Faq And Others
What does a therapy dog/handler team do?
Animal assisted therapy is a way for people and their pets to help others by sharing their compassion and goodwill. Pets and their owners visit and interact with a wide variety of people that need a little extra emotional support. Therapy patients get a chance to pet, talk to and bond with visiting pets.
Why is animal assisted therapy important?
It's been shown that people who spend time with pets live longer, get sick less, and have lower blood pressure. Petting and talking to animals lowers stress in people and the animals they are interacting with. It can also be a great way to lift people out of isolation and loneliness. Pets are wonderful listeners and provide unconditional love. Therapeutic horseback riding is another valuable type of animal assisted therapy that gives people an additional way to interact with animals.
What kinds of people and places will my pet and I visit?
Therapy pets and their owners visit a wide variety of people and places:
• Patients in hospitals
• Elderly people in nursing homes, old age/retirement homes
• Psychologically or emotionally disturbed children and adults
• Adults and children with physical disabilities
• Special schools/ normal schools
• Disaster victims
What types of animals are used?
Dogs are the most common therapy pets, but horses, cats and even birds have been known to pitch in.
What are the qualifications of a good therapy pet?
In general, therapy pets should be well-behaved, friendly animals that can be trained to interact with strangers in unusual or distracting situations. They must enjoy human interaction, including lots of petting and cuddling. No biters here!
What is a "Therapy Dog"?
Therapy Dogs must:
• Have excellent manners and have on-leach obedience training.
• Be under control and well-behaved.
• Be able to work around other dogs and be free of dog-to-dog aggression.
• Be social with people, enjoy being touched, have a stable temperament, and be free of fear and aggression.
• Remain calm in new situations and with distractions.
Why Become a Therapy Dog Team
The "Top 5 Reasons" you'll be very happy you did:
1. You and your dog will impact someone’s life in a very unique and powerful way.
2. You and your dog will have the privilege of supporting and comforting someone.
3. You will spend quality time with your dog while helping others.
4. You and your dog will have the opportunity to give back to the community.
5. You will gain perspective and appreciation for life and its challenges.
Will My Dog Qualify?
There are many criteria we use to determine if a dog will make a great therapy dog. Below are useful guidelines to help you answer the question, "Is my dog a good candidate to work as a therapy dog?"
Minimum Requirements:
• Your dog must be at least one year of age.
• Your dog must NOT be on a raw meat diet. Click here to read the article by CDC.
• Your dog must be healthy and up-to-date on all required vaccinations.
• The dog must have been owned by the handler for at least 6 months (i.e., if a dog has been adopted).
Please be sure you read, understand, and are in agreement with TDV therapy dog team policies and guidelines before you apply.
A Good Candidate must:
• Have excellent manners and have on-leash obedience training.
• Be under control and well-behaved.
• Be able to work around other dogs and be free of dog-to-dog aggression.
• Be social with people, enjoy being touched, have a stable temperament, and be free of fear and aggression.
• Remain calm in new situations and with distractions.
Candidates for therapy dog work undergo a testing session and three evaluation visits with a TDV tester/evaluator.
Detailed requirements for becoming a therapy dog (including the therapy dog test) may be found in the "Certification Packet"--on the Testing and Certification page. |