So You Want to Learn About...Animal-Assisted Therapy
- Jul 31, 2015
- 2 min read
By Jamie Damato Migdal,
CEO & Pet Industry Entrepreneur
Our very own Paulette Solinski (CPDT-KA) will be teaching the popular Therapy Dog Prep class again over at AnimalSense, and since I just recorded a Pets Mean Business podcast with Mary Margaret Callahan, Senior National Director of Program Development at Pet Partners, I thought I'd get some basic information out there for those of you who might be curious about animal-assisted therapy but aren’t ready to make the commitment to classes or formal training just yet.
Volunteer human requirements:
Be comfortable talking to a lot of people; quite often the patients will want to talk to you and completely ignore the dog.
Pass multi-part skills and aptitude tests, which will vary from one organization to another.
Undertake the periodic review and renewal of registration; every organization has different rules and regulations.
Be comfortable working in environments such as hospitals, assisted-living facilities, retirement homes, and rehab centers.
Be willing to commit to regular visits at certain facilities.
Volunteer dog requirements:
Be controllable, reliable, and predictable.
Pass a comprehensive health screening.
Pass multi-part skill and aptitude tests.
Expenses: the out-of-pocket expenses for the first year can be high - there are registration and course fees involved, as well as equipment and optional expenses.
Pros: the training that you and your dog go through is a great bonding experience, and will teach both of you to be better communicators as well as a better dog/handler team. Your visit can be the highlight of someone’s week; a friendly face, a kind word, and a wagging tail can mean the world to people in confined or limited situations.
Cons: you need to stay very attuned to your dog’s behavior at all times, and not be afraid to speak up when a situation is unsuitable. It’s easier to remove your dog from an iffy situation than it is to deal with the aftermath of a bite or other incident. You should also be prepared for the emotional toll that can come with being part of a therapy dog team; sometimes clients die or move on to another facility, and you may not get a chance to say goodbye. Be easy on yourself, and honest about your limits.
If you want to learn more about animal-assisted therapy, read Paulette’s post over on the AnimalSense blog, and check out the requirements and FAQs for the following organizations:
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Photo of Paulette with her therapy dogs, Sophie (l) and Sitka, courtesy of Paulette Solinski.
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