Does anyone here use their lab as a therapy dog? It is something we would possibly like to look into with Titan. I'm not sure if it's something that you have to start as puppies, or if you can train them when they're older. I'm from Canada also, so not sure if that makes a difference at all in how we would go about it. Thanks in advance! And when I say therapy dog, I mean a dog who can go into hospitals, nursing homes etc and comfort people
We call them PAT dogs in the UK (Pets As Therapy) and it's ideal for older dogs. My parents' dog is a PAT dog, and she's a rescue, so they certainly don't need to be puppies when they start. In fact, it's better if they're a bit more sensible because they have to be trusted not to jump up at people, snap at hands etc.
I looked into it quite seriously, I think there are some here who have therapy dogs. I was hoping I could get Homer assessed so that he could come into school with me one day a week or so to be a reading dog but Pets for Therapy have quite strict guidelines and I wouldn't be able to be at work and a volunteer at the same time. Then Homer developed his problems with noises so putting it on hold for now.
I looked into this briefly (I'm in Ontario) - I believe most places require that the dog pass the Canine Good Neighbour test and then you (the human) volunteers with a specific organization...there is more to it than that, but you would have to look into what's available in the area you live and what the requirements are. You can do the Canine Good Neighbour training tons of places...it's a list of 12 things your dog has to be able to do (accept a friendly stranger, allow you to leave the room, walk through doorways etc.). They can begin this training and take the test at any age.
Judy is my unofficial therapy dog. She's made me a much happier, more patient, active and sociable human - I think she also makes strangers feel good about themselves in the way she lavishes unrestrained affection on them! Seriously, I don't know how you get dogs into working roles but I've adjusted my expectations with Judy. I was (maybe naively) expecting training to go really smoothly - now I'm happy if we get to the end of the day without her headbutting someone in the face. She's adorable but at 6 months, nowhere near predictable and trustworthy. See how your little pup matures, let him be himself and just enjoy the next few months. They pass really quickly.
I bet loads of older, reasonably well trained Labradors would be perfect as PATs dogs - I'd give it a miss for the first few years though, unless you are one of those people who were some kind of saint in a previous life and got a rare calm Labrador puppy. If you have a normal one, they are a bit too boisterous when young, I think.
I looked into it too, in Ontario, Canada. Then we would have had to pass a Therapy Dog test. I think this varies by the organization you would work with. When we did our CGN the instructor for our class said the CGN test and the therapy dog test were very similar but the dogs would be held to a much stricter standard for the therapy test. As luck would have it a dog we tested CGN with already had his therapy dog test and his owner thought the CGN was much tougher, but it was outside and her dog did his therapy test inside. I have heard who you get as an evaluator can make a big difference. At the time we did CGN the dogs had to be six months old. Oban was 9 months. Carefully check out the organization you would work with. Some offer insurance for you and your dog, some don't. Apparently residents sometimes slip dogs their pills. Or someone could accuse your dog of biting, it doesn't actually have to happen that your dog bites for you to incur court costs. WE did not go through with the therapy test. Of the two organizations near me the only one offering insurance would assign us a client and we would have a schedule. With my aged Mum and my Aunt both in nursing homes, different ones, it seemed silly for me to proceed when I could visit them without the test. Family members were encouraged to bring family dogs, so we did that. My first Lab's litter mate brother got his therapy dog certificate and went to hospital near him. He had to have a bath before each visit so maybe not for a dog with skin issues. AGain, this probably varies by hospital and by where you go IN the hospital
Thanks everyone! Definitely going to wait a few years and maybe look into it then He's pretty much the farthest thing from a calm puppy at the moment! He's also only 9 weeks old, so I will have to see how training goes and how he matures before deciding.
Have a read of @charlie 's post on Hattie's PAT work, it's very interesting (in the service dogs sub forum).
When Snowie was a puppy and overjoyed by any attention, I thought it would be ideal to be able to take him into a hospital, etc as a therapy dog - really thinking it would be a great way to stimulate him. But now that he's older, he's far more discerning about who he goes to and who he enjoys being petted by. The idea of subjecting him to people who might not treat him nicely is very unappealing now.
Hi, my dog Hattie is a Pets as Therapy dog, she started at the beginning of this year at 8 years old, we visit Hospital wards and the Hospice every week. Your dog must be able to walk on a slack lead without the aid of head collars or a harness, not jump up, be very gentle and calm, be groomed by the assessor, they hold the dogs face and get right into their face, reaction tests are done and above all the dog must have an excellent temperament etc.. These are all things you can work on over the next few years and then you and your dog will have to be assessed to your suitability. This is why your dog has to have an excellent temperament. Hattie has been grabbed around the face quite out of the blue by a patient that didn't mean to at all and I am proud to say Hattie didn't react at all. Only last week a pateint tried to force Hattie's jaws open to check her teeth again she didn't flinch, I removed her instantly because I don't want anyone doing this to my girl. I keep her safe and I do remove her very quickly from these unexpected incidences and make my excuses. But if you want to do this kind of work it does happen especially on some wards. I think this is ideal for a more mature, steady and calm dog but some dogs as young as 2 years do this work. It's extremely rewarding, Hattie only has to see her work tabard and she knows what to do, we both enjoy it so very much and have met some of the most wonderful people.
It's such a wonderful idea, I hope you do pursue it. I was lucky enough to have a visit from a professional therapy dog (she was at the hospital every day with her human who was on staff for that purpose) and I can't tell you how much I appreciated it. The first time she walked into my hospital room I literally burst into tears of joy. I tried with my first Rottweiler and we passed all the tests (they are not hard in the US - basically the Canine Good Citizen test with a couple extras tossed in). However, in the end you had to also pass final approval by a committee and they did not feel a Rottweiler should be allowed to be a therapy dog as some people may be afraid of the breed. Apparently there was lots of arguing involved as my pup was a total sweetheart, but in the end that was the decision. The irony is that when I subsequently had a very bad accident and was hospitalised for five months, that very same dog was brought into the hospital on special request by my nurses and physical therapist to help me learn to walk again. So I say he got to be a therapy dog after all.
