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09-30-2011, 05:14 PM | #1 |
YT 500 Club Member Join Date: Sep 2011 Location: Southern IL, USA
Posts: 502
| Training to be certified for therapy work in hospitals Hi I purchased my puppy Paisley 4 weeks ago with the goal of training her to get her certified to be able to go into the hospital for therapy work. Any input, advice, suggestions and information about how to go about this would be appreciated. Paisley is 14 weeks old and I have just began the puppy obedience class at Petsmart. Is this a good start? I don't know much about getting a dog certified for this, I just know I want to do it. Like I said any input would be appreciated! Thanks! |
Welcome Guest! | |
10-03-2011, 08:32 AM | #2 |
I ♥ Snoopy and Sally! Donating YT Member Join Date: Jul 2008 Location: Ohio
Posts: 780
| Snoopy is certified through Therapy Dogs International (TDI). Dogs have to be at least a year old to test for it. I think the most important thing is the dog's personality. Another thing I think that is really important is socialization. The more people and situations you can expose her to the better. You can get more information at their website, tdi-dog.org. Therapy Dogs International is the one we went through, and the only one I have information about. I know there's another called Delta. If you have a particular hospital in mind, I would call them. They might only use one organization. Good luck!
__________________ Snoopy, Sally, and Mommy |
10-03-2011, 11:42 AM | #3 |
Donating Senior Yorkie Talker Join Date: Jul 2008 Location: Alexandria, VA, USA (near Washington, DC)
Posts: 312
| There are two components that are evaluated on the way to becoming a therapy dog - temperament and training. Temperament is something we are born with, but proper training can help overcome any temperament issues. For example, a dog might naturally have a dominate personality, but can be taught to not bully other dogs. The group puppy class at Petsmart is an excellent place to start. It will give you the tools to learn how to train your new puppy, and even more importantly, will provide your dog with socialization with both people and other dogs. |
10-03-2011, 11:48 AM | #4 |
Donating YT 500 Club Member Join Date: Apr 2007 Location: Alabama
Posts: 941
| Sadie and I are currently working toward Delta certification. The requirement for the group I'm in is two years old (but I think Delta may be one year). Members here RachelandSadie and AlaskaYorkie have Delta certified dogs. Snoopymom is correct though, the most important thing at this age is just what you're doing. Get her in a puppy class and socialize her in many situations. You might want to check your local area and see if they have a therapy group. We have a group here called Therapy Partners that is part of Delta.
__________________ Karen and the Kids Sadie and Beemer |
10-03-2011, 12:55 PM | #5 |
YT 500 Club Member Join Date: Sep 2011 Location: Southern IL, USA
Posts: 502
| Thank you everyone! There isn't any therapy groups in my area. I live in a very rural area and there are no therapy dogs going into the local hospitals here. The closest cities to me that do have therapy groups are evansville, IN. which is 70 miles from me.. this is the town I take paisley to the Petsmart training. Then there is St Louis, MO. which is 95 miles or so from me. Our local towns/hospitals don't have anything like this. This is one reason i would like to get Paisley certified. I'm hoping I will be able to take her in the local hospitals here. As for Paisley's temperment... she has an excellent temperment! She LOVES people! Adults and kids! She wants to go to anyone she sees! I have only had her for about 5 weeks now but I take her just about everywhere i go. Me and Mom own a little store in town and I work there a couple days a week so I take her with me there too. I'm trying to socialize her with everything I can. So far the only thing she seems to be scared of, are some loud noises.... but only if they are close to her.. liek the vacume sweeper, hair dryer and even one harness vest she has that has some really sticky velcro... she does not like the sound of it! I'm trying to work with her though and teach her those things won't hurt her. She doesn't seem to be afraid of other animals either. She seems to like all dogs and cats. I even took her out to visit my horses. At first she was a little afraid but I let her smell them and now she wants to try and go play with them... ( not going to happen! ) Someone here on YT told me about a place called Therapy Dogs Inc. She said she is certified through them and she is allowed to go into the hospital on her own.. she doesn't have to be in a group. This sounded good to me since there's no groups in my area. One thing about this group though.. one of the rules is that the dog must wear a collar with a leash. the dog can wear a harness but the leash has to be attached to the collar. I personally would rather use a harness on Paisley. Is this a rule in your organization also? Thank you!!!
__________________ Janean Paisley Last edited by Paisley-n-Me; 10-03-2011 at 12:57 PM. |
10-03-2011, 01:35 PM | #6 |
Donating Senior Yorkie Talker Join Date: Jul 2008 Location: Alexandria, VA, USA (near Washington, DC)
Posts: 312
| Since you are in a rural area, and have a tiny dog, you might have luck just setting up informal visits on your own with local nursing/retirement homes, and may not need any official sanctioning with a group. Try calling around to your local nursing homes and ask to talk to either their volunteer coordinator or their activities director and see if they would permit you to visit with their residents. One of our dogs is certified by a local group in the Washington, DC area. When we were on vacation in Illinois, I took our dogs with us to see my grandmother who was living in a nursing home. I just went up to the front desk and asked if we could bring them in, and they said "Sure, that would be nice." Though we planned on just taking them to my grandmother's room, it took us about 1/2 hour to get there because so many residents that we passed in the hall wanted to pet the dogs. Same thing on the way out. Even here in DC, once evening when we went on a regular group visit with our dog to a nursing home, we passed a guy on his way out with his dog. He lives across the street from the home, and said that he brings his dogs over there often just to visit with the residents. He isn't part of any group. Hospitals are a different matter, I would expect them to be much stricter with people coming and going with animals. But in my limited experience, nursing homes are very flexible and welcome anyone who is willing to spend time with residents to bring them a little sunshine in what can be an otherwise very uneventful day. Kudos to you for wanting to share your time and your little dog with others! |
10-03-2011, 02:13 PM | #7 | |
YT 500 Club Member Join Date: Sep 2011 Location: Southern IL, USA
Posts: 502
| Quote:
Thank you! I'm sure I could take Paisley into the local nursing homes without her being certified. I can see them allowing that here. Paisley does like to try and nibble fingers and lick faces so that is something we would have to get under control before visiting those places. I do want to get Paisley certified though. I want to be able to go intot he local hospitals. The Good Samaritan Hospital in Mount Vernon (about 30 minutes from me) is building a big new hospital. The new hospital is supposed to have a pediatrics wing.. so I have heard. I would love to be able to go in and visit children!
__________________ Janean Paisley | |
10-04-2011, 06:49 AM | #8 |
I ♥ Snoopy and Sally! Donating YT Member Join Date: Jul 2008 Location: Ohio
Posts: 780
| We do visits on our own at the nursing home we go to. We just walk the halls and peek into rooms and ask if they like dogs. Very informal. The thing I'd worry about if you aren't certified is the issue of liability. TDI has insurance if anything happens.
__________________ Snoopy, Sally, and Mommy |
10-04-2011, 04:23 PM | #9 | |
YT 500 Club Member Join Date: Sep 2011 Location: Southern IL, USA
Posts: 502
| Quote:
Oh that's true! Good point! it would be best to wait til we're certified... Thanks!
__________________ Janean Paisley | |
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