Toby's First Therapy Evaluation

To pick up where I left off in the last flashback: I went online and found the Delta Society website, and Delta's local affiliate in Des Moines, Paws & Effect. They appeared to be the only animal therapy training and support group of any kind in our area. Their next training wasn't posted, so I got in touch with the director, Nicole Shumate. She promised to let me know when their next Pet Partners weekend workshop would be held in Des Moines. It appeared that it would be early the next spring, so I decided to go ahead on my own until then, making my own facility contacts and visiting wherever possible.

My husband discovered the Intermountain Therapy Animals website as he was searching for therapy animal information. They are another therapy animal organization operating in Utah, and have developed the Reading Education Assistance Dog (R) (R.E.A.D.) program. I was intrigued by this program, as I had heard of children reading to animals in schools and libraries. I pored over the website myself, watching their inspiring online videos and learning about the program. I ordered their training manual and began teaching myself how to run a R.E.A.D. program in libraries and schools. I could not become an official R.E.A.D. practitioner until I had registered my animals and myself with an organization like Delta, but that didn't stop me from contacting my children's school to see if I could work with any of their students.

One of the special education reading resource teachers asked if I would come read with one of her third grade students, a boy I'll call Bobby. Each Tuesday I would bring Toby to her classroom, and we would spend the last 15 minutes of Bobby's resource time sitting on beanbag chairs and reading a book of his choice. He worked very hard for Toby, and we helped him sound out the words and read with expression. At the end of the school year Toby and I visited his regular classroom and presented him with a certificate. (More about Bobby another time.) His teacher said he had made great improvements in his reading that year, and Toby and I hoped we had been a part of his growth.

Back to waiting for training: I happened to meet a woman in a grocery store when I was socializing Toby one autumn day, who told me she had her registered therapy dog -- a golden retriever -- in the car outside. We started talking, and she said she had tested with Therapy Dogs International (TDI) in Des Moines, and it only cost a few dollars. No prior training required. That sounded great to me, so I looked them up online and saw that their next evaluation was to be held in November. I talked it over with my husband, and we decided it made sense for Toby and me to go ahead and get tested and registered with TDI, so I could be an official therapy dog handler right away. I figured I could wait and test the cats with Delta, as TDI only tested dogs.

After talking it over with our obedience trainer, however, I realized that TDI does not allow multiple registrations: if I registered with them, I could not train and participate in the R.E.A.D. program. I could start my own "Tail Waggin' Tutors" program under the guidance of TDI, but it doesn't include animals other than dogs, training, or a local support group. I decided to take Toby to the TDI testing as a spectator rather than a participant, just to see what the test was like.

We went on a Sunday morning. There were quite a few teams there at the dog training facility where it was being held. I spoke with the person at the registration desk, and discovered that the test included elements of both the AKC Canine Good Citizen (CGC) test and the therapy dog test. I could take the whole test (there was no separating the parts) and accept just the CGC for $10 if I wanted to. I was hungry for any kind of validation to take into the facilities with us, so decided to go ahead and participate in the evaluation. Luckily, I had brought Toby's brush, so I could give him a quick spiff up before it started. Grooming is part of the evaluation.

I won't go into any details right now about the test itself, but I will say Toby and I passed with flying colors. I was so proud of him! We got our paperwork and ordered the certificate and collar tag from the AKC. Even though we weren't a registered team yet, I could at least say that we had passed an evaluation for therapy and earned the CGC. When it came down to it, what we did and how we behaved in our visits mattered more than how many tags or certificates we had. We comported ourselves as confident professionals, and our clients were content to wait for our credentials.

"Intro to Animal Therapy," or "How I Fortuitously Stumbled onto my Future'

Flashback: Last September I was walking Toby, our adult Sheltie, through our small downtown, and stopped in at a new craft consignment store. I took Toby in with me (he is so well behaved he is welcome in nearly every business in town), and one of the owners had his dog in the store with him. I struck up a conversation with the man, as dog people are wont to do, and discovered that his was a seizure alert dog (a service dog that warns its human partner when a seizure is imminent, so the person can go to a safe place to have the seizure or seek help). He remarked that Toby was a very intelligent, well trained dog, and told me that such a dog should have the chance to fulfill his potential, doing work of some kind. He said he was a licensed trainer of therapy, service, and search & rescue dogs, and offered to help me train Toby. I said I'd thought about animal therapy, and he thought Toby would be perfect for the job.

He named a figure for his training fee, and it was far more than I could ever have paid. (My husband would have rolled his eyes at me if I'd even suggested it to him.) He then said that I could train Toby myself, and he would evaluate us when I thought we were ready. I liked that idea much better. I immediately went home, ordered Kathy Diamond Davis' book on therapy dogs and a blue therapy dog vest online, and started researching therapy dog organizations. I also enrolled the two of us in a basic obedience class, to make sure that the training I'd done with him had been correct. We would need to pass the AKC's Canine Good Citizen (CGC) test as well as a therapy evaluation.

When the book arrived, I read it from cover to cover in just a few days, learning a vast amount of very useful information about training a therapy dog. Davis' book is referred to as "the bible of therapy dog training" by those in the field, and I could understand why. She covers all the bases. I didn't understand just how excellent it was until later, after seeing training materials from other sources. I only knew that after reading it, I felt confident enough to train myself and my dog, and began doing it.

I called a local nursing and rehab center, told them that I'd like to start visiting them in preparation for therapy animal evaluation, and was met with enthusiastic welcome. I asked a library if I could bring Toby in with me one day to train him in a library environment, and they asked me to come to their preschool story hour on a regular basis. I was at a YMCA fall kids' fest with Toby, getting him used to the noise and energy level of small children, and the activities director of an adult daycare (who happened to be working a booth there) asked me if I would visit her facility regularly.

I was overwhelmed with the response I was getting. I had never dreamed that we would be invited to so many places so soon! And we were still in training, not yet registered with any therapy organization. I made sure our homeowner's insurance policy covered liability for our pets when we were away from home, and jumped into volunteer "practice." I took both Toby and Tinker with me, at different times, on these visits, and our "clients" loved them.

Toby was amazing in his obedience class. We worked together to develop our teamwork, and learned to trust each other more than ever. One of the instructors and her dog were Delta Society Pet Partners, and she encouraged me to pursue Pet Partner training, evaluation and registration. We talked a bit about the difference between the available registering organizations, and Delta sounded like the right one for us, for many reasons.

To be continued...

Adult Daycare Keeps Me on My Toes!

This morning Toby and I made our monthly pilgrimage to the adult daycare center. We had to skip it last month when I discovered that our flea medication wasn't working. There is no greater sin in therapy animal work than taking an animal with parasites into a nursing facility. I have always used Frontline on my dogs and cats, but since moving to Colfax, it hasn't done the job. Last fall I had to take a hiatus in my therapy work for more than two months until a hard frost killed off the flea population in town. When Frontline failed again this year, I was determined to find a cure before I had to bug bomb our house (we did it three times last summer, to no avail -- though it did prove to be effective on the spiders, thank goodness!).

I did some Internet research, and decided that K-9 Advantix (dogs) and Advantage II (cats) were the things to try. I ordered some from Petco.com, which seemed to be very reasonable, along with a box of Capstar as a boost, just in case. It arrived very quickly, and I dosed the whole menagerie (dog, puppy, and four cats). The results were nearly immediate. Trooper, the pup, had some lingering fleas, so he got a couple of doses of Capstar (you can safely give it every day if you need to), and all got their second monthly application this week. At last, something that actually KILLS fleas! (I don't work for any drug company -- just letting you know what worked for us, in case you have the same problem.)

I also took a tip from some of Trooper's littermates' adoptive moms, and sprinkled diatomaceous earth (ground up fossils) in the area of my yard used by the dogs. It kills fleas by slicing through their exoskeletons. Sounds awful, but I have no pity for the teeny varmints. Doesn't hurt mammals, but is deadly to bugs. Works on anthills, too, if anyone has a problem with those guys.

But I digress. The adult daycare is a bit different from my other care facility clients. The folks there are all alert and active, and expect more from us than a quick "pet my dog" session. So I always give them a short program of some sort. I've had to rack my brain a couple of times to come up with something entertaining, but so far I've always managed to think of something to do. They are a wonderful audience to audition new programs and tricks for, always encouraging and offering suggestions and questions that I might not have considered before. Senior citizens have a wealth of knowledge to share, and an inspiring curiosity as well.

Earlier this summer I was asked to do a "dog and pony show" -- minus the pony -- for a group of children at a library. The librarian asked me to bring both Toby and Trooper, because kids love puppies. Within just a few days I had to come up with a routine involving obedience demonstrations and tricks, something that would entertain a large room full of wiggly children. Luckily, my visit to the adult daycare was scheduled a few days before my library gig, and I had a chance to try out my program on the folks there. They were great, and helped me figure out where the dogs needed more practice before the children's program. When we finally did it "for real," the kids were enthralled, and Toby chased his tail in a record number of circles as they counted.

I didn't know until about 9:00 just what I was going to do for the program at 10:30 this morning. Dog or cat? Subject matter? I kept coming up empty. Then I happened to glance at the materials I'd used for the festival booth, and realized Toby and I could piggyback on them to present a program about some of the jobs that therapy animals can do. I explained our work in general, then focused particularly upon the Reading Education Assistance Dog (R.E.A.D.) program. To help them understand the program from a child's point of view, I read them the children's storybook I've written, Ben and the Reading Dog, featuring Toby, and then answered questions afterward. I was a bit embarrassed when they asked me to sign a copy of the little book I gave them. I've signed autographs for singing and acting before, but never for writing.

We also had a great discussion about other kinds of therapy animals, particularly the rabbits that this daycare had several years ago. I learned a lot, too, about how sensitive a rabbit actually can be to a person's emotions. One of their rabbits jumped into the lap of a very upset little lady one day, rested its paws on her chest, and nuzzled her in the neck. What a lovely, comforting experience!

A variety of species of obedient, calm, and people-loving animals can be registered as therapy animals. The most common are dogs, followed by cats. I've also heard of llamas, rats, guinea pigs, hamsters, birds (usually parrots), bunnies, burros, horses and miniature horses becoming therapy animals. Reptiles and exotics are not allowed, for obvious reasons. Perhaps that will change in the future, but for now it is limited to "common" pet mammals and birds. I still get some surprised responses when I tell people that I have therapy cats, too, so I can just imagine their reaction if I offered to bring a llama to their bedside!

Toby Goes to Hospice

Our booth at the festival was a quiet success. We didn't have a splashy presentation, as no electricity was available in our location, but many people stopped by to read our informational signs, give Toby and Trooper (dog and puppy) a treat, and ask about animal therapy. At least two of the passersby stayed to talk about how they could get their own dogs involved, and I gave them my card and a promise to help them if they decided to pursue it. I didn't sell any of my storybooks, but I didn't really expect to. It wasn't the venue for such things. But I did give one book away in a free drawing, as well as two sessions of R.E.A.D. for a child, so at least two families will remember us after the festival is packed up and put away.

Yesterday Toby (my Sheltie) and I had our first meeting with the Hospice staff. We sat in a storeroom that had been reclaimed and nicely decorated as a small library/lounge and, while Toby napped beside my chair, talked about what each of us hoped to achieve with a therapy animal program. I was asked what my "dream goal" would be for Hospice, and I confess to being a bit surprised by the question. I know what animal therapy does for people, and sometimes forget that it is a fairly new concept for many healthcare professionals. I do hope to grow the program, someday, by adding more Pet Partner teams, so we can make more frequent and varied visits, but that is too far off to contemplate at this point. They didn't want pie-in-the-sky projections, but down-to-earth possibilities.

So I said I understand that my animal partners and I will not be working with physical therapists to help patients get well and go home again -- that's not what Hospice is about -- but that we want to bring comfort and pleasure to the patients who are spending their last days there. We know that visiting with an animal can reduce pain, anxiety and blood pressure, and can be a bright spot in a dull day. We want to do all that for the patients, plus put a little fun into their lives. Animals live in the present, and help us to do the same. While we are stroking or playing with an animal, we are not worrying about the future. They bring us into the present, too, and make us feel alive and happy. This is what I hope to accomplish for the Hospice patients.

I talked about how a Pet Partner visit can also help the families of patients/residents in care facilities. When they see their loved one responding to an animal, they catch a glimpse of the person they love before the illness or dementia robbed them of their vitality, and perhaps their awareness as well. When an ill person spends time with a pet, he or she remembers their past life with their own pets, and other joyful memories that are associated with them. For a short time, they are who they were, and families can rejoice in those moments. Family members receive their own portion of therapy from the animals as well. A calm, loving dog or cat makes everyone in the room more relaxed and amused, and provides a distraction from more serious thoughts. I suggested that the staff let families know when our visits are, so they can plan to be there if they'd like.

We also discussed basic things, like behavior and liability. I explained that a registered Delta Society Pet Partner has had two full days of classroom training, plus lots of directed training time with their animals. I described the test we had to pass (obedience, ignoring distractions, socialization with strangers, etc.) to become registered, and told them we had a million dollars liability insurance through Delta Society, and additional insurance with our homeowner's policy. I wanted them to understand that there is a big difference between a registered Pet Partner team, and someone who has a pet they bring in to share. Delta Society establishes standards of conduct and safety that all Pet Partners are bound to follow, so a facility can feel confident they are getting a healthy and professional volunteer team.

When we had finished our discussion, we took a tour of the Hospice wing of the hospital. The private rooms are quite large, comfortably furnished, and attractively decorated. The lounges and kitchenette for families are soothing and conveniently located. We met the staff working at the nurses' station, and as we made our introductions and small talk, two ladies (family visitors) in the patient room across the hall noticed Toby standing beside me. They saw his working vest, and asked if he could come in to visit their mother. I looked to the volunteer coordinator for permission, as we had yet to complete an orientation/training, and she gave me the nod to enter the room.

Inside was a frail old woman in a hospital bed, bundled to the neck in soft fleece blankets. The daughters greeted Toby with enthusiasm, and then asked if their mother could see him. I asked for a towel to put under him, which was quickly provided from the woman's bathroom. I leaned over to Toby and said, "Up to me," and he jumped into my arms. I lifted him up and laid him in the bed beside her, with his head on her chest. He lay quietly while she extricated an arm from the blankets and stroked him with a large smile on her face. We talked about her dogs, Boston Bull Terriers, that she'd had when she was at home, and her daughters smiled and joined the conversation. When she appeared to be getting cold and a bit tired, I lifted Toby out of the bed and thanked the woman for visiting with us. Her daughters also expressed their gratitude for our visit, and asked us to come back as often as possible. They said they knew that our visit would be the highlight of their mother's day. Toby quietly woofed goodbye, and we left the room.

Back in the hallway, I apologized to the staff for hijacking their tour, but they were quick to say that they were happy to make the stop, and it only illustrated to them how important our ministry would be to their patients. The volunteer coordinator usually holds volunteer training only once a year, and the next scheduled session is quite a long time from now, but she asked if I would be willing to come in for a couple of private sessions right away, so we can get the program up and running immediately. I of course said yes, so we have our first session tomorrow morning. Toby, Teddy, Tinker and I are looking forward to starting work there, and will make every effort to complete the training as soon as possible. We may not save lives with our visits, but if we can bring a lessening of pain, and some joy to Hospice patients and their families, we consider ourselves successful.

Getting the Word Out

I'm working on putting together a booth to promote animal therapy at our local festival, Mineral Springs Days. I found a cheap gazebo at Menards on sale, and hope I can make it stand up on the sidewalk spot I've been assigned. My animal partners will need shade if they are to help me that day. Animal therapy, at least as most of us do it, is completely volunteer. Since we have no budget, we can't always get the most elaborate equipment. All we can do is operate as frugally as possible, buying on sale, and take a tax deduction for volunteer expenses. As long as the facilities we serve are nonprofit, we can declare it.

We never break even -- the cost of printer cartridges alone, for R.E.A.D.(R) program materials and business cards, are enough to make you weep -- but we aren't in it for the money. We do it to serve those who need the comfort and inspiration a therapy animal visit can offer, and for love of our fellow man. If we can make this journey through life -- and sometimes the leaving of it -- a little easier for some, we are fulfilled as human beings. We have the joy of working with our best friends, our animal companions, and the satisfaction of knowing we are doing good in the world. Those of us who are Christians believe we serve our God in this way, and feel blessed to be able to help His people.

I have written a short children's story about the R.E.A.D. program, called Ben and the Reading Dog, that I am attempting to put in some form to self publish on my computer. I copyrighted it this spring, and hope to sell a few inexpensive copies to help recoup some of my costs for the booth. I will also have a free drawing for a couple of services -- reading animal sessions for kids, and a therapy animal visit to a home or care facility -- to help raise awareness of therapy animal work. I hope many people stop by and visit, and perhaps become interested in training themselves and their pets in therapy also. If I show local folks how it works and create some enthusiasm via word of mouth, perhaps I can help create a few new therapy teams in our area. There truly is a need for it.

Trooper Wins (attention) at the Iowa Straw Poll

Greg and I took our two ten-year-old boys to the Iowa Republican Straw Poll in Ames, Iowa, this last weekend. We wanted to give them a micro-lesson in the democratic election process, and this was a perfect opportunity. At the Straw Poll, they don't ask you about your party affiliation, so everyone is welcome, including kids and dogs. We took our Sheltie puppy, Trooper, dressed in his "Therapy Dog in Training" vest. He can't stay home for any great length of time without a potty break, as he is only seven months old. We used this as yet another opportunity to socialize him in preparation for future therapy work.

We visited all of the candidates' tents, enjoyed the entertainment (I didn't know that Herman Kane had a wonderful voice until he sang a number with Mike Huckabee and a young guitarist) and free food, and got autographs and photos of all kinds of celebrities. Trooper had his photo -- and even video -- taken by many photographers throughout the day. I'm wondering if he will show up on someone else's blog about the Straw Poll. He is always a popular attraction whenever we take him out.

I answered a plethora of questions about animal therapy that day, which is the norm when folks see our dogs in a vest. I found out after the fact that the woman with whom I had a nice conversation (about Trooper, of course!) next to the Fox News stage was Mrs. Huckabee, and it may have been their daughter who also asked about Trooper and gave him a treat. They were just regular folks.

Greg wanted to see Sean Hannity, and we were fortunate enough to find him greeting people around the Fox trailer before his and Huckabee's shows started live filming. I had the camera in one hand taking a photo of Sean and my guys, and Trooper in the other arm to keep him from getting stepped on, when Sean said, "What a cute dog!" and stepped over to pet him. I explained that Trooper was being trained to work with our veterans at the VA hospital, and he said, "That's great! Let's get a picture with the dog." He put his arms around us, and Greg snapped the shot. Trooper is becoming quite the celebrity hound!

Hospice calling: will you serve?

I got a call this week from the local hospital's hospice grief counselor, responding to a message I'd left on her phone. I'd seen an ad in the paper about her counseling sessions for children affected by the loss of a loved one, and called to ask if she could incorporate any of my therapy animals into the program. She thought the kids' program would not be the place for us, as it was just a short series of meetings, but was excited to know that we were available, and asked if we would be interested in working in the hospice wing of the hospital. I, in turn, was thrilled at the invitation. I want to learn as much as I can about all aspects of animal therapy.

Some people don't like the idea of spending time with folks who are terminally ill, but I've had several of our "visitees" at the nursing and rehab center (we visit monthly) pass away between our visits, and I'm just glad we were able to bring some happiness into their last days on earth. I know nothing we can do will heal their bodies, but something about hugging and stroking a furry ball of unconditional love is very healing to the heart, soul and mind. If I were very ill, I would want the comfort of my dogs and cats lying on the bed with me. I'm glad I've been given the opportunity to share them with others.

Flashback: On our first visit to the nursing and rehabilitation center, Toby and I visited in the "memory wing," the part of the facility for residents with Alzheimer's disease and other forms of dementia. We were accompanied by the assistant activities director, whom I will call "Emmie" for this blog. Toby (my Sheltie), Emmie and I entered the room of a tall, frail woman, who lay fully clothed in her bed, staring at the TV. Emmie told me that "Janet" (another alias) had stopped responding to people months ago, and would not talk. When Janet saw Toby, she became animated and verbal. I pulled a chair up to Janet's bedside and had Toby jump into it and sit beside her. Janet sat up and began to pet Toby with her long, skeletal fingers. She told Toby what a pretty dog he was, that he was a good dog, and how much she liked him. She smiled and caressed his soft coat.

I looked up at Emmie, and saw tears in her eyes as she watched Janet and Toby. She had wanted for so long to somehow reach this woman, and the quiet presence of a dog had finally gotten through the fog of Janet's dementia and touched the person inside.

Toby and I visited the next month with Janet, with the same response. The month after, another woman was in her bed, and I learned that she had passed away soon after our last visit. I should have been sad, but the knowledge that Toby had helped her to become herself again for even just a few minutes was a source of joy for me. I only wish that her family had been there to see her talk and enjoy Toby's company for those fleeting bits of time before her death. They would have found comfort in those moments.