Pet Therapy Dogs Serve Throughout
the Peninsula
Man and dog have shared
companionship and helped one another for thousands of years. It's not
hard to imagine that these bonds were forged when cavemen gather
around fires and, perhaps, threw scraps of meat to the ancestors of
today's dogs that hovered in nearby bushes. Gradually, the dogs joined
them by the fires, lying just at their feet. The dogs helped bring
down the "kill," alerted them to danger, and even carried needed
supplies and equipment.
Today, many a dog spends
time at his owner's feet and provides a variety of help. However,
services are far different from those of yesteryear. Hunting is still
done. But the more common services are assisting the disabled,
searching for lost and trapped people, and providing pet therapy to
individuals in long-term health facilities. On the Peninsula, pet
therapy is an active service at institutions from Eastern State Mental
Hospital in Williamsburg to the Veterans Administration Center
Hospital in Hampton. The dogs that participate in pet therapy may be
one of the strongest and most consistent sources of joy and bonding
for an elderly person whose connections to everyday life are slipping
away. Dogs also may be a source of relief and diversion to a cancer
patient undergoing rigorous chemotherapy. And there is never enough
laughter for a hospitalized child who is eager to throw a ball for a
dog or just stroke a furry flank. More and more institutions are
seeing the value of pet therapy and asking for visits -- far more
requests than there are handlers and dogs that can respond.
Can you picture you and your dog doing that? Pet
therapy is open to dogs of all breeds, included mixed, that are at
least one year old. Most handlers and dogs participate in organized
pet therapy programs. The usual criteria for joining is that the dog
and handler successfully pass a series of tests sponsored by the
American Kennel Club and/or one of national pet therapy certifying
bodies such as Therapy Dogs International, Therapy Dogs Incorporated,
or Delta Society.
Therapy Dogs International is a common
sanctioning body for active therapy groups on the Peninsula. Its 14
tests focus on ensuring that the handler has control over the dog, the
dog appropriately and positively responds to simulated public and
institutional activities, and the dog knows basic commands such as
sit, down, stay, and come. Dogs that are too fearful or aggressive are
weeded out. This testing program incorporates the 10 tests of the
AKC's Canine Good Citizen program and the four tests specific to TDI.
Most of the handlers and dogs that successfully complete the testing
have had 15 or more weeks of obedience training through organized
classes or with an individual instructor. If you would like more
information or to join a pet therapy group on the Peninsula please
contact the following:
Coastal Dog Training Services -- Newport
News
www.coastaldog.com
Merrimac Dog Training Center - Hampton
www.geocities.com/merrimacdogs
Facts about Therapy Dogs
