~ Interested in Therapy? ~
Interested In Therapy?
Requirements for doing therapy work will vary from city to county to state, and will be entirely dependent upon what type of therapy - and in what locations - you wish to go to work. Though the thinking has been slow to change, at the very least, we are opening a new age wherein using dogs as therapists is becoming more and more recognized and adopted.
Many times, in order to visit a nursing home or retirement home, nothing more than a well-behaved, sensitive dog, and a large heart, are required. Visit the home to introduce yourself, express your wishes, and if they are open to the idea, arrange to bring your sheltie with you to meet the staff so that they might make an informed decision.
There are times, however, when your dog must have achieved CGC (Canine Good Citizen) certification. You may click here for more information on CGC.
There are other times when your Sheltie may have to be therapy certified. This can be done under at least these two different, most widely known programs: Therapy Dog International, and Delta Society Therapy Dogs.
And then, in order to do work inside a hospital proper, much more is usually involved before approval for your visits is given. Locally, any dogs used for therapy within the hospital complex must be CGC certified; must pass a complex health examination and undergo wormings and vaccinations, blood work and many other things before being deemed "clean" for entry into the hospital wards. These extensive health exams are repeated, I believe, bi-annually, and vaccinations re-administered. A check with your local hospital's Patient Advocacy program or Health Affairs administrator should give you more information regarding requirements to enter the hospital. A good place to start with therapy work in a hospital is the psychiatric and children's wards.
For more information regarding therapy work with your sheltie, visit any of the links below, which hopefully will help get you started:
Canine Companions For Independence
Pets Are Wonderful Support (PAWS)
Prison
Pet Partnership Program
Therapy is not about giving. Therapy is about receiving.
Please feel free to e-mail Amy with any questions or comments
