Toby Got a Job

[deepnite10]

after 14 mos. of traning class s he finally was able to land a job..
he was accepted at a local Senior Care Ctr. as a therapy dog..

people ask me why we do it..i think its obvious..

[Jac]

Beautiful!!! Good job Toby! You should be so proud!

[wannadoodle]

YAY!!

[SamsonsMom]

The first picture really touched my heart. You can tell by the woman's expression that she is so happy that Toby is next to her. Amazing!!

I work for an Elder Law practice. I see so many times an elderly person placed in a nursing home and than forgotten or not treated with the same respect and care he or she should be. Kudos to you and Toby for providing an amazing service to these people. I'm sure Toby's presence really brightens a lot of the residents day!!!

[deepnite10]

It s hard to visit with each resident on each or our visitations..but, that lady in the first picture..we make
sure we visit her each day..even if we have to wait..

when we mention that Toby and I visit with the elderly..Some people ask why, including family members..

Several yrs ago i left a successful job to join a ministry in our area..Not very many people nor my family members understood why..But, many yrs later..I got another job, and now retired..and many times i even asked myself if i made the right decision to enter into the ministry..

With my experiences with Toby, training together, encouraged by the wife..and now visiting with the elderly..i know that i made the right decision many yrs ago..I know now, that my experiences with Toby is one of the many blessings that have been bestowed on me for my faithfulness..

here is a slideshow of our recent 2 day visitation during Halloween..During the party..We made an effort to visit those who could not attend.
http://www.photoshow.com/watch/Sv9Px3ur

[SamsonsMom]

Great slideshow! Toby looks very calm, relaxed and at home with the residents. I think we all know sometimes nothing can make us feel better quicker than a doodles head in our lap. Great job!

[Jac]

So precious!
There are many ministries in the world...you have happened upon one, very important one...with Toby. You spread blessings and smiles...comfort and affection...nice! Loved the halloween pics especially!

[zbargainmama]

Congratulations. That is an awesome service you are doing!
I would love if you could pm me and advise me on how to go about training a therapy dog. I really have a desire to do this at our local children's hospital. I used to volunteer in the peds hematology oncology ward (AKA cancer ward) and I just loved it. I would love to raise a therapy dog to bring in.

[utchuckd]

Originally Posted by zbargainmama

Congratulations. That is an awesome service you are doing!
I would love if you could pm me and advise me on how to go about training a therapy dog. I really have a desire to do this at our local children's hospital. I used to volunteer in the peds hematology oncology ward (AKA cancer ward) and I just loved it. I would love to raise a therapy dog to bring in.

I'm interested too. How about a post outlining therapy dog info? Thanks!

[deepnite10]

i know of 3 organizations that ll certify therapy dogs..they are Therapy Dogs International, Therapy Dogs Inc.
and The Delta Society..

Each organization say s it will certify your therapy dog..meaning that with their certification you ll be offered
a liability insurance policy thru them..and each have certain criteria you and your dog must meet..

these are the steps i took..obediance training thru the advance class and passing the CGC test..Each of the
three organizations require a dog to be able to pass this test..In addition each organization requires
passing 8-10 other test involving a dog in a work enviorment..

then i needed a note from the vet attesting to the soundness of Toby s health and temperment..

if you visit each of the websites..they are pretty informative about what their registration requirements are..
know your dog..and pick the organization that you would feel you can fit in best..each require just about the same
test..but, each conducts the test just a little differently..

i chose Therapy Dogs Inc. cuz it could best suit myself..they don t charge for testing or evaluation..and only require
you to make only 4 visitation s a yr..we do that in a week..Registration fee is only $25 with a one time fee of $10..
they also had the closest evaluator and tester to me...the others, i would have had to drive several hrs..in one case id have to stay overnight 8hr drive, oneway..

[deepnite10]

one of the test envolves distractions to your commands..

and i had to make sure i had control of Toby during that Halloween party..there was alot of sudden noises *part of test*
alot of kids petting and hugging *part of test* , wheel chairs rolling around *part of test*..loud voices *part of test*
positioning Toby close qtrs with residence *part of test*..and of course the costums..that worried me the most..i was
always in position to take control of Toby if he got scared..

Luckily he enjoyed the entire party..

another note about the testing..though during the CGC testing you can give multiple commands..but, during the therapy testing..you are allowed to only make a single command..and though he might obey in your backyard..you never know if
he s going to choke during the certification test in the second part of the test you are allow d to miss 2..

[Jac]

Great info...I would only add that you also need to be aware of your dog and be prepared to protect him or her. Sometimes, people act out in surprising ways and you should be ready to step between them and your dog if you think that your dog might get frightened or hurt.

One of my pups (well several, but this story is about one) is certified as a therapy dog...he is as calm as they come. In fact, his therapy is really tough because his owner is a clinical Psychologist and she takes the dog with her to work where the patients are severly impaired...some do nothing but scream, some slap, some are totally unpredictible...but the owner is so great to keep her dog safe at all times.

One of the clients has not spoken for years (not at all since she has been there, over 5 years) except that he says 2 words, cookie and coffee...well, when this woman took her therapy dog in, the man grabbed the leash...she wondered if he was just looking at the leash, as some patients do, but she decided to take this man out for a walk with her and the dog...the man held the leash the entire walk (only a short distance)...the next day they did it again...and the man actualy did gentle corrections with the leash when the dog would start to wander off...the next time, the man said, "Good." and the next time he said, "Good boy." and the next time he said, "Atta Boy."

Remarkable progress for a person who has not spoken or interacted for years...these dogs are great!

[deepnite10]

your right..part of the training is accepting a friendly stranger..part of CGC test..what they want for the
dog is to be trained in accepting a stranger groping and hugging a dog..even then, depending on the
tempermant of the dog , you just have to keep your head on a swivel..as gentle as dog may be..you don t , ever
want someone to accidentally provoke your partner..

part of our by-laws..is the understanding that we never allow a resident to handle the dog alone..
most of the the elderly are in wheel chairs..yet want to walk Toby if that s the case i ll always
give the end of the lead to the resident yet take control at mid length..

there s alot of innocent things a dog can do to harm an elderly person..their skin is much thinner which can
be bruised or broken easily..there s just alot of things you ll need to be aware of..things that we take for granted
but can be dangerous..

for this reason, we re required to take frequent field trips with a senior handler..to grocery stores, schools , hospitals, etc.
just to observe and see if our own handling techniques can be improved upon..

[utchuckd]

Thanks for the info!!!

I know I'm a ways off from even thinking about getting this, heck, right now I'm still proofing 'sit' for distance with the clicker. But I think this would be an awesome thing to be able to do if possible.

[deepnite10]

Please don t get discouraged..

Toby and I have gone thru nearly 14 mos. of obedience training..and you never feel confident completely..the most important part is *doe s he have the temperment* and you *the patience*..

Toby s got his job..but, he s still a way s from being certified..We ve jumped from group to another in hopes of finding the perfect match..we ve finally settled on a The Foundation for Pet Provided Therapy, AKA Love on a Leash..*FPPT*

Evaluation s are seperated in 2 parts..Obedience & Appitude..we ve just completed 2 obedience evaluation s and past each one..and 1 of 10 visitation evaluations ..

i would nt so much worry about clicker tng..alot of facilities don t allow it..the clicker acts a treat..and our CGC testers don t allow treats of any kind..does your doodle respond to verbals?..if he does, your well on your way to making a great team..