Therapy Work

Therapy Dogs

Surprise! I never imagined how enjoyable canine therapy work would be or that I would get more out of it than my dog. You can really make a positive impact on a person's day and even their life, with the smallest of gestures. Welcome to the world of therapy dogs.

Our English Setter, Mutley introduced me to therapy work. Mutley was gentle, affectionate, sweet and really not the best performance sport dog. In hindsight, she was our first dog that we trained and showed, so we also made many mistakes. She was patient, forgiving and had potential. Mutley was also very independent and had her own priorities that didn't always include structured training or competing. Mutley's natural talent... she was a cuddler and made you feel like you were the most important, special person in the room! People who claimed to 'not like dogs', were drawn to Mutley.

We started searching for a different activity Mutley could enjoy and where she would shine. Once again, my sister-in-law Vicky knew the answer. She had been doing therapy work at her Temple and in the community with her German Shepherds. Vicky encouraged us to look into therapy programs in our area. At the time, we found TDI- Therapy Dogs International which had an active local chapter. We scheduled our TDI testing; passed and became a certified therapy team. We mostly visited nursing homes, the Veteran's Home, and we did public education events.

Currently TDI is non-operational and closed. We have been told the top national organizations for therapy certification and work are Pet Partners and the Alliance of Therapy Dogs.

Adventures in Therapy Work with an Entlebucher

Certified therapy dogs can participate in a variety of programs to provide companionship and offer emotional support. Many teams spread cheer visiting nursing homes or hospitals and new opportunities are popping up as the health benefits of therapy dog interactions are being studied and better understood. Therapy dogs are being used during academic testing, at counseling centers, after crisis situations, in airports, and in other places their unique talents can help. AKC includes title recognition for the important work therapy dogs perform. Visit AKC Recognized Therapy Dog Organizations.

Our Bayla was very outgoing and loved adventure. She enjoyed going new places and meeting new people (especially kids), so therapy work seemed to fit. I wasn't sure she could settle down or even sit still for any length of time and "gentle" wasn't really a term used to describe her... playful, exuberant, intense were all more appropriate. NEMDA's Guthrie Award for working Entlebuchers helped provide the motivation I needed to see if we could succeed as a therapy team. We tested; Bayla passed her certification.

Bayla loved to work! When we did therapy work she wore a special collar, TDI bandana and had a different leash. Once she was into the routine and understood therapy work as her job, we could see a transformation take place in her. We found many opportunities suited to her personality. She was very intuitive and seemed to know what each individual or situation needed from her. Bayla enjoyed events and worked as a hugger at Special Olympics. She loved performing tricks to amuse and amaze all new friends.

My favorite therapy activity was the kids reading program! Bayla and I visited a local elementary school and the Boys & Girls Club of Plover, as part of their weekly reading program. Programs like these encourage kids to enjoy reading and help them relax while developing their reading skills. Each child gets individual reading time with the dog; no other kids, parents or adults are present. The dog’s handler stays to supervise the interaction but does not interfere. The beauty of the program is that dogs are non-judgmental. Dogs do not correct word pronunciation or care about the speed that a child reads at, so the pressure of feeling self conscious reading out loud is removed. I cherish the memories and still get teary eyed today, thinking about how Bayla could work her magic with her reading kids.

Bayla seemed to hang on their every word and give them her undivided attention. That quality is priceless, for anyone. The kids would pet her to ease their anxiety when they struggled over words; they’d talk to her and tell her stories; even lean over and whisper secrets in her ear. It was most heartwarming when they showed her the pictures in their book! And they would tell me how much they looked forward to "Bayla reading day."

Our therapy dog chapter encouraged us to get "trading cards" made up for our dogs and to give them out. The cards were very popular and a lot of fun! It was also pretty neat to see them posted at local businesses or when a child would pull out their "Bayla card" to acknowledge "Bayla-the-reading-dog's mom"! Local celebrity status for being a therapy dog's mom- now that's pretty cool!

Bayla's grandma Shaman enjoyed a wonderful Delta Society therapy dog career too. If we had found the time, I am certain Data could have followed in their pawsteps. Therapy work takes a significant time commitment and requires a special temperament. I believe Jaylah could have had a promising therapy career too and possibly Geordi. It is out of the ordinary for Entlebuchers to enjoy therapy work. The breed standard acknowledges the qualities of being aloof or reserved with strangers. Part of the reason is their ingrained heritage of being general all purpose farm dogs. In Switzerland the farms are very far apart, so the entlebucher also served as a watchdog ready to alert their family of anyone's presence on the homestead.