Tasks can be customized to meet the needs of the patients and facility.
* Retrieval of items placed at different heights promotes balance while reaching.

* Playing fetch promotes upper extremity coordination, timing, and sequencing.

* Brushing the dog promotes strength, range of motion, and coordination.

* Walking alongside the dog or playing fetch promotes visual coordination/awareness.

* Inviting the dog to put its front paws in the lap promotes social interaction and language.

* The dog can assist with patient balance while walking or climbing stairs.

* Providing moral support when the patient first uses a wheelchair in the community.

Patient motivation:
Patient and dog together engage in physical activities which help achieve goals set by the
therapist. The dog offers the patient unconditional love and is nonjudgmental in his/her
interaction. This leads to a treatment session that is pleasurable as well as productive.

Functional outcome goals:
The dog can be utilized to promote range of motion, strengthening, balance, coordination,
visual and cognitive goals. Simple tasks such as grooming or playing fetch can bring about
functional results. The patient reaches higher than before as he grooms the dog that is
positioned on a high mat or takes that extra step promoting forward balance as he tosses a
fetch toy.

Social interactions and language:
Simple petting can encourage talking. A friendly dog promotes social interaction and language
with a patient who has speech difficulty.

Feelings of safety and well-being:
For the patient, a hospital setting may cause feelings of anxiety and loneliness. A dog brings a
pleasant distraction which may reduce negative feelings. This external focus can raise a
patient’s spirits and brighten the day.

Indirectly help staff of healthcare facilities:
While these trained dogs are primarily intended to help patients, their visits also cheer staff,
reducing stress in the workplace.

Increased opportunities for FUN:
Patients and staff find themselves laughing more through interaction with the dog!
Therapy dogs come in all sizes, shapes, breeds, ages, gender. Knowing this, how do you
determine the qualities needed for a successful career as a therapy dog? After all, each person
visited will have different preferences. One person may be frightened of large dogs but quickly
reach for that tiny Pomeranian. Another person may find a huge lug of a dog much easier to
hug. A hyper-active child will need a very calm dog that he can lie next to on the floor.
Even the geriatric dog can find a place in therapy work. After all, some senior citizens will
certainly be able to identify better with a slow-moving, gray-muzzled, slightly arthritic dog. And,
just think what the courage exhibited by a three-legged dog can teach a paraplegic or someone
struggling with a terminal illness.

The major ingredients for these situations are personality and temperament. Every therapy dog
must be even-tempered, good-natured, and able to accept handling by strangers.

Preliminary Evaluation:
Is your dog happy to be around people? Is this exhibited through expressive body language
such as a wiggling body, wagging tail or smiling face?
If you answered yes to the questions above, your dog has passed the first test. Those two
questions are essential and must receive an enthusiastic YES!!!

Now see how well you can do with the questions below. Remember, a No to these questions does no’t
necessarily mean your dog isn't suited for therapy work. It will simply give you an idea of the things
you need to work on.

Health
Is your dog's coat healthy and free of parasites? Is her skin free of open sores? While very few
diseases are transmitted between species, it is important to limit the risk of infection.
Does your dog accept bathing easily? You will need to bathe your dog regularly between visits.
Heavy shedders can be a nuisance during therapy visits. This is more easily controlled with
thorough brushing and combing immediately prior to each visit. Also, nails will need to be short
(and rounded) to avoid accidental scratches.

Are you willing to have an annual veterinarian visit, complete with stool check? An annual stool
check will give you a chance to detect and protect against many parasites. If your dog is
exhibiting any form of abnormal stools or has any open sores, you should cancel all visits until
the symptoms clear up.

Are your dog's vaccinations current? In addition to rabies and the usual annual vaccinations, it is
important to protect against bordetella (kennel cough).

Obedience
Will your dog come to you reliably when called? Be sure to test this in high-distraction
environments. Doing this at home, right before dinner time, is far different than breaking away
from a romp with another dog when called.

How long will your dog maintain a down-stay while you walk to the other end of the room?
There may be situations when you need to have your dog remain in a particular spot while a
patient is moving around and you are not able to stand beside the dog because of room
arrangements or logistics.

Is your dog able to greet someone while maintaining a sit rather than jumping up and down? Many
people you visit may be frail or simply nervous about dogs. Your dog should respond willingly
to affection while sitting. And she should never jump onto a lap or bed until given a command
to do so.

Are you able to give commands in a quiet, calm voice? And, are you able to give corrections in
a public-sensitive manner, without harsh handling?

Social Skills
Will your dog accept clumsy petting, wild gestures or loud voices by strangers? While the people
you are visiting will not willingly hurt a dog, they may be inadvertently rough in their handling
and your dog needs to remain calm with such touches. Test this at home by asking friends to
interact with your dog in a variety of ways different from your usual handling.
Is your dog hand-shy? A dog that either backs away from an outstretched hand or responds in
an aggressive manner should not be exposed to therapy work.

Is your dog secure away from your side and willing to approach a stranger on her own? People
want to feel accepted and cared for by a dog and easily have their feelings hurt if that dog turns
away from their touch.

Does your dog recover well from startling situations? What would happen if someone dropped
a metal bowl or other loud object behind you as you are walking down the street? Give this a
try. Your dog should not be expected to ignore the sound but should not bolt away. The ideal
response is for the dog to look to you for reassurance that everything is OK then continue
calmly with whatever she was doing before the boom. There will be many strange pieces of
equipment in the various therapy settings and the dog's confidence in the handler should
enable her to remain calm around such objects as crutches, wheelchairs, gurneys, and other
wheeled conveyances.

Will your dog respond responsibly around food? During a visit, your dog will often be exposed
to food particles on the floor or tasty meal trays at nose level. Test this one at home. Sit in a
comfy chair to watch TV and rest a cookie on your knee. What does your dog do? If she
approaches the cookie, will she back away when you give a command such as “leave it”? If
not, you need to start practicing this. It is essential for both the person you are visiting and for
your dog's own health that she not put anything in her mouth during a visit.

Is your dog willing to wear funny costumes? While this is certainly not a requirement, a therapy
visit can get off to a delightful start when the dog walks into the room wearing a silly hat or
festive cape. Holidays are the best times for dressing the dog up for visits
Just like a resume you might prepare for yourself, your dog should be well-rounded in personality and
temperament. Her greatest strength will be her enthusiasm and interest in people, as they will
be her clients. No special skills are required, other than the ability to accept the leadership of
her handler. Therapy dog work offers lots of fun the job training.