Therapy dog training versus Pet Therapy

I have learned a few things during our classes. (Who says “you can’t teach an old dog new tricks?”) One, Pet Therapy training is an “old” and somewhat misleading term. Pet Therapy tends to conjure up the image of a dog on a couch recounting a dysfunctional puppyhood. So the appropriate terms are Animal-Assisted Activities or Animal-Assisted Therapy. This, of course, is to clarify that the animal (not necessarily a dog, could be a bunny, cat or even a llama) is there to assist a patient in the healing process or to provide comfort.

The other thing I learned is that Therapy Dogs do not have the same rights as Service Dogs. So, say I get a nice little vest for Sienna that clearly states that she is a Therapy Dog, she can only wear it when she is working. If I were to use it to take her grocery shopping with me, we could lose our registration. So there we have it!

She did well today, just a few things to work on but we are on our way!