Training

Obviously, one of the most important areas in preparing your dog to be a therapy dog, is training.  Based on what we read on the Internet and books, we knew from the beginning we needed to get our dog socialized.  So, even before he started actual training, we had him out in public meeting other people and experiencing the public.  We took him on car rides, to outdoor concerts, short car trips and anywhere he was allowed in public.  I think Ivan has a great personality but I think this helped improve his disposition.

We have an outdoor shopping area not far from us and we have walked Ivan in that area numerous times.  The sidewalks are wide so when we encounter people we have room to let them pass.  Also, on one visit, I noticed that some of the stores have a dog paw sticker on their door that says that dogs are welcome in their store.  We started going into those stores when we visited.  It teaches him to go around objects and encounter people.

As far as formal training, we did a combo of group training and one on one training.  The group training was great because he was able to interact with other dogs and people.  The one on one training has been good for the obvious reason- he gets the trainers full attention.  We also spend time between training, working with Ivan. I purchased a 15 ft leash from Amazon and we practice in a large green space or on a dead end section of road in our neighborhood.  We work on sit, stay, come during those sessions.  I also consider the (almost) daily brushing as training. He has to accept being touched and brushed as part of acceptance to be a therapy dog.  I also have a list of the things Ivan will be tested on for Canine Good Citizenship and we try to go over those regularly.

The first big test to see how he is doing will be next week.  Ivan is trying out for a local therapy dog organization.  The standards are similar to what most require but Ivan does not have to be a year old to participate.  I think he has a pretty good chance but all depends on which Ivan shows up-crazy puppy or mature puppy.  My hope is that this will help get him used to therapy work and I can see if he really enjoys it.  I have a pretty strong feeling that he will love it but I look forward to finding out with him.

We may not go beyond this organization.  This organization in not national but we are covered by insurance on visits and they have a small number of facilities participating.  Through them, he can visit the students in my husbands kindergarten class as long as the school signs the consent form.  They are currently considering the idea so hopefully that will work out.  In the meantime, we have been doing Zoom meetings with the students so they can become familiar with Ivan.  We still have some kinks to work out- he slept through the last meeting- but we are hopeful.

What's What- Service, Emotional Support & Therapy

It is very important that you, as the dogs handler and everyone else involved, understands the difference between service, emotional support and therapy dogs.  They are very different and all have different uses.  Here is a really good article from AKC about the three types of dogs.  I summarized the article below but it is still worth the read.

Service Dogs 

These dogs are trained to work with someone with a disability.  A disability can be physical, mental, sensory, educational or psychiatric according to the ADA-Americans with Disabilities Act.  These dogs can be trained to detect epileptic seizures, guide someone that is blind, help someone in a wheelchair and many other tasks.  Service dogs are not limited to where they can go in public-they are allowed anywhere and must be permitted in housing regardless of the pet policy.  They are exempt from airline fees but they do have to follow the rules of the airlines regarding service animals.

Emotional Support ESA

In order for an animal to be considered ESA, it must be prescribed by a mental health professional because the person has a mental condition.  The animal is trained to aid person with a mental disability.  They are not service animals but rather companion animals that help ease the stress of a person with a mental/psychological disability.  ESAs do not have unlimited access to public places or on airplanes but the person needs to carry a letter from their doctor to prove the need for the animal.  These animals do have rights under the Fair Housing Act to have accommodations made for them in housing that wouldn't normally allow pets.

Therapy Dogs

Therapy dogs are different than service or emotional support animals.  They are part of a team rather than serving their handler.  The team volunteers in places like hospitals, schools, libraries, hospice and other places to bring comfort and love to the people in those environments.  A therapy dog should be calm and not easily upset by new environments, loud noises or unsteady people.  Therapy dogs have very few rights for entering public places.  It is the job of the handler to know where the dog is welcome or check with the establishment before bringing the dog.  The team should also be insured which is usually part of the therapy registration with an AKC recognized therapy dog organization.  

Something to keep in mind when bringing your dog into public places- always ask or look for a sticker on the establishment that says they are dog friendly. We have an outdoor shopping area close to us and I just recently noticed that many of the stores have stickers on their doors saying they welcome dogs.  This is an area where we are practicing "greeting a friendly stranger" because we know we are welcome in many of the stores.  

Another aspect not really discussed in the article is for the handler to be ready to explain the difference between the three types of animals.  People often mistakenly identify a therapy dog as a service dog and it is important to politely correct/educate them.  Ivan is a big fluffy Goldendoodle so I often say he is a "big fluffy stress ball" that brings happiness and love wherever he goes.  His job is to be a pal and bring love.

The article also talks about the AKC Canine Good Citizen program which is something Ivan is working towards.  He can't test for it until he is a year old but we are already working on all the different parts required for him.  Many of the things he needs to pass for the CGC are the same things required to pass to become registered as a therapy dog.  His current trainer is an AKC CGC evaluator so he is helping us work towards it.

Sources

Reisen, Jan. “Service Dogs, Emotional Support Dogs, Therapy Dogs: What's the Difference?”                     American Kennel Club, 31 July 2019, https://www.akc.org/expert-advice/lifestyle/service-                  emotional-support-ptsd-therapy-difference/?                                                                                            utm_medium=email&utm_source=shop&utm_campaign=20190901_shp_service-dog-                        month_article&utm_term=20190901_shp_service-dog-month.