Training Time = Watch Everything!

What goes into training a therapy dog??

That is the question of the week. I wish I could sum it up in one concise sentence, but I can't. Training a therapy dog does not happen overnight, and it takes the right kind of dog with the right kind of temperament. There are many aspects of Chief's training that I would like to discuss, but for this post, I will limit it to temperament.

The biggest thing that we look for in a therapy dog is their temperament. Although obedience is essential, temperament is a MUST! When selecting a therapy dog, you want to select a dog that inspires confidence in the people who interact with him. You also want a dog who is predictable and controllable. A dog who shy away from touch, avoids interaction with people, or has no interest in engaging in interactions is not appropriate for therapy. You want a dog who enjoys being with people, who seeks attention and attempts to engage a person in an interaction, and one that makes a person feel "like they hung the moon" (to quote Chief's foster "Dad"--Chat).

Why is temperament important? Many of the people we visit are experiencing some sort of trauma, change in role, change in situation, loss, or illness. Emotional strains are not uncommon in these instances. Often, the animals during a therapy visit take the person's mind off their situation or return them to memories that bring them joy and happiness. For this reason, you want a dog who will facilitate this emotional response. The dog can help inspire confidence in the person and their perception of what is happening--from their own skill performance to future outlook. A dog who seeks interaction from people has the potential to help a patient (client) improve their self esteem.

The way we evaluate temperament is to see the dog in a variety of environments. I chose to take Chief with me to these 2 facilities to see how he would do. I wanted to see what his response in a novel situation would be, as well as if there were any noticeable differences between the environments. I wanted to see how Chief would handle "scary" things coming at him and how quickly he recovers from stress. The only way to really understand it is to set up simulations or go into the environment.

In both environments, I allowed Chief to dictate his role in the interaction. For the most part, he sat back and observed. I noticed that he was not disengaged from what was occurring in his environment, but he was certainly "taking it all in". From my opinion, Chief seemed more confident in the pediatric clinic than he did at the nursing home. I have given careful consideration to the differences between the two and his responses. This is what I have learned about Chief's temperament:

• Chief needs to feel in control of the interaction. He doesn't like to have someone else decide for him, that he is going to interact. When given the choice, Chief will choose to be with people rather than be away from them. But if he feels that he is being controlled, he pulls away. This is a very important realization to know for the pediatric clinic, as it is often unpredictable. We will need to make sure that we set up the environment in such a way that the interactions can be somewhat controlled and predictable for him.
• I also learned that Chief develops strong bonds....quickly!!! He is already extremely bonded with me. We will have to work on separating from me for periods of time, so as not to develop a separation anxiety. This will involve lots of positive reinforcement for relaxed body positions when I am away from him.
• Chief is SMART! He picks up new behaviors quickly and also becomes quite bored quickly. He will be a good activity dog for our high activity children.
• Chief can recover from "scary" events but he needs a little reassurance. I noticed that loud equipment seems to startle him. I noticed this more at the nursing home than I did at the pediatric clinic. This is something that can be easily managed through socialization and exposure to different things.
• Chief is also sound sensitive. Different sounds seem to trigger a startle response in him. This is something that can be managed through positive reinforcement for response during training.
• One thing that will be harder to manage in his response to non-verbal body language. There are times when different body positions seem to trigger a fear response in Chief. It is a response I have seen in a dog who has been punished for bad behavior. I think this can be managed through positive reinforcement, as well, but is hard to predict. It is evident that Chief wants to please!!!
• The last thing I noticed is very similar to the children I treat who have sensory processing disorder. Many of these kids need activities to "prepare" them for challenging tasks. Chief is no different. I found quickly that a good training session or playing ball in the yard helped him manage within the environment with more success. If we had a short session with the ball, he was much more animated, approaching people, and confident in his own skin in the office. It was as if the activity helped him "shake off" the stress...and this is a good observation!! Having this knowledge, reinforcing it, and providing Chief with this activity prior to (and during) a therapy session will definitely set him up for success!!

I think this discovery process is always the most fun of any new relationship, especially with a dog. You learn so much, and much of what you learn can be managed, if addressed early on. Now that we know some of Chief, we can set him up for success. But, learning is a daily thing...and as we go along, we will make mistakes but also successes!

Tammy