so you wannabee a Domestik Goddess?

Would you like to share the joy of your dog’s companionship with the less fortunate?

It doesn’t take an obedience champion to be a good therapy dog. Purebred or mutt — large breed or small — it doesn’t matter. If your dog is sociable, gentle, and reasonably well-mannered, he may be able to qualify as a therapy dog, visiting with seniors or disabled people in nursing homes and hospitals.

Prospective therapy dogs are carefully screened and tested before joining a visiting program, with a focus on their temperaments and on their relationship with the handlers.

A dog who is friendly — who really likes people in general — is already a promising candidate.

The dog who is friendly and well behaved — no jumping, running around, licking people without permission — is on the way to certification.

The dog who is trained to work around people who are bedridden or in wheelchairs, who is always under the handler’s precise control, who can perhaps perform a few entertaining tricks — is halfway there.

The dog who can take accidental mishaps in stride (such as when a disturbed client yells or brandishes a cane), who can deal alike with the endlessly repetitive interactions of Alzheimers patients, with the grabbing and gurgling of infants, and with the unpredicatability of psychiatric inpatients — and give every indication of enjoying its work — is indeed a Therapy Dog.

Training requirements vary from place to place, but the personality of the dog is all-important in any visiting program!

To get started, check out the St. John Ambulance Therapy Dog Program or similar groups. Contact your local kennel club for a Pet Visitation Program operating in your area, if you can’t find a nearby organization listed here or here. The rewards are beyond measure — for people and dogs alike!