Therapy dog?

[M.R.Ducks]

Not sure the correct term to call it but long story short, I have to much time on my hands some weeks, I work weekend shift (Friday thru Sunday). My wife and I were watching tv tonight and a “therapy dog” was going through a hospital visiting kids. It got me to thinking and I did a quick google search and it seems that a lot of places like having dogs come in and visit patients.

As anyone ever done this? I mentioned it to my wife and she use to work at the hospital and said she would talk to a few people. Is there any certain certificates you have to have before you can take your pups in? I have a 2 year old Boykin that is the sweetest dog in the world and if I can make anyone’s day better, I’d love to give it a shot.

Thanks
Chris

[SCDAWG]

Augusta University bought one for 10K. The are bred for temperament. The damn thing doesn’t even know sit stay and come. They are trying to buy another one. I think I was told Children’s Hospital of Atlanta has right at 50 dogs.

I do know the one n Augusta is handled and cared for by some kind of therapist employed by the hospital.

[scdiver]

There is a way to get your pup classified as a therapy dog.

Most of them involve a test, and a few visits, but should be relatively easy if a well behaved pup.

[BET]

I've got a two year old golden that I've been thinking about doing the exact same thing with.

[mudflat]

Everyone has therapy dogs these days. Done got ridiculous. I wish store owners, chains would put a stop to it. Why do you need to take your dog into Lowes, restaurant, or convenience store! WHY?

[Quack07]

Everyone has therapy dogs these days. Done got ridiculous. I wish store owners, chains would put a stop to it. Why do you need to take your dog into Lowes, restaurant, or convenience store! WHY?

Why not? Well behaved dogs are way cooler than 95% of people in this world.

[huntinghagen#12]

If I’m laying in my hospital bed one day, someone please remember that I’ll be pissed if a Boykin is presented to me as a form of “therapy”.

[BET]

I'm not trying to do it so I can take my dog places, I'm trying to do it to help people

[SCDAWG]

We live in a world where rescues get more attention than abortions

[M.R.Ducks]

Everyone has therapy dogs these days. Done got ridiculous. I wish store owners, chains would put a stop to it. Why do you need to take your dog into Lowes, restaurant, or convenience store! WHY?

I could care less about taking my dog to Lowe’s or wherever but for a sick child sitting in a hospital that has nothing going on for him/her and my pup could bring a smile and make their day or an ederly person in a nursing home that has no one to visit them, maybe a little brown dog could bring them joy for a few minutes.

[Buckin Bronco]

My dog wouldve made a great therapy with proper training. He is calm as can be once he settles around people, I just didn’t know how to keep him calm at introduction. Maybe I should’ve socialized him more. If anyone has any therapy dog training books I’d like to certify my next one.

[ziggy]

if i get mine certified, does that mean he can fly on a plane with me? would really help out on those trips north every october

[flockbuster]

Pm wc Crites on here. I'm pretty sure he does this

[mudflat]

While I get your dog may bring some happiness to a child, I prefer your dog stay out of the hospital room I may or may not be in. I’ll keep my wife’s therapeutic pussy out of it also. That’s what they make stuffed animals for.

[smitch320]

Everyone has therapy dogs these days. Done got ridiculous. I wish store owners, chains would put a stop to it. Why do you need to take your dog into Lowes, restaurant, or convenience store! WHY?

That’s a service dog. The OP wants his dog to comfort people who are ill and in the hospital, etc.

[smitch320]

While I get your dog may bring some happiness to a child, I prefer your dog stay out of the hospital room I may or may not be in. I’ll keep my wife’s therapeutic pussy out of it also. That’s what they make stuffed animals for.

You’re really on one this morning lol

[MsMills]

Search under therapy dog registration and classes. There's a lot of information out there and certain programs that offer training. Ultimately, whether you train the dog your self or attend classes, the dog will be required to pass an examine by a certified instructed. How easy or hard will depend on the instructor. I know people who thought it was extremely easy and others who failed because their leash was 6" to long.

[Zephyr]

Know that t there is a difference between:
1. Therapy dog
2. Service Dog
3. Emotional Support dog

The world is overrun with unruly, untrained "emotional support dogs" that don't do anything except provide some kind of imaginary buffer between their owners and reality.

Any Tom, Dick or Harry can purchase a service dog vest on Amazon and slap it on their ill-mannered dog so they can take them into public places. It's freaking ridiculous.

REAL Service dogs provide a specific service that requires training and these dogs have great manners and are safe to be around

Therapy dogs are selected for temperament and visit hospitals and nursing homes.

[mudflat]

Monkeys are way cooler than dogs or cats, they make me smile every time I see one. I’m sure they do the same for kids. Let’s include them too as service/therapy animals. My first experience with a monkey was down at the dirty myrtle pavilion. One of the capuchin kind. Wearing a lil hat, shorts, and a nail apron. Lil fucker was trained to take quarters outta ya hand, he knew quarters from nickles and dimes too. He was filling that nail apron up as fast as he could, lil kids surrounding him like grown white men surrounding Tiger at the Masters seeking an autograph. Pepe the monkey handler laughing at Glenns tax free money all the way to the bank! Pepe probably retired not long after that, lil fucker probably bit one to many kids and yeller onion juice and motor oil wasn’t good enough, some parent heard about these new litigation lawyers on TV.

[M.R.Ducks]

While I get your dog may bring some happiness to a child, I prefer your dog stay out of the hospital room I may or may not be in. I’ll keep my wife’s therapeutic pussy out of it also. That’s what they make stuffed animals for.

There’s always one....