Have you ever wondered if your dog would make a good Therapy Dog? Right from
the start Icy had that rare gentle, sweet disposition that made her ideally
suited for the Therapy Dog role she would have 2 years later. The key attributes of a successful therapy
dog are a gentle temperament, being well socialized, and solid basic obedience skills. She inherently possessed the first quality,
it was up to me to help her develop the socialization and obedience skills she would need
as a Therapy Dog.
Icy in front of the Christmas Tree at a local Nursing Home where she visits residents weekly. I don't show photos of the residents to respect their privacy |
Icy at a mall during her training, curiously checking out a Carousel |
A sad
looking woman approached Icy and quietly asked to pet her. As she stroked Icy, she began to talk about
her German Shepherd, who had recently died.
As she talked, it was apparent that the loss of her dog was traumatic
and she was having a terrible time dealing with it. After petting Icy for awhile, she suddenly
grabbed her and hugged her closely.
Tears rolled down the woman’s face as she spoke about how much her dog had
meant to her and how terribly she missed him.
She was letting her tears and emotions out, allowing herself to be
comforted by Icy. It was truly an amazing
thing to witness.
She left after about
20 minutes, smiling and thanking us for letting her pet our dogs. Paulette and I looked at each other, shocked
at the sudden change in this woman’s mood from sad to bright and
cheerful. “I think we just did Therapy
Dog work” I said "and we're still in training!" It was such a great feeling knowing that
interacting with our therapy-dogs-in-training helped lift this woman’s sadness, even if only for
awhile.
After that, Icy
laid down, emotionally drained by the experience. Paulette and I decided it was time to take
our “Therapists” home.
Any breed or
type of dog can become a therapy dog, it's really about their individual temperament and personality.
If you're interesting in learning more about becoming an animal therapy team visit the Pet Partners web
site. Therapy Dogs International (TDI) is another organization
through which your pet can become a therapy animal.
Icy at a Stress Busters event at a local college where students took a break from finals to visit Therapy Dogs and unwind. I obtained permission from the students to post event photos. |
Did you know some Puppies are Being Raised in Prison for a life of service?
Is your dog a therapy dog? If so, please share how your dog helps people in need, by leaving a comment. I’d love to connect with other therapy dog handlers, and organizations who utilize therapy dogs as well so please share your blog URL in a comment and let’s connect!
THIS IS A BLOG HOP!!! HOSTED BY OUR FRIENDS RUCKUS THE ESKIE AND LOVE IS BEING OWNED BY A HUSKY
wow!!! What a powerful story about the lady who lost her shepherd. I can just imagine how much she need to grieve about her lost pet, and how much Isis helped her do that. Way to go guys!
ReplyDeleteღ husky hugz ღ frum our pack at Love is being owned by a husky!
Thanks Jenna! I think Therapy Dog work is the most rewarding thing I've ever done. Thanks for stopping by today!
DeleteThat would be a gratifying experience, to know you and your dog helped someone to cope with their pain.
ReplyDeleteYes, it really is. Worth all the training and testing! Thanks for stopping by today, Jan!
DeleteWow ! I had no idea Icy started so early. It's wonderful that therapy dogs have the ability to help heal and alter people's moods for the better. I love that therapy dogs even exist because I feel like the impact is so much stronger and long lasting as compared to popping pills. You and Icy are helping to implement real positive change in this crazy world. Kuddos!
ReplyDelete