Therapy dog test today
 

It's a busy weekend for Eddie. Yesterday, Pet Idol. Today he has his exam to become a Therapy Dog so he can visit hospitals.

Has anyone done this before? He passed his Canine Good Citizen, but this is a little more involved. They add more distractions.

I have a choice on whether I want to test him as a big dog or a small dog. You can carry small dogs through parts of the test. That might make it easier to pass, but then I'd have to carry him in hospitals too. And I rarely carry Eddie. I think he'll be more comfortable on leash.

But I'm afraid he's gonna choke!

do you know all the tests he has to go through?? i wrote our place that does this and asked for a list of the test items... if you want to more i'd be happy to post on here what they might be looking for :) GOOD LUCK EDDIE!

GOOD LUCK EDDIE!!

When we first got Bandit he was soooo good and I really wanted him to be a therapy dog, but you have to be 18 to bring them to the hospitals so w/e. :rolleyes:

But you're obviously 18+, so you have fun with it! :D

Obviously? I thought you always called me a child? That PROVES you think I'm a grownup!

And marcerella02, thanks, but yes I do have all the tests. They have one where two people argue and then one approaches us loudly. That's gonna be tough. Otherwise, the only thing he blew last week was walking on a loose leash. He got stressed and pulled for the door.

Good luck, Eddie! You'll be a wonderful therapy dog.

Good Luck Eddie, I hope all goes well with your Test! Your Dad has really kept you busy this weekend.

Boy, these dads who push their kids!;) My daughter wants to get her Cav. King Charles pet therapy certified. Who did you go through? Is it nationally recognized so that she could check for a local one? p.s. we are more of those NJ people, which is no where near Alaska:yelrotflm

Woohoo! OMG, he passed! I cannot even believe it.

I was SURE he was going to get scared and quit, but he nailed it. Perfect heel. Perfect sit. Didn't freak out during distractions. The Delta tester called him the best of our class and complimented him on his loose-leash walk.

There are 20 categories, and both dog and instructor are rated, with 2 being the maximum score. We got all 2's except for a single 1 that was my fault. He got a little jumpy when three people crowded us and all wanted to pet him. If I had asked one of them to step away, we would have gotten a 2. My bad.

I did wimp out and tested him as a little dog, so I was able to carry him during some of the encounters. All that means is I have to carry him into and out of the hospital. I can put him down in the hallways and rooms.

Sorry for such a long brag. I've been bragging a lot this weekend, but I'm especially proud of Eddie today. It was much more thorough than the CGC test. All our hard work paid off!

Thanks for the good wishes everybody.

Yeah, the Delta Society offers national certification. A local hospital that has a pet therapy program sponsored a class and the testing. There may be other national certification programs. I'm not sure.

Here's their Web site:

www.deltasociety.org

:congrats: Congratulations Eddie! :bravo:

I'm sure you're going to be a wonderful therapy dog. You made your dad really proud. Hope we get to see some videos.:D

Congrats to you and Eddie! Lots of hard work paid off....great job!

I would love to eventually do this with one of mine.....I would imagine it is a very rewarding experience!

PS......Love to hear this kind of news instead of the poor pups being left out in the cold! (just kidding)

Wow what a busy weekend for Eddie, and he did so wonderful. Congratulations on passing the tests today, what a reward it will be to visit and make people happy. I know when I see just pictures of Eddie I smile so i'm sure that he is going to make many people smile when he visits the hospital. :thumbup:

Great job to both of you

Great job Eddie.:D This weekend has been great for you and your dad. We hope you have a great time going to hospitals and making people happy. And wish you best of luck on your show next weekend.

I'm Impressed!!:congrats:

Yay Eddie!!!

Wow, I didn't know it was so involved to become a therapy dog. I thought the dog just had to be calm and good natured and like people without clawing all over them. I think Kalina would make a great therapy dog, but now I'm not so sure she could pass all those tests.

Great job, Eddie! :)

I Would Be Interested In The Things That He Had To Pass If You Have The Paperwork Post It Here I Wonder How Well We Might Or Might Not Do!

Eddie You Rawk Little Man You Are Adorable And I Know You Are Gonna Touch Many Lives Im So Proud Of You As Is Your Owner And Everyone Else...

Congrats!

Well done Eddie
:thumbup: :congrats: :bravo: :cheer:



Sheilagh

Congrats!!! I am hoping to do the same thing with Soleil when she turns a year..but we have lots more practice yet!! She has to be a year old to start the program so I have a few more months to work with her...you must be so excited!! :thumbup: :thumbup: :thumbup: :aimeeyork :aimeeyork

How exciting!

This is something that I definitely want to try. We have a Ronald McDonald House nearby and I think it would be great to take Cooper for visits. I actually found an organization in my area: http://www.furryfriends.org/. They don't require you to take a Canine Good Citizenship test. Once Cooper gets a bit older and more trained I intend on signing him up.

Please keep us updated and let us know how your visits go!

Yeah, we took the CGC thinking it was a requirement. It's not.

:congrats: Way to go Eddie!

Way to go you guys!!!

You must be so proud of Eddie! :)

Thanks! Here are the categories they tested us on:

1. Accepting a friendly stranger
2. Accepting petting
3. Appearance and grooming.
4. Out for a walk (this is all about having a loose leash and changing directions)
5. Walking through a crowd.
6. Reaction to distractions (visual and audible).
7. Sit on cue or pass between strangers. (Since we did the little-dog test, all I had to do was carry him and walk between other people).
8. Stay in place. (A sit-stay for 30 seconds. Eddie tested as a small dog, so he sat on someone else's lap for 30 seconds without my involvment.
9. Come when called. (They put him on a long leash and had him stay, then come when called)
10. Reaction to neutral dog. (You walk past a person with another dog. Your dog can't go crazy).
11. Exhuberant and clumsy petting. (This simulates a person with palsy petting your dog).
12. Restraining hug. (Simulates someone else hugging your dog).
13. Staggering, gesturing individual.
14. Angry yelling. (As I was talking to a "patient," two others argued 10 feet from us. The two arguers then broke up and one approached us.)
15. Bumped from behind. (One person walked past me and bumped into me).
16. Crowded and petted by several people. (This was our worst exercise, and it was all my fault. Eddie got nervous when three people crowded him. The instructors wanted me to tell one or two people to back off. They wanted me to take care of my dog's needs first.)
17. Leave it. (A nonissue if you're carrying your dog.)
18. Offered a treat (this is up to the handler. You can just so "no, I don't want you to feed my dog." I opted to allow it, but I told them to feed them them with their hand flat and open. Eddie can be nippy, so I didn't want to take any chances.

great job Eddie!!!! wow, we are all so proud of you! First you go to Pet Idol and made it to the finals, then you pass the therapy dog test!!!! what a weekend!!!!!!
Mike, make sure you reward this genius accordingly, ok????

:good job:As well you should be! :good job:

Way to go Eddie....and what a great way to help others by bringing a smile to their faces.

My husbands uncle is in a nursing home and he takes Kassie with him when he visits. Their is an elderly lady there who goes nuts for her and always asks for pics . She has dementia and forgets that he brings her one every visit. My husband just loves her and has the best time with Kassie every time he visits.

Kassie is far from an ideal dog for that kind of situation but my husband keeps a VERY close eye on her. Eddie on the other hand appears to be very friendly so you shouldnt have any problems.

my Edie would flunk test #10 :(

Eddie, congratulations to you and your old man!!! You are going to be a huge hit at the hospitals.:thumbup:

A big congrats to Eddie and you for a job well done :D

How exciting!! Gooo Eddie Goooo!! Lots of luck to YOU!! You sound so well behaved, YOU will pass!! Goooo Eddieee!! :thumbup: :)