Diane was ready to get a new dog. At the time, she had two wonderful Standard Poodles named Maddie and Tristan. Tristan was a Bright Spot Therapy Dog and had been visiting with Diane for many years. Both Maddie and Tris were getting older and Tristan had retired from therapy dog visiting. Diane wanted to get a puppy and start right from the beginning to prepare him to become a certified therapy dog.
Being a therapy dog takes more than a sweet, friendly dog. There is lots of work involved for both handler and dog to properly train and be prepared for therapy dog visiting. I have followed Diane’s steps from start to finish… puppy selection… socialization… basic training… therapy dog training… evaluation… certification. These steps don’t happen over night.
Picking out their pup at 6 weeks… Rowan came right over to Diane.
Step One: puppy selection… Diane had always kept her breeder updated on Tristan’s therapy dog career, so when she and her husband decided to get a new puppy, Diane explained that she wanted a pup with a temperament similar to Tris’s: calm, confident, outgoing, a dog that loves people and other dogs. Her breeder recommended an upcoming litter of reds whose dad was sweetness personified and whose mom was friendly, sweet, and laid back. This sounded right to Diane and she followed her trusted breeder’s recommendation. When the pups were 6 weeks out, Diane and her husband made the trip up North to select the puppy they felt would be best for them. They were the first to pick out their pup from a litter of eight. Diane found all the pups to be friendly and outgoing, but it was Rowan who came right over to her, and was playful and calm when held. They traveled back up to the breeder when Rowan was ready to come home with them at 8 weeks of age. I met Rowan, a darling red boy at 8 weeks. His clownish, outgoing personality shone through. Definitely therapy dog potential.
8-week-old Rowan at his new home with Diane.
Step Two: training begins… Diane knows that a good therapy dog is a well-socialized, well-trained dog. She started right away taking Rowan everywhere she went to meet and greet people of all ages in a variety of settings – the weekly flea market, farmers market, pet friendly stores in the area, walking around down town Amherst, sitting outside a super market, on vacation to Mount Desert Island/hiking in Acadia National Park. In addition, formal classes were started. First, puppy kindergarten, followed by basic obedience, Canine Good Citizen, intermediate obedience, therapy dog training, and several private lessons to improve leash-walking skills. All of this took place over a period of 18 months.
Step Three: Therapy Dog Evaluation… At the age of 1 1/2 years, Rowan was not just ready for his evaluation, he was super ready: well-socialized and well-trained. Diane had not short-cut the process. She had taken the time needed to develop the skills and techniques Rowan would need to carry on successful therapy dog visits. The Bright Spot evaluation took place at the Soldiers Home in Holyoke, Massachusetts. The evaluator passed Rowan with high marks.
Step Four: Rowan and Diane receive their Certificate of Certification as a Bright Spot Therapy Dog Team. They are issued their official ID badges – and Rowan receives his well-earned therapy dog vest.
If you are interested in becoming a Bright Spot Therapy Dog Team, consider following Diane’s steps to a successful outcome. It’s well-worth the effort.