Thanks for the congrats!
The first steps, if interested in the therapy dog program is to attend an orientation and pick up an application at your local humane society or equivalent organization. Next, make an appointment with your vet for a current health exam to confirm that all vaccinations are current. Helpful hint: bring a fresh poop sample to save yourself another trip. Once all is well, return the application and vet's report to the organization. They will call you to set up an appointment for the evaluation. The important thing to consider is that your pet is well-behaved and well-socialized with other pets as well as people, and that they show no signs of fear or aggression.
This is how Simba's evaluation went:
The first test was to see how he responded to a "new" person. At any time during the evaluation, if he growled or curled his lip, or tried to bite, the evaluation would be over and he would've failed. Next, he was taken out of his comfort zone by introducing different objects and surprise noises. Then, the evaluator engaged Simba in a little play. She played with his four feet and tail, as well as checking both ears and his mouth. Then came the "arm and hand" on a stick like the ones you see on tv to test dogs for food aggression. I couldn't help to notice the teethmarks left by previous encounters! The evaluator gave Simba a treat and then poked and prodded him to no avail. He even tried to "play back" with the hand because he thought it was fun. At this point, the evaluator said that she couldn't remember ever having that much fun during an evaluation. Simba had passed the test!!! As if he understood, Simba went into some of his antics, like sitting up and waving at her, rolling over and over to the right, then the left, and began "talking" to her as if to say, "I knew I would pass"! He was given his therapy dog vest which is a bit big, but I was able to make it work. This is just a guideline of what transpires during an evaluation, but from my knowledge, having worked in the veterinary field myself for almost 9 years, it's pretty much what goes on, with variations from the individual evaluator. The hard-work part was making sure Simba was raised in a positive and loving environment, and shown how to be a well-behaved and socialized little guy, no matter what crowd he was in. The greatest rewards are visiting the elderly and not-well, and seeing the joy, smiles and laughter Simba can bring to them to an otherwise ordinary day. It's been proven that pets can be a positive health benefit. I hope this helps anyone interested in the therapy dog program. Well, it's time for Simba and me to go spread some sunshine. Thanks again for all the warm wishes and congratulations!
Simba and "Simba's Mom" (Cindy)
