New week ~ new focus ... Animal Assisted Therapy

Pet Therapy was the main reason for beginning this whole journey ~ Therapy (pet therapy) in Transition (motion - going to a client's home/residence); as well the month of December holds a special place as it is the month of Tito's birthday, December 18th to be exact we are going to be focusing on animal therapy or pet therapy this week for topic of conversation. Enjoy!

Animal Assisted Therapy
by Krista Mifflin
Source: About.com

About Animal Assisted Therapy:
Animal Assisted Therapy is the use of therapy dogs and cats through structured organizations. Officially, dogs are certified and used to promote mental stimulation in patients requiring long-term care. The programs work closely with health care officials, often pairing up a single animal and handler to a patient.

Getting Started:
The very first step in getting started in Animal Assisted Therapy is to evaluate your dog's personality. Your dog must be confident, not hyper, and tolerant of surprising noises, and groping hands. A high tolerance to pain is also essential. Elderly people and young children may trip or stumble onto your dog, or may not be as gentle as they should be. A dog who will not tolerate these mishaps can easily lawsuit for the owner, facility, or organization.

Your dog must be friendly, to both complete strangers, and other animals. Others involved in Animal Assisted Therapy may also be present, and a dog who has a taste for cats will a be a large liability. Your dog must also be well-acclimatized to being passed around, left with a stranger, and touched continuously without preliminary greeting rituals.

While it is hoped that any patient you may end up with has been briefed accordingly in pet etiquette, it is also entirely possible that the patient will know nothing about approaching strange dogs.

Find an organization to join that is willing to help and work with you and your dog and has a program in place to certify your dog. Certification programs may vary, organization to organization, but the basic tenets should be identical (obedience training, Canine Good Citizen may be a required title). Check for liability insurance, and the overall reputation of the organization according to listed facilities.