For those who missed out last time because the workshop was FULL so quickly – and for those who haven’t had a chance yet to work this into their schedule…  we have scheduled another one of our popular Beginners Therapy Dog Training Workshops for Sunday, June  10, 2012, from 10:00-12:00.  If interested, don’t delay in registering.  The class is limited to six dogs in order to provide plenty of hands-on practice time.  For information about registration, go to the Bright Spot Therapy Dogs website.

Here’s a brief description of what’s covered in the workshop:  The BEGINNERS WORKSHOP covers topics such as: what makes a good therapy dog, how to work with your dog as a “team” and what types of facilities and programs are visited.  The basic skills and techniques necessary to begin therapy dog work will be introduced and there will be training time to learn proper greeting methods, as well as an introduction to various hospital or nursing home equipment. In addition, there will be ample time for Q&A and all attendees will receive handouts and learn what steps to take next to become a certified therapy dog team.  If you have ever wanted to train your dog to be a therapy dog, or if you have ever wondered what the work entailed, please come join us for this fun and informative workshop.

Learn the skills and techniques necessary to become a certified therapy dog team and start bringing comfort and caring to adults and children in healthcare and educational settings.  Both you and your dog will love it!

James is trying something new…  Yesterday, this eleven year old English Setter headed to school… not dog training school, no – real Kindergarten through 6th grade school.  As a certified therapy dog, for the past six years James has been visiting in nursing homes, psychiatric facilities, Alzheimer’s and Dementia units, and Hospice.  This past February, he was invited to visit children with special needs – and they adored him.  As he lay comfortably on the floor while several children sat down next to him, petting him and talking to him, I saw how much he, too, was enjoying this.  Young children…  a totally different population.  His interest seemed sparked.  I began to think he was ready for some change in his life (just like people!).

Luck had it…  about two weeks later, I was contacted by Karen Rousseau from the Westhampton Elementary School.  She is a new staff member there in charge of the school library.  Karen is also a doglover.  She was calling me about starting a Reading-to-Dogs Program there at the school.  She had read the research pointing to the positive effect therapy dogs have on building a young reader’s confidence.  The therapy dog sits with the child as he or she reads – seemingly listening to every word and looking with interest at the pictures in the book when the young reader points them out to the dog.  The therapy dog is friendly and non-judgemental…  setting up an atmosphere of calm and relaxation.

Karen and I put our heads together and decided to pilot the program as an after school activity running through the end of May.  With the start of the new school year in September 2012, we hope to incorporate this special approach to reading within the regular school day.

So, yesterday, James had his official first day of school…  proudly trotting in the main entrance of Westhampton Elementary School.  He was greeted by the school principal and many of the teachers – parents, too.  He was a very happy boy!

It was a FULL class – and a terrific one!  In my therapy dog workshops, I train the handler and dog to work as a team – both ends of the leash are important when visiting in a facility.  They each have important roles to play – and that’s what I saw with these dogs and handlers today.  Skilled teamwork is needed when interacting with people – promoting movement and conversation.  We had a great discussion about what makes a good therapy dog and practiced the basic skills and techniques needed to visit effectively.  Attendees asked many questions as we went along – which I love – and encourage.

These workshops, held at True Blue Dog Training, have become very popular and fill up quickly.  Several people missed out on this class – so a waitlist has been created.  Another Beginners TD Training Workshop will be scheduled as soon as time permits – and those on the waitlist will have the first shot at enrollment.

If you are interested in becoming involved in therapy dog work, you will find this workshop helpful and informative.  I will post the date of any upcoming therapy dog training classes on my EVENT Calendar on Say Hello Spot…  so you will find the info right here.  In addition, it will be posted on both the Bright Spot Therapy Dogs website and the True Blue Dog Training website.  Come – join in this fun and rewarding activity.  Both you and your dog will love it!

As interest in Animal Assisted Therapy continues to grow and research into the benefits of human-canine interaction expands, I have received many requests to speak with professionals in the healthcare field seeking to learn from the firsthand visits made by therapy dogs in a myriad of healthcare venues.

I am delighted to be speaking about the healing power of the human-canine bond at the May meeting of the Western Mass Eldercare Professionals Association at Landmark at Monastery Heights in West Springfield, Massachusetts.  James, of course, will be at my side as I talk about the soothing effect his presence has on hospice patients and many others.

This meeting is open to any eldercare facility that is a member of the Western Mass Eldercare Professionals Association.   

For those who missed last month’s Beginners Therapy Dog Training Workshop, don’t despair…  several inquiries already have prompted us to schedule another Beginners class for Sunday, April, 29, 2012 from 10:00-12:00.  Attendance is limited – so act quickly.  Check out the particulars on our Bright Spot Therapy Dogs website under THERAPY DOG TRAINING.

Small classes make it possible for attendees to have plenty of time to practice the skills and techniques taught in class and ask questions.  You will leave with a  handout outlining everything covered in class.  I am always happy to answer your questions about therapy dog training and visiting.  My email is included in the handout.

As more and more healthcare and educational facilities are opening their doors to therapy dogs, demand is increasing for well-trained, certified Therapy Dogs.  Why not learn the skills and techniques necessary to share your wonderful dog with others in need.  Once you become involved with this meaningful work, you’ll be saying what other volunteers say:  This is the best thing I’ve ever done!   Hope to see you in class!  

The conference was SOLD OUT.  I’m told that 1200 women were in attendance.  Certainly an impressive event.  My talk took place in the Health and Wellness Area – one of the large conference rooms off the main lobby of the Mass Mutual Center in Springfield, Massachusetts.

Picture numerous Health and Wellness Organizations and businesses with their booths lining three sides of the hall, and the stage with podium at the far end.  The room was packed with conference attendees as the Health and Wellness talks commenced at 10:00 a.m.  I had the pleasure of listening to three excellent and informative talks before it was my turn to deliver my talk on The Healing Power of the Human-Canine Bond.

 Judging by the silence that fell over the room as I spoke about the meaningful work our therapy dogs do and the roaring round of applause at the end, my message,  clearly, was well-received.  After I was finished, several people came up to me  saying they were moved to tears by the stories I told of my therapy dog James visiting folks on hospice care and patients with Alzheimer’s disease.  People told me that they, too, had had a family member in hospice care, or family member with Alzheimer’s disease, and so on.  They could understand firsthand how the human-canine bond could be immensely healing.

Florence Savings Bank in Florence, MA, generously donated booth space to Bright Spot Therapy Dogs, Inc.  which was staffed by several Bright Spot Board members throughout the day.  Many conference attendees expressed interest in becoming involved with our organization.  This was a business women’s conference…  but dogs are the great equalizer.  They touch people from all walks of life.

Dogs with great temperaments and owners eager to learn the skills necessary to prepare their dogs for therapy dog certification, attended my Sunday morning skills and techniques training workshop.  When the two-hour program was complete, all left with the “basics” under their belts, a comprehensive hand-out covering everything taught in class in tow, and the knowledge to practice everything needed to move to the next level.

The group of dogs and handlers always varies in skill level.   There are those dogs and handlers who are well-trained and ready to move forward to a therapy dog evaluation.  They are attending the workshops (most of them take both the Beginners and Advanced) to brush up on all the skills before scheduling their evaluation date.  They want to set the stage for success.

Then, there are those dogs and handlers who are in the early stages of training.  They have a dog with a great temperament and they really would like to pursue therapy dog work.  They’re starting early to learn the skills and techniques so they have plenty of time to practice, practice, practice.  These are the folks who will take other training classes – like the Manners Classes offered at True Blue Dog Training where I teach the Therapy Dog Training Workshops.  Manners Classes work a lot with distractions and eye contact – two skills that must be mastered if thinking about therapy dog certification.  Then, down the road, these folks will move up to taking the Advanced Therapy Dog Training Workshop – and will be well-prepared for their evaluation.

If interested in Therapy Dog Training, information is up on our Bright Spot Therapy Dogs website.  Classes are small with plenty of interaction and time to practice what is taught.  Hope to see you there.

17th Annual Women’s Leadership Conference Springfield, Massachusetts                                 Lead with Compassion

Cynthia Hinckley will speak on The Healing Power of the Human-Canine Bond as since through visits with her five therapy dogs over a period of twenty years.  A great deal of change has occurred in the field of animal assisted therapy over the past two decades.  Formal studies have been conducted in the areas of healthcare and education that point to the positive effects that result when dogs are used to assist in therapeutic and remedial settings.  The overwhelming evidence in favor of animal assisted therapy in promoting positive outcomes is not to be denied.  This has resulted in a vast number of facilities and programs opening their doors to therapy dog visitors.

In 2004, Cynthia founded Bright Spot Therapy Dogs, Inc., a non-profit organization dedicated to placing well trained, certified therapy dogs in meaningful programs that provide comfort and caring through the human-canine bond.  Bright Spot Therapy Dog Teams serve in a wide variety of healthcare and educational settings, including: hospitals, nursing homes, hospice, schools, libraries and other facilities where therapy dogs are needed.

A Manners Class is an excellent  training class to take if you’re thinking about doing Therapy Dog work.  A good Manners Class should include plenty of distraction work.  Avoiding yummy distractions is a MUST.   This video shows how a dog should be walking calmly at your side, completely avoiding the distraction.  The trainer uses a clicker to reward the dog’s appropriate response to  Leave It.

In Therapy Dog work, a solid Leave It command could be lifesaving.  If you visit in a healthcare facility where medications are distributed to patients, a pill might drop to the floor and be quickly swallowed by a dog who doesn’t respond to the Leave It command.  Or, a dinner tray might be left within easy reach of your dog’s mouth.  You must be able to give the Leave It command and have your dog respond appropriately.

If you live in Western Massachusetts, you might want to check out the Manners Classes offered at True Blue Dog Training.  Here, you and your dog will have lots of practice with the Leave It command in small classes with highly trained instructors.