean and must permit a stranger to groom him.

2. Accepting a Stranger
The handler must shake hand with a stranger, the dog must not shy or show resentment. Neither must he approach the stranger.

3. Walk on Loose lead:
The dog must walk to the left of handler, doesn't have to "heel"

4. Walk through crowd
Exercise is done in a crowd of people and dogs that are strangers. The Dog should not have a problem negotiating foot traffic. May show interest in strangers, but not to the extent that he strains at the lead or show resentment.

5. Sit for exam
Dog must allow a stranger to approach him and pat him, may not exhibit shyness or resentment.

6. Sit and Down on command
Designed to demonstrate that the dog has had some formal training. The dog must respond readily to the handlers command. No force may be used, but more than one command is allowed.

7. Stay in position
In either a sit or down, the dog must remain in the position commanded by his handler until the evaluator allows the handler to release.

8. Reaction to another dog
The dog should demonstrate no more than casual interest in a strange dog.

9. Reaction to distractions
A test of confidence, the dog may show surprise when presented with noises and distractions, but not run away or show aggressiveness.

10. Dog left alone
This test shows that a dog has good manners and training. The handler hands the dog lead to a stranger* and leaves the room. The evaluator stays with the dog*, observing that there is no excessive stress, nervousness or agitation. (*amended by AKC in 1998, many CGC testers will attempt to still tie your dog to a stationary object. If this occurs, run, don't walk to AKC and inform them of this info. It mans the tester is not keeping up with AKC rules and regs as well as keeping thier training updated.)

Amendments that TDI (Therapy Dogs International) has made to the above tests to adapt it to therapy needs are as follows:

  1. Tell the handler that you are going to touch the dog all over, handling it heavily. Ask if there is any reason that the dog will not allow you to be all over it. All handling is done at the dogs level.

  2. Add patting the dog on the head, and conversing with handler.

  3. Make a big deal about the brushing and combing. As you do this, drop your clipboard, made a large motion with your arm or body in an attempt to elicit an unusual reaction. Check the dogs nails for proper length, and comment on long nails to owner.

  4. Ask the handler to do an obedience routine that is familiar to them , you  may call it if they are familiar with that method. Otherwise, have them
     walk changing directions when you ask, watching them for control and ease of handling.

  5. Use the other test takers as a crowd. Use all the dogs and handlers as a group no more than 6 at a time) to test sociability.

  6. Sits and Downs are needed in therapy work, so must be done properly.

  7. Join in with the handler in praising the dog.

  8. Use another dog and handler from the group as greeter for each other  using different ones for each dog.

  9. Use a variety of noises, stumble near the dog exhibit jerky motions near  the dog. Do not attempt to scare the dog from behind.

 10. A volunteer handler HOLDS* the leash while the owner leaves the room. (*Amended by AKC in 1998)

Apollo & Mom In Jail for Muscular Dystrophy

Apollo, Am/Can CD, TDI

The Therapy Dog training course involves at least three group field trips, and several weeks of "in-school" acclimation and desensitizing. The number of in-school classes is adjusted to the needs of the group. All field trips are planned in advance, with permission from the management of the facility we
intend to visit. We carefully explain what the group is trying to accomplish, and are usually given carte blanche after a few test runs. Our field trips involve visits to places such as:

• shopping centers (which would include shopping carts, escalators and  possibly people on crutches and wheel chairs)
• public access buildings which would allow us use of their elevators
• restaurants during dead time (which will allow us to give the dogs access to food and people in an unfamiliar atmosphere. This is because many nursing homes allow food in the rooms and rec. areas, and the dogs need to know how to behave around it)
• downtown, or a busy foot and car traffic spot to let the dogs get used to noises and bustle.
• hospitals and nursing homes with geriatric, but non Alzheimer patients (the last visit before qualification) We usually take field trips in groups of 3 or 4 people. The reason for this should be fairly obvious. The less dogs there are, the more control can be had over a given situation. Of course, once a group has become inured to stressful situations,  adjustments can be made.

In-school acclimatization and desensitizing can be accomplished in a variety of ways. Here I will attempt to relate some of our methods. All classes last about 1 to 1 1/2 hour for each session.

One of the students at our school happens to be confined to a motorized wheel chair. During the duration of one class, we recruit her to handle each of our dogs, one at a time, in heel position, on a loose lead, and approaching and leaving from the rear of the dog. The dog owners assistance is of course needed, but this exercise allows the dogs a non threatening introduction to the sound and motion of the chair, as well as being exposed for the full length of a class to a new object. When not being handled by the person in
the chair, the dog is walked around the room and near the chair occasionally.

Another class requires the assistance of several persons not actually taking the class. These people enter the classroom on crutches and walkers. They simply walk around the dogs as we conduct our usual routine for that session. The usual routine would include standing for exams, walking on loose leads with distractions (the crutches!), handling by a stranger (checking teeth, ears and grooming) and down stays with the owner in sight. The dogs' steadiness and reliability is put to the test in this exercise.

The point of these tests is not pass/fail, they allow the handler to understand the flexibility and range to which their dog is able to tolerate new challenges. The exception would be a dog who snaps, growls or bites of course, this dog would prove unfit for this work, and not be allowed to complete the course.

We also try to obtain an item which makes the same whistling / clapping sound as a respirator. Several nursing homes allow us to bring the dogs into an empty room with a respirator running. If this is not possible for you, try to improvise. That particular sound seems to be one that takes practice for
most dogs to tolerate.

About 1/2 of a class session is devoted to drilling on the normal CGC requirements. This includes dogs being left alone, loud noises behind the dog, reactions to distractions, and reactions to loud exchanges. With any distraction we use, we try to emulate actual nursing home conditions. Bedpans and walkers are very loud when dropped near the dog. The dog must be allowed to examine the item after his reaction, and reassured. A folded wheelchair is also very loud, and safe if done at a distance. Remember, when
you are in a nursing home or hospital, you must expect the unexpected.

That same class session, what is left of it, can be used to test the sociability of the class as a unit. This exercise is best conducted after the dogs have been around each other for a short period of time, to reduce the excitement factor. Each dog owner approaches another handler and carries on a short conversation. During the chat, the dogs must not touch or approach each other, but sit, lie or stand quietly by the handlers side until the visit is over. Dogs who display excitement in this exercise require more drilling in groups before being allowed to work in a group setting. Many times more than one
dog is present in a therapy group, therefor a responsible owner must be aware of the reaction of their dog to others, and know if it is necessary to do therapy sessions alone with their dog.

A final classroom session is devoted to preparing the students for conditions they may encounter in a nursing home and/or hospital setting. This is a very important class. We generally try to find as Speaker an activities director from a nursing home or hospital, one that is well versed in explaining to lay persons the many problems and needs of residents. Some situations that may arise such as "grabby" patients, or patients that yell and flail about, must be explained to new therapy students. Preparation for these situations eases the discomfort and awkwardness for many people prior to exposure.

The final Field Trip is usually to a nursing home as a group for a real Therapy Visit. We try to coordinate with the activities director previously consulted, in an effort to make the students more comfortable. The students are broken down into groups of three, each group visiting its' own area.
There must be a supervisor with each group. If this proves difficult, we make several different appointments and stagger the visits. After all the students have completed a visit successfully, we then schedule the TDI modified CGC test.

I feel that this course can properly prepare most TD teams for the situations they will inevitably encounter during their Therapy visits. We have made some adjustments to this course as we progress and gain experience. I'm sure that we can still find areas of improvement, as we are striving to make this the best training grounds for our furry friends that we can.

I'm interested in dogs that do Obedience, Fly ball, Agility, Tracking or some other special activity. If you feel that your own Great Dane story would look great in type, call me or write me. I'll check out the story and maybe your dogs name will be in lights! Until next time, keep those training sessions
short and happy!

copyright @ 1995 Lyn Richards
Amended 1999

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