Glad I stumbled upon this thread, as I too have been seriously considering taking my Chloe around to nursing homes and hospitals.
I am recently separated and Chloe has become my saviour as I navigate my way to a new life. That includes volunteering....so I can "get outside of myself" and help others. Helps take the focus off my own situation. That led me to thinking about training her to become a therapy dog. She's a tiny #5 lb. ball of cuteness. Everyone that knows her loves her, so I thought I could kill two birds with one stone, so to speak, by sharing her with others while volunteering. Good for both of us and a win-win situation....
Chloe is just over 1 year old now. She had completed her dog training last summer. She still needs to work on some of her skills and I'm unsure of how she would react in a nursing home setting. I also wonder if, being as energetic as they are, if this breed makes a good therapy dog? Right now I am working on her NOT jumping, loving, kissing and tail wagging her way up to people when she see's them. I'm not sure if I can train this out of her, or it's just her personality.
I love this idea...and all of us that love this breed can understand what they do have to offer others! |