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Charlie Traffas
Charlie Traffas has been involved in marketing, media, publishing and insurance for more than 40 years. In addition to being a fully-licensed life, health, property and casualty agent, he is also President and Owner of Chart Marketing, Inc. (CMI). CMI operates and markets several different products and services that help B2B and B2C businesses throughout the country create customers...profitably. You may contact Charlie by phone at (316) 721-9200, by e-mail at ctraffas@chartmarketing.com, or you may visit at www.chartmarketing.com.
Pets
2006-11-01 15:52:00
What is a ‘therapy dog’?
I work in an assisted living facility that has therapy dogs’ visit. The residents love it when the dogs come. I have a dog with a great personality that I would like to bring to work. How can I get him eligible to be a Therapy Dog?
ANSWER: Therapy Dogs and their owners always work as volunteers; however many facilities will allow you to bring your certified dog to work with you as long as the company has a liability policy that covers your dog and you. When you go out as a representative of Therapy Dogs International or another organization such as Therapy Dogs Inc., or Delta, your liability insurance is covered by the parent organization. Therapy Dogs are welcome in many venues. Assisted Living, Alzheimer’s facilities, cancer treatment units, rehabilitation wards, homes for mentally and physically disabled, even places such as the Children’s Home, and Rainbows United. For your dog to be certified with Therapy Dogs International they must pass a 14 step test and have the confidence to meet lots of people. A full list of the steps can be found at www.tdi-dog.org. I refer to this organization because it is the most recognized and I own 3 certified dogs and am an evaluator with them. Most of the test is good basic obedience. Sit, stay, heel, come, down are commands your dog needs to know. They must be able to perform these commands around other dogs and while strangers approach them in a wheelchair or with a walker. The dog must have a stable enough temperament to not become frightened or aggressive if people reach out or even hug him. Loud noises and strange machinery should not overly stimulate your dog. They must learn to not pick up food or objects from the floor or within their reach, even if they smell wonderful. Therapy Dogs bring a wonderful dimension to the lives of the elderly, ill, or displaced youth. Cathy, a handler with TDI, takes her Dachsunds to a cancer treatment facility. They entertain with tricks but more importantly they sit on a patient’s lap while treatment is in progress. Many times Cathy has been told how the pain and stress of the treatment melts away while petting a soft warm dog. Dogs evoke memories in the nursing home residents. We hear wonderful stories of dogs they owned throughout their lives. Post Surgical patients that are reluctant to exercise will walk the dog or throw a ball to be retrieved. Head trauma victims will respond to the tactile stimulation of a dog lying beside them on the bed. One experience I will never forget is when a stroke victim spoke to my dog after 6 months of silence. Therapy Dogs are being used in the school reading programs, and in the classrooms. The volunteer handlers take the dogs for special programs or at certain times during the day for interaction with the students. Dogs that are one year or older can be tested to be Therapy Dogs. The 14 steps to the obedience part of the test are not particularly difficult with regular training. However, not every obedient dog makes a good therapy dog. The dog must have the friendly outgoing temperament to face new people and new situations without showing signs of undo stress. If you have a dog that you feel could meet these requirements and you have the willingness to volunteer as a handler then perhaps owning a Therapy Dog is the community service for you.
 
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