The huge gift we receive from therapy animals.
I know there are times when giving Brandy a big hug feeds something very deep inside me. That unconditional affection Brandy shows me has a very strong healing sense.
I know that Jean shares my sense of being loved by Brandy, and by all our other dear dogs.
I am without doubt that hundreds of thousands of other people experience this.
Yet there must always be room for more therapy dogs which is why an item on Care2 just a few days ago is being shared with you today.
(P.S. When a photo of me hugging Brandy was sought his nibs did not comply!)
ooOOoo
Could Your Pet Become a Therapy Animal?
By: Laura Goldman August 16, 2016About Laura Follow Laura at @lauragoldman
If you have a pet who’s mellow and loves being around people, and the idea of helping your pet bring joy to others appeals to you, you might just have a therapy animal in the making.
Accompanied by their owners, therapeutic visitation animals – which are most commonly dogs, but can also be cats, rabbits, pot-bellied pigs, horses, etc. – regularly visit people in hospitals, nursing homes, schools and other facilities, providing furry comfort and compassion.
“Four-footed therapists give something special to enhance the health and well-being of others,” says the website of Therapy Dogs International (TDI), a nonprofit organization that regulates, tests and registers therapy dogs and their handlers. “It has been clinically proven that through petting, touching and talking with animals, patients’ blood pressure is lowered, stress is relieved and depression is eased.”
What It Takes to Be a Therapy Animal
Therapy animals are “born, not made,” according to TDI. They must have an outstanding temperament, and be outgoing and friendly to people of all ages. They must also behave well with other animals.
As for dogs, along with the ability to obey basic commands like “Sit,” “Stay,” “Come” and “Leave it,” they are tested by therapy dog certification organizations to ensure they can do the following, according to TDI (most of these requirements apply to other species of potential therapy animals as well):
- Listen to their handlers
- Allow strangers to touch them all over
- Not jump on people when interacting
- Not mind strange noises and smells
- Be calm for petting
- Not be afraid of people walking unsteadily
Getting Your Pet Certified as a Therapy Animal
Think your pet has the right stuff to be a therapy animal? To get an idea of the type of testing involved, this TDI brochure describes each of the 13 tests a dog must pass in order to be certified. The tests are similar for other animals.
Some therapy animal organizations, including Pet Partners, offer workshops so you and your pet can practice the required skills before being tested for certification.
The AKC website has a list of therapy animal organizations all across the U.S. from which your pet can receive certification. Contact the one nearest you for further information.
The Difference Between Therapy and Service Animals
Although the two are often confused, therapy animals are not the same as service animals, which “have been individually trained to do work or perform tasks for the benefit of a person with a disability,” according to the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA).
“An example of a service dog is a dog who guides an owner who is blind or assists someone who has a physical disability,” the American Kennel Club (AKC) explains. “Service dogs stay with their person and have special access privileges in public places such as planes, restaurants, etc.”
Therapy dogs, on the other hand, are privately owned. Unlike service animals and their handlers, in most U.S. states, therapy animals and their owners don’t have protections under federal law (ADA, the Fair Housing Act, etc.), reports the National Service Animal Registry.
Additional Resources
You can find out more about therapy animals and getting your pet certified from these organizations:
Photo credit: Thinkstock
ooOOoo
Closing this post with some photographs Jean took yesterday afternoon. Me with Pharaoh and Cleo.
(OK, they were staged for this post as the look on Cleo’s face rather suggests!)
oooo
oooo
Have a very huggable weekend!
Together, they have discovered the joy and laughter in life and the value of friendship.
They have found more than a friendly shoulder to lean on.
Learning from Dogs 
Diane, as someone who previously has run his own business and then, after selling it in 1986, spent a number of years as a mentor with the Prince’s Youth Business Trust in the UK, I have come to the conclusion that the best role model we adults can offer our ‘students’ is this: “Be the best you can be!” That flows from being fully aware of the person that one is. For self-awareness is the key to understanding oneself and, consequently, of understanding others. Understanding why people think and behave the way they do, for good and bad, is the only effective way of engaging with others and seeking that ‘civic engagement’ so critically important.
Apologies, that paragraph sounds like a damn speech! I didn’t intend it to be so. Plus, my own journey of self-awareness has been a long and tortuous one – but that doesn’t change my view just expressed.
Coincidentally, I have been having some informal chats with Jan Schmuckle: http://www.janconsults.com/home
Her recently released book on the effectiveness of Role Montage in building leadership skills is highly relevant to today’s students. In Jan’s words (and I have no commercial or financial link with Jan):
Role Montage: A Creative New Way to Discover the
Leader Within You is written from Jan’s experience
with her client work and her research. It helps
leaders explore self-awareness and leadership using
the role montage process.
I’ll creep back into my hole!