Therapy Dog Golden Retriever- 8701 Bytes
PBOTC Member Josie Gans
and her Golden Retriever, Nigel
© 1998

Therapy Dogs - A Rewarding Activity for You and Your Dog
©Diane Hart

What exactly is a therapy dog? A dog that visits the shrink once a week? No, therapy dogs are wonderful canines that make visits to nursing homes, retirement homes, children's homes or hospitals. Their goal is to bring a little joy and laughter to some otherwise sad lives. They help bring patients around by bringing them fond memories of pets left behind. They aid the doctors and therapists with physical therapy by allowing patients to brush them and pet them, oftentimes giving them a true start to the road to recovery...Read On

Breed Profiles
Siberian Husky, Australian Shepherd, Cairn Terrier, Schipperke, Shetland Sheepdog

Taking Care of
Your Dog
Definitions of Breeders, or Where You Should Be Buying A Puppy, Therapy Dogs

Training
I've Decided to Beat My Dog

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There are many breeds of dog, including mixes that make outstanding therapy ambassadors. They need to have basic obedience training, the ability to remain calm under stressful circumstances and a willingness to be loved and petted by strangers.

Therapy Dog - Whippet- 7982 Bytes
PBOTC member B.J. France and her
Whippet, Kylie. © 1998

It has been proven that pets can lift the spirits of the most lonely, desperate people. There have been countless stories told of patients who had not spoken for months, until their first visit with a therapy dog. Other stories relate how dogs were the first step in physical rehab for some patients, with such a simple act as brushing or petting the dog.

Many of our PBOTC members are very involved in therapy dog visits, having been certified through an organization called Therapy Dogs International.

We have several locations in the Permian Basin that our members and their canine companions visit on a regular basis. Three of our members recently had a full-page article written about them in the Odessa American. The article spoke with patients, directors and hospital staff, as well as the Therapy Team members. The patients consistently told how much they look forward to each visit.

June Moore, a member of PBOTC and part of a certified therapy team, is in the process of becoming a certified TDI evaluator. This will give the Permian Basin a local contact for evaluating and certifying new teams.

To become certified with Therapy Dogs International, your dog has to be able to pass the equivalent of an AKC Canine Good Citizen test. The test includes the dog walking through a crowd of people in wheel chairs, on crutches or walkers. It also tests their ability to stay with a stranger, without undue stress, letting strangers brush them and their reactions to strange, sometimes loud, noises.

To learn more about the organization, Therapy Dogs International visit their web site at http://www.tdi-dog.org/. To find information on the AKC's Canine Good Citizen test, visit the site at http://www.akc.org/cgc.htm.

Keep in mind that most evaluators will alter the tests somewhat to include obstacles and situations that would be found in nursing home or hospital environments. Once you have decided that you and your dog would like to spread a little joy and you want to find out how to get certified in the Permian Basin area, email me at diane@pbotc.com and I'll put you in touch with the folks who can help.

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(Story and pictures Copyright by Diane Hart, 1998 - 2000,
unless otherwise noted and may not be
reproduced without permission.)