Thanks for that very informative post! And love the Doggles in your avatar. :)

I second that! YorkieTherapy, great post and a real good look at therapy work. Thanks.

Great thread!! While Sam is no where near cut out to be a therapy dog (he doesnt let strangers touch him unless I am holding him), Ollie, I think, would be great at it.

But gosh, I have to pass a test:eek: :D

Thanks!

Thanks everyone!

Regarding the test, there are quite a few categories, and you and your dog are scored at the same time. The scores are 0, 1 and 2. 0's are a failing mark. You both need a certain percentage of 1's and 2's, 2's being the highest. To get the complex visiting designation I mentioned earlier, you and your dog need to score nearly all 2's.

Also, little dogs do NOT have to sit on laps to be a therapy dog. Many are not comfortable with that. For the evaluation, you just need to tell the evaluator. For the "petting" part of the test, you are allowed to hold your dog. However, if you need to hold your dog while being petted during the test, then this is what you have to do when you visit as well.

As an other "FYI," your dog has be groomed within 24 hours of the visit. This should be no problem for Yorkie owners! Specificaly, they have to bathed, teeth brushed, nails filed or dremeled, and ears cleaned.

Bottom line, if you think you have a prospective therapy dog, I highly encourage you to go for it! For us, going on a therapy visit gives us a profound sense of making a difference!

Thanks to alaskayorkie and YorkieTherapy for sharing your experiences. Though we volunteer with a group that is in DC, it sounds like ours has similar requirements for certification of the dogs and their handlers. I'm so happy to hear that there are purebred yorkies that enjoy visiting nursing homes.

I agree that participating is very fulfilling, and there is one more benefit that I haven't heard anyone mention. My husband's grandmother lived with his family when he was growing up, and I was raised by my grandparents. They have all passed away now, so taking our dog to nursing homes gives us the chance to spend time with people in an age group that we just don't get to visit with any more. There is something so wonderfully relaxing in just spending time with a senior citizen - they often have such great stories to tell and have all the time in the world to listen.

What I'm looking for is a dog that not only tolerates it but truly enjoys it as much as my husband and I do. Our yorkie/shih tzu mix THRIVES on attention, the only time he squirms around on a residents' lap or bed is in order to get more comfortable so that he can sit with them longer. He's fearless around loud noises, (to the point where you might wonder if he's deaf), and tolerates the rough handling that sometimes happens when residents have arthritis or partial paralysis. His only "flaw" is that he gives LOTS of kisses. Most people find it charming, but there are some who don't like it so I'm working on finding a way to get him to stop when it's unwanted.

I realize that our dog isn't typical. As I said before, we have two other dogs who are not suited for it at all -- but I'm now hopeful that we'll be able to find a yorkie that would enjoy a new "career" in peth therapy.

I'm also relieved to hear that rescue groups would welcome one of their dogs being adopted with therapy work in mind. I will concentrate on rescues that foster their dogs in home environments - I think they would be much more in tune with their dogs' personalities than a shelter's staff has time to be.

I have always wanted to do this!! This is so awesome!!:D

Will start training next week
 

Louie and I will start our training next week. He is only 5 month right now but, the trainer said it's the perfect time. She decided to train us privately instead of with her normal beginners group because my ultimate goal is Therapy Certification. Honestly I think it's because she and her dog are certified and she hold a special place in her heart for it.

At the moment Louie goes almost everywhere with me. My office is dog friendly so he goes and visits everyone in the mornings. It's the best sound in the world on Monday's when everyone is not in the mood to be at work and when they see him their whole attitudes change.

Hope he's a candidate!

I hoping to ave teddy be a therapy dog. He loves everybody. Currently working on obedience training so he can sit still long enough. Right now he wants to run over to everybody and say hi. He needs to learn some restraint

I have a therapy dog Yorkie too. I agree, early socialization is major important. I take her with me as much as possible and have tried to give her every experience & around people that I can safely give her. Also she is my first dog to take thru obedience training and we did 3 sets of classes of that. It is so much more valuable than I ever knew, and didn't even realize it until further down the road.
Heidi is registered thru our local dog training school's therapy dog group and thru Therapy Dogs, Inc. One thing I've noticed is it often seems most dogs in our group each have some little thing that makes them special & unique that another dog in the group doesn't have. I've found that quite interesting. They seem to have their own giftings & personality that they excel in. I think its kind of neat as people are like that as well.
Of course Heidi, though, she excels in them all!!!! :D (I'm just a little partial!) Not really though, sometimes I wish she would connect better with everyone. Some she will connect so great, and the next person she may be like "PASS, let's move on!" Part of her gifting is just looking adorable in her cute outfit & wagon. Brings lots of smiles.