Therapy dog
A therapy dog is a dog that is trained to provide affection, comfort and support to people, often in settings such as hospitals, retirement homes, nursing homes, schools, libraries, hospices, or disaster areas. In contrast to assistance dogs, which are trained to assist specific patients with their day-to-day physical needs, therapy dogs are trained to interact with all kinds of people, not just their handlers.
History
Dogs have been utilized as a therapeutic resource by many medical professionals over the last few centuries. In the late 1800s, Florence Nightingale observed that small pets helped reduce anxiety and improve recovery in children and adults living in psychiatric institutions. Sigmund Freud began using his own pet dog to improve communication with his psychiatric patients in the 1930s. More recently, Elaine Smith established the first therapy dog organization in 1976 after observing positive effects of dogs on hospital patients during her work as a registered nurse. Assistance Dogs International followed in 1986, with the merger of several organizations.In 1919, Franklin K. Lane, the U.S. Secretary of the Interior at the time, proposed utilizing dogs with psychiatric patients at St. Elizabeth's Hospital in Washington, D.C. Florence Nightingale also contributed ideas to the future field of Animal Assisted Therapy. She discovered that patients of different ages in a psychiatric institution were relieved from anxiety when they were able to spend time with small animals. Freud believed that dogs could sense certain levels of tension being felt by his patients. Freud also used his dog to improve communication with his patients. He felt as if his patients were more comfortable talking to his dog at first and this opened up doors for them to later feel more comfortable talking to him. Boris Levinson, an American child psychiatrist, was one of the first to write about animal therapy, specifically with dogs as a tool to facilitate work with a child client. Dr. Levinson found the dog's presence helped his pediatric clients with positive focus, communication, and allowing the initiation of therapy, and shared this information with the medical world in 1961. About 10 years later, psychiatrists Sam and Elizabeth Corson at Ohio State University Psychiatric Hospital used Levinson's findings to expand this form of therapy to adults. The use of therapy can also be attributed to Elaine Smith, a registered nurse. While a chaplain and his dog visited, Smith noticed the comfort that this visit seemed to bring the patients. In 1976, Smith started a program for training dogs to visit institutions, and the demand for therapy dogs continued to grow.
According to Brian Hare, director of the Duke University Canine Cognition Center, the human-canine bond can be traced back thousands of years. Hare states, "Dogs have been drawn to people since humans began to exist in settlements part of what makes dogs special is that they are one of the only species that does not generally exhibit xenophobia, meaning fear of strangers. We've done research on this, and what we've found is that not only are most dogs totally not xenophobic, they're actually xenophilic – they love strangers!". Although a dog does not think according to language, people often intuit that dogs are compassionate and communicative. This builds a feeling of intimacy, leading the person to feel safe and understood. This can benefit the grieving human, who may be apprehensive about talking with another person for the fear of being hurt or lied to. Pets are an addition to therapy because they allow people to feel safe and accepted.
Certification
In order for a dog to be a good candidate to become a therapy dog and receive certification, they should be calm and social with strangers. They should also be able to adjust to loud noises and fast movements. There are certain steps that are needed for a dog to become certified by a national organization such as The Alliance of Therapy Dogs. ATD requires that dogs be at least one year old, that handlers have had the dog for at least six months, and that handlers pass a background check. Health requirements include up-to-date vaccinations and a negative fecal exam within the past year. The ATD certification process for begins with a handling assessment, during which an evaluator observes the dog’s temperament, obedience, and the handler’s ability to maintain control. If the team passes, they must complete three supervised visits in facilities such as hospitals or nursing homes before submitting paperwork for final approval. To remain active, ATD members are expected to continue visits regularly, and retesting may be required if a team lapses in visits for several months. Exact testing/certification requirements differ based on different organization's requirements. Some organizations offer classes such as "distraction-proofing", which strengthens the dog's ability to focus and therapy training to help prepare the dog and the dog's owner for therapy visits.Although therapy dogs are not limited to a certain size or breed, common breeds used in therapy dog application and research include the Golden Retriever and the Labrador Retriever. Cavalier King Charles Spaniels and Coton de Tulear are considered natural therapy dogs since they were bred to be companion dogs. Thus, they love meeting new people including children, are very gentle, and are eager to sit on someone's lap for long periods of time and are small enough to do so.
Many organizations provide evaluation and registration for therapy dogs. Typical tests might ensure that a dog can handle sudden loud or strange noises; can walk on assorted unfamiliar surfaces comfortably; are not frightened by people with canes, wheelchairs, or unusual styles of walking or moving; get along well with children and the elderly; and so on. Institutions may invite, limit, or prohibit access by therapy dogs. If allowed, many institutions have requirements for therapy dogs. United States–based Therapy Dogs International bans the use of service dogs in their therapy dog program. Service dogs perform tasks for persons with disabilities and have a legal right to accompany their owners in most areas.
In Canada, St John Ambulance provides therapy dog certification. In the UK, Pets As Therapy provides visiting dogs and cats to establishments where pets are otherwise not available. Also in the UK, Therapy Dogs Nationwide and Canine Concern CIO provide visiting dogs to establishments.
Classification
The term therapy dog is used in a variety of context, which can lead to confusions about what it means. Therapy animals can be more precisely classified when their activity is described, these activities varies depending on the goals of the animal intervention and on whether the handler is a professional with a clear intervention goal.Therapy Animal
A therapy animal is trained to assists professionals, notably in healthcare within a specific therapeutic plan to reach given goals. These animals contribute to animal-assisted interventions, for example during animal-assisted therapy.- Animal-assisted therapy dogs : dogs that fall under this category have the duty of providing assistance to patients to reach certain goals towards their recovery. They work to help patients gain skills such as motor skills, use of limbs and hand-eye coordination. They do this by walking patients through certain activities and games to help them practice these skills. These dogs are usually based in rehabilitation facilities.
- Courthouse facility dog: dogs handled by professionals working in the legal system to assist victims and vulnerable people in court settings.
Visitation Animal
- Therapeutic visitation dogs. These dogs are usually household pets; the owner of these dogs will take their pets to hospitals, nursing homes or rehabilitation facilities to visit patients. These dogs are used to improve the mental health of patients through socialization and encouragement.
- Facility therapy dog: these dogs usually work in nursing homes along with their handlers. They live at the facility and help patients with Alzheimer's disease and other cognitive and mental illnesses.
- Grief therapy dog : assist people in overcoming grief, which has led to a recent rise in the use of therapy dogs; although animal-assisted therapy theory has been around since World War II. Grief therapy dogs can be found in locations such as funeral homes, hospitals, nursing homes, schools, and hospices, and may provide support in situations such as funeral services, counseling sessions, and disaster relief. Popular breeds used as therapy dogs include the Portuguese Water Dog, Bernese Mountain Dog, St. Bernard, and Golden Retriever. In contrast to service dogs who assist disabled people with physical tasks, comfort dogs are not trained in skilled tasks, but serve as constant companions with a keen sense for someone feeling down. They can provide a way for people who are distressed to find sanctuary.
Education animal
Legal status
United States
In the United States, therapy dogs are defined but not covered or protected under the Federal Housing Act or Americans with Disabilities Act. According to the Americans with Disabilities Act, only dogs that are "individually trained to do work or perform tasks for the benefit of an individual with a disability" have legal protection as a service animal. Therapy dogs do not have public access rights with exception to the specific places they are visiting and working. Typically the dog would be granted rights by individual facilities only. Therapy dogs are subjected to several tests to ensure that they are fit for the job. These tests look at their ability to block out distractions, comfort level around a variety of people with many different disabilities, and if they are comfortably able to walk through many different terrains.While some states define therapy animals and emotional support animals, they are not protected by federal laws, and therefore can be prohibited from businesses, restaurants and many other locations.