Meet Your New Best Friend: The Therapy Dog
Therapy dogs are trained to meet and visit with people in many different places.
Debb Taylor’s work with therapy animals was not planned. Her dogs were her pets. They were her friends. They were not trained to work with people. They did not visit hospitals or residential homes.
“They were just big couch potatoes,” Taylor laughs.
But her local veterinarian saw something special in the dogs. She encouraged Taylor to train them for therapy work. That small suggestion grew into decades of service and connection.
Debb Taylor trains dogs like Storm to become therapy dogs.
Training a therapy dog
Some therapy dogs get ready for the work they will do while they are still puppies. First, they must get all their vaccinations. This helps protect them from getting sick when they start going to new places and meeting new people.
After they have had all their shots, Taylor takes them to stores that let dogs go in with their owners. There, the puppies learn to walk on slick floors, stay calm in crowds, and ignore distractions. She teaches them how to handle busy hallways, loud noises, and different emotions.
As the puppies get older, they go to workshops and practice meeting new people. Once they have learned all their lessons, they are ready to take their test.
“They ‘check in’ and then ride an elevator,” Taylor says. “They run into people who are afraid of dogs. They get to practice with all of the things you could think of that might happen during a visit.”
Once they pass their test, they are ready to begin work as therapy dogs.
Working with a therapy dog
Therapy dogs visit many places where people need comfort. This includes hospitals, schools, libraries, nursing homes, colleges, and even disaster areas.
When Taylor takes a therapy dog to visit children in the hospital, she often stops first in the patient’s doorway to make sure it is OK to go in. If the patient does want to meet the dog, Taylor makes sure the time together is good.
“The dog will walk up and put its head close to the bed,” Taylor says. “Sometimes the patient will reach over and pet it.”
Some patients are not able to move. Or they cannot reach the dog. When that happens, Taylor lays a sheet down on the bed, lifts the dog’s paws up off the floor, places the paws on the sheet, and puts the child’s hand on its paw.
“That's usually when you'll see the interactions,” Taylor says. “They'll feel the warmth and the heavy weight of the dog next to them, and their eyes will flutter.”
Meeting a therapy dog has a lot of benefits.
“When people meet my dogs, they smile,” Taylor says. “They make eye contact. They tell me about their pets at home. We get to share things that aren’t about being in the hospital.”
Therapy dogs help patients who feel scared, stressed, or upset. A calm dog sitting beside a patient can make them feel safe. And it can sometimes feel a little like home.
Therapy dogs like Rowdy like to share their smiles with the people they meet.
Understanding therapy dogs
Many people often misunderstand therapy dogs. They confuse them with service dogs, facility dogs, or emotional support animals.
A service dog is trained to do specific tasks for 1 person who has a disability. Their work is directly related to that 1 person’s needs. You should not pet or distract a service dog without the handler’s permission.
Facility dogs are trained to work in places like hospitals or schools. They are cared for by staff members within 1 organization. Their job is to help everyone at the organization by offering calm support in structured settings.
Emotional support animals give comfort to their owners. They do not get special training to do tasks. They are usually owned and cared for by 1 person or 1 family in a home setting.
Therapy dogs are trained to comfort many people in places such as hospitals, schools, nursing homes, colleges, and libraries. They stay calm around noise, movement, and new people. They live with 1 owner or 1 family.
Making a friend
Therapy dogs enjoy connecting with people just as much as people enjoy connecting with them.
“They are happiest when they are being petted or spoken to,” Taylor says. “Comforting others is something they naturally love to do.”
Time spent with a therapy dog can bring feelings of safety, comfort, and hope. It can take away the loneliness and make home feel a little bit closer.
If you see a therapy dog, it is OK so say “Hi.” It is OK to pet them. You might find you are happy to meet them. And watch for their tail to wag. That means they are happy to meet you, too.
