Today’s group was right on! Each handler and dog worked as a team. We started by talking about the qualities of a good therapy dog – the friendly, outgoing personality that a therapy dog must possess. A good therapy dog is at ease going into new places and meeting strangers. Then, we discussed the foundation blocks upon which therapy dog training techniques are built. Therapy dogs must perform the basic Heel, Sit/Stay, Down/Stay on command every time these commands are given when visiting in a facility or participating in a program. We practiced some Heeling drills, some long Sit/Stays, and some Down/Stays. I was very pleased that today’s group of dogs handled the drills very well.
Teamwork is what we stress with our Bright Spot therapy dog trainees. Both ends of the leash are important and each has specific jobs to do while visiting. The dog’s job is to interact with the person being visited and the handler’s job is to maneuver the dog and also the equipment that might be surrounding the person – such as a walker or a food tray – in such a way that the therapy dog is as close as possible to the patient. The objective of the therapy dog visit is to promote movement and conversation. Teamwork is critical in making this happen.
Our therapy dog training workshops run 2 hours in length and are interactive. Time passes quickly as the skills and techniques introduced are practiced by all. Using the most common pieces of equipment found in healthcare facilities – the wheelchair and the walker – workshop attendees act out the part of patient and visitor. The visit involves an introduction of the visiting therapy dog team, interaction between the dog and patient, and departure. Using their basic heeling and sit commands, each team practiced meeting and interacting with 3 patient set-ups.
Attendees leave with a hand-out covering all skills and techniques taught in class. With follow-up practice, every team today will make a terrific Bright Spot therapy dog team.