This is continuing from the hunting dog vs therapy dog training thread. I didn't want to hijack it. And I didn't find a therapy dog forum so......

Melissa, would you not recommend doing TD work with a young puppy? I find that a visit with a couple of young puppies, even if they are just to watch play and not being handled....works wonders in a visit. I also have to say that the primary place I visit is a private facility and does not require a certification for visiting dogs. Several staff have dogs that visit too.

I will agree with you that sometimes a young dog is fine and 'outgrows' the ability to be patient and behave. Norbert visited til he was almost a year. Then he started wanting to put his paws up and he stopped being as patient with strangers. He could still visit, but it would be forcing him to do what is to me stressful work.
Some of that is, I think, breed tendencies of a Ridgeback, but anyway. Then there is Widget, who has visited since she was 12 weeks and she is 6 yrs now.

hm, definitly going to be watching this thread. Thanks Sonya, you could have hijacked it no biggie. I am just really interested in TD work. Its so bennifical to the residents at Nursing Homes (doing my clinicals now for CNA) and its amazing how the animals motivate the elderly to ambulate. I can just imagain how it would help kids!

If your purpose if TD then no. I don't think you should not do TD with a young dog with a break for the teen fuglies all dogs go through. Remember TD is about the patient, not the dog. I see far too many dogs that simply do not have the temperament or training for it simply being trotted into schools, nursing facilities, and hospitals because it's an image for the owner, not the reality of the situation or helping someone.

That makes sense. I wouldnt take my kids to a nursing home till they were older and more mature, so why would you do that with a dog?? JMO! In my case I don't think we would do it until I know what his temperment is like and after he is finished with learning the hunting skills (always will need brush up) and after tan. Then we can work with him in expanding commands to include TD work specific ones.

But as a young age would you recomend exposing him to wheel chairs, beepers (tab alarm sounds), kids crying and screaming (hes gonna get exposed to that from my 2 and 3 year olds lol when they have a fit or get hurt.) Also, with the fourth of july coming around, expose a dog to firework sounds.. ???

With my GSD Drift who is a AAT (Animal Assisted Therapy) dog in a facility for delinquent and/or mentally ill teens, I exposed her to everything I could as a pup. As long as you do it in a safe and non-threatening way, it will be beneficial to the dog.

I did not decide to do therapy work with Drift until I knew what she would be as a mature dog. I exposed her to different sports, like Rally and agility as a pup. Her temperament and personality showed me that she would be a great therapy dog, so I began working on those skills when she was about a year old. She recently began working with me, and passed her CGC a couple of weeks ago... she is now 2 years old.

I can attest to the good that a therapy dog does with emotionally challenged children. She can calm a room just by walking into it.. but she is a very mellow and relaxed dog. A jazzed up dog would just make matters worse in the kinds of situations that Drift has been involved with in the course of her work.

The temperament of the dog MUST be well suited for the work it will do. Taking an unsuitable dog on therapy visits is not only harmful to the patients, it may also lead to therapy dogs not being allowed in the facility anymore. It takes a special kind of dog to do therapy work. Not every dog can do it.. that's nothing against the dog... not every person is a nuclear engineer or brain surgeon either.

Just my opinion, of course.

--Kelly

 Quote:

The temperament of the dog MUST be well suited for the work it will do. Taking an unsuitable dog on therapy visits is not only harmful to the patients, it may also lead to therapy dogs not being allowed in the facility anymore. It takes a special kind of dog to do therapy work. Not every dog can do it.. that's nothing against the dog... not every person is a nuclear engineer or brain surgeon either.

Well Said!

Definitly agree with Kellys opinion. Definitly something to look into when he gets older after his hunting training is set in stone with him (not counting the refresher courses for both of us to keep "in shape")

thanks!!

Glad I asked! My opinion is that to some degree it varys with the dog, the breed, the temperament and all sorts of training.
Too I think it varys with the sort of therapy work. I think visiting troubled teens is WAY different than visiting elderly in a skilled nursing facility. And it is harder to visit the alzheimers unit vs the other units. Alzheimers often seem to be harder physically on the dog.

I have to say I LOVE our visits. BUT I always go by how the dog(s) is doing. Sometimes we visit one floor, half a dozen people. Sometimes we walk through large parts of the facility, several hundred people. Heck, sometimes our visits benefit the staff more than the residents.

I would like to get TD certed and be able to visit the local hospitals maybe. I have to say I grew up with a mom working with abused and neglected children. She always said not to get into social work. She knew I am not cut out for it. So I have avoided that aspect of it. Someday I may be able to. With a different dog or at a different time in my life.

Again, I love our visits. Widgie loves to visit. Couple of the other dogs like them and love certain people but have a hard time with other units.

When I did this with our Bullmastiffs 12 yrs ago I was always in awe of the dogs abilitys to pick people to visit, to tone their behavior to the people and to KNOW what to do. To me it is one of the reasons dogs are on the planet.