Hoping for advice for wanna-be therapy team

[AubreyMo]

Hi all,

My goal is to turn Moose and I into a therapy team and join TDI specifically.

Right now he's 21 weeks, and I'm trying to socialize him (doggie socialization classes every Saturday, frequent trips to parks and pet stores and malls to meet people). He also knows the basic commands but needs more training.

I was wondering if anyone had any tips as far as places to take him that I may not have thought of, commands to make sure to teach him, exercises and games to play that are therapy focused, and how to get on the right path as far as becoming a team? I'd really appreciate any and all advice. Thanks!!

 

[Jeannie]

Leave it. Very important to pass all tests. Also one I found that came in handy it 'paws up' and teach the dog to put his/her front paws on a bed, chair or anything. This helps people to be able to pet them easier. Any trick, kids love to see dogs do tricks.

 

[newflizzie]

Definitely "leave it".

Things that wave and flap such as scarecrows, party balloons moving around, etc. We had to put balloons floating on our ceiling for about 48 hours before she ignored them-make sure it's supervised so if they pop he doesn't eat them.

Things that make noise - constant or just a loud start up. Any kind of equipment that makes noise.

Walking on different kinds of surfaces.

Elevators.

Even if those things are not going to be in the place you'll be doing therapy it socializes the dog to look for you for guidance instead of freaking out. Mine look at me and I say "you're fine, don't worry" and they are fine. I asked people to do all sorts of things - like my yard guys if I could practice taking her up the mower ramps, calling up the fire dept and asking if I could bring her around the fire engines, my kids preschool was having a dad land his news helicopter in the parking lot and I asked if I could bring her when he did. On Sundays I took her to my husband's office and rode up and down the elevator. Anything that beeped or sang or crashed, we worked on it. There will always be something unexpected but if you can teach him to look at you for guidance, your good in most situations. Even though she's been a therapy dog for almost 2 years now, we still socialize a lot. We just went to a NASCAR kids camp a few weeks ago where they did a demo of a race car roaring in and the pit crew doing their thing. The noise from them taking off and putting on the lug nuts was loud and she barked then looked at me and I said don't worry, she barked one last time to make her point and moved on. I thought we were in the clear when they started filling up the hot air balloons that were going to be tied to the ground but go up and down all night giving rides. Every time they lit the fire she barked at it and looked at me, it took about 3-4 "don't worries" on that one!

Edited to add that when socializing with people, I tried to find people of all ages and sizes and wearing all sorts of stuff like hats, scarves, glasses etc.

I love therapy visits, good luck!

 

[Jager's Mom]

Both of my newfs are therapy dogs...actually, Jager is now retired (due to his cancer). So much fun doing pet therapy! We love it!

Be sure your dog can walk on different surfaces: shiny tile, carpet, cement, wood floors etc.

Introduce your dog to different types of people (gender, age, color etc).

Introduce your dog to people in uniform (police, etc).

Take your dog to an parking garage with elevators and practice going on the elevator.

Be sure the dog is comfy going up and down stairs.

Keep in mind, that "socializing" with other dogs/cats should not be "play time". You want your therapy dog to be friendly to other animals, but not more interested in the animals than the people. Also, you want the socialization to be on leash with minimal excitment.

Practice walking with a loose leash, no pulling.

People can be rough on the dogs (obviously it is the handler's responsibility to protect their dog), so you will want to be sure your dog doesn't mind pulling of a tail, ears, hair. Also, even the newfs can get bumped into...so practice bumping the dog.

Mob scene: You and your dog will be mobbed by people. Practice a mob scene with all sorts of people petting your dog at the same time. Have the people be loud, too. This is also a great time to practice an "unexpected" bump.

If you can go someplace that has a walker or wheelchair...you can get the dog used to the equipment.

Loud noises: drop a pan or book when the dog isn't looking. The dog can react, but should recover quickly.

Practice a sit/down and stay for an extended period of time (put the dog in a stay, then walk 10 feet away, then do a recall).

Practice having someone walking around your dog swinging a stuffed animal. You don't want your dog to react and think it's play time. The leave it command it great for this.

The leave it and drop it commands are also great for things on the floor. Be aware that there are going to be times that you will encounter something on the floor that the dog shouldn't have.

Hope this helps!

 

[NewfieMama]

I'd second what's been said here. Leave it is huge. And it's so useful anyway...I can't say how many times it has saved me when I've dropped a pill on the floor and the dogs don't go to grab it.

Noises, especially behind his back. People trying to pet him awkwardly - sometimes you'll meet someone who has shaky, jerky movements. He needs to be able to welcome that as a nice pat and will probably look to you for reassurance on that.

You should touch him a lot when he's encountering new things. A hand under his collar, scratching his neck or a gentle pat of reassurance, as well as using your voice, will teach him to look to you and trust you in strange situations.

Best of luck!

 

[AubreyMo]

Thank you guys so much! Such great ideas here - "leave it", balloons, different people and surfaces, and the stuffed animal one, priceless...I love it and will work on those asap.

The mob scene? Got that covered last weekend in Park City. I swear that pup of mine lives for attention and is the happiest when people come to pet him. He told me when he'd had enough by greeting people and then kindly continuing our walk.

I'm sure I'll have more questions but the main that comes to mind is greeting other people and dogs while on a leash to prep us for therapy work: what is appropriate, how to correct, commands given, etc. Like I said he's a saint (well...um, a newf) but I want to make sure *I* am doing it right. Do you guys put your dog on a "sit" when they meet people or give a certain command? So far he seems good at sensing what the person needs (Must be a newf thing - but a cute, precious, tiny little toddler with a disability came up to him the other day and even though he's four months old he sat STOCK STILL while she stroked his nose, poked his eyes, etc. I was shocked!).

The only people he's out of control when greeting is me and my family, he circles and bumps us - I'm working on getting my family to not pay attention to him while he does this, because I don't want him to think it's okay to do to everyone (so any solutions there are welcome too!).

Thanks again. I love this forum, and this breed. I don't know how I ever lived without one!

 

[Cascadians]

The thing that surprised me most is how often we encounter strange animals at our Therapy Visits. Miniature horses, parrots, llamas, other dogs, cats, goats, etc. It's an eldercare facility, very large.

So I started looking for places to take Orka to be around other animals, started walking him on a deserted island with lots of deer and bunnies so he learned not to chase them, etc. Also take him to the Zoo but that's to get him used to wildlife.

Obedience classes with other dogs have been imperative to learn that dogs are expected to behave and don't automatically = playtime.

Another unexpected training was teaching Orka he did not have to lick hands when they're dirty -- something he felt he HAD to do. "Leave It" is really important. Also taught him not to go up to anyone unless they specifically ask him to.

Now he walks off-leash everywhere and avoids contact very well. I think some of the training will depend on what types of facilities you want to work with. For instance, I know of a NN person who takes her Newfs to brain / spine injury pts in hospital beds -- that requires a gentle finesse that making rounds in an eldercare community has not yet required. Good luck!