THANKS to ALL! From Prince Simba and His Mom - YorkieTalk.com Forums

dragongirl · 01-20-2009, 12:50 PM

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)

Wylie's Mom · 01-20-2009, 01:28 PM

SO PROUD of Simba...and YOU too!

jencar98 · 01-20-2009, 01:37 PM

Congratulations - again! And, thanks for letting us know the process. I'm curious, did Simba not have to go through obedience training before the evaluation process? Not that he needed obedience training, sounds like he is so well-behaved!

TresCutePiggies · 01-20-2009, 01:47 PM

Congratulations Simba! Kudos to his trainer too.

I'd love to do this with one or both of my girls!

dragongirl · 01-22-2009, 11:09 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jencar98

Congratulations - again! And, thanks for letting us know the process. I'm curious, did Simba not have to go through obedience training before the evaluation process? Not that he needed obedience training, sounds like he is so well-behaved!

Simba is such an awesome little boy! I've been involved with dogs and obedience training on and off since 1975. I started with a very unruly 4 month old German Shepherd puppy and ended up with a 1st place winner in obedience at a local dog show. Ever since then, I've had some real well-behaved four-legged kids. I think Yorkies are extremely intelligent. You can almost see the little wheels turning in their heads as they learn to do things. Simba was real easy to teach because I always keep everything I teach him fun, exciting and positive. That's the key, to not getting mad when they don't get it right, but giving him tons of "yays", "good boy", and happy excitement, and of course, a favorite little treat when he does get it right. If you start off when they're young to get they're attention on you, the rest seems easy, because they love to please you and thrive on positive praise. I love it when I'm talking to anyone in general, how he is focused on me and what I'm saying, as he picks up on familiar words by cocking his head back and forth the whole time I'm talking. It also helps that I have been at home from a work-related injury the whole time I've had Simba. To answer your question, yes, the basic obedience would be a giant plus before having your Yorkie evaluated. Even then, because they are generally so clever and comical, you never know what to expect them to do. Hopefully, it's something funny, cute and positive to win the heart of the evaluator. I felt like Simba was "working her" from the moment he saw her! I've never had more fun before I let a Yorkie into my life. I hope you decide to give the therapy dog idea a try. Nothing but positive things will come from it. Sorry, I'm so wordy, but I have always had a passion for dogs, especially Yorkies. I would feel like something's missing without a dog in my life. Whatever you decide, just have fun doing it.

dragongirl · 01-22-2009, 11:22 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by TresCutePiggies

Congratulations Simba! Kudos to his trainer too.

I'd love to do this with one or both of my girls!

Well then you should go for it! Yorkies are incredible in the way people respond to them. People just melt when they see the cute "imp-ish" face of a Yorkie!

dragongirl · 01-22-2009, 11:28 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Wylie's Mom

SO PROUD of Simba...and YOU too!

Thanks for the positive kudos.....Yorkies make the most AWESOME therapy dogs!!!

01-20-2009, 12:50 PM	#1
dragongirl Yorkie Yakker Join Date: Jun 2007 Location: East Bay Posts: 47	THANKS to ALL! From Prince Simba and His Mom 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)

01-20-2009, 01:28 PM	#2
Wylie's Mom Furbutts = LOVE Donating Member Moderator Join Date: Jan 2005 Location: Phoenix, AZ Posts: 35,889 Blog Entries: 2	SO PROUD of Simba...and YOU too! __________________ ~ A friend told me I was delusional. I nearly fell off my unicorn. ~ °¨¨¨°ºOº°¨¨¨° Ann \| Pfeiffer \| Marcel Verdel Purcell \| Wylie \| Artie °¨¨¨°ºOº°¨¨¨°

01-20-2009, 01:37 PM	#3
jencar98 Donating YT 500 Club Member Join Date: Jun 2006 Location: Oklahoma Posts: 6,435 Blog Entries: 3	Congratulations - again! And, thanks for letting us know the process. I'm curious, did Simba not have to go through obedience training before the evaluation process? Not that he needed obedience training, sounds like he is so well-behaved! __________________ ~Ruby, Reno, Razz, & Jack~

01-20-2009, 01:47 PM	#4
TresCutePiggies Owned by Rory & Lane Donating Member Join Date: Sep 2008 Location: Atlanta, GA Posts: 1,893	Congratulations Simba! Kudos to his trainer too. I'd love to do this with one or both of my girls! __________________ Rory and Lane now have a dog blog, Doggie Debutantes. Find us on Facebook here.