The Other End of the Leash: Why We Do What We Do Around Dogs

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Thus inspired, I reached out to a number of regular readers, and asked if they’d be kind enough to send photos of their dogs. Many responded, and I had a grand old time “meeting” dogs I’ve read abou Aware of their Job? This is gravy, pure gravy, but the fact is that some dogs do more than happily sit with strangers or participate in structured therapy treatment plans, as beneficial as that can be to some people. These dogs seem to sense why they are there, and seek out people who are especially needy, and make an emotional connection with them that changes their life. These connections happen, and hearing about them is enough to make you all gooey-eyed. Special stuff indeed.

I have many years now to reflect on losing my beloved Lily. I often find myself wondering and reflecting, now I’ve come to terms and accepted my own frailties and some dormant traumas, that part of the reason I was so drawn to her (she was a rescue and cane with a bit of baggage) that she uncannily represented some of my shadow self. The parts of myself I was desperate to hide and afraid to face because of the pain and the work to overcome it. Her behaviour issues – dog reactivity in particular – gave me the perfect excuse to isolate with her and work on her issues while neglecting my own. She was an absolute nightmare and blessing in equal measure but I loved her fiercely and because we worked so hard together she overcame the worst of it. It took years of patience but I was determined not to give up on her. I eventually realised that I could also love my whole self too – warts and all – in equal measure, even the parts I didn’t like where I was still wounded. She gave me the courage to face my fears. What a blessing our dogs can be. I have the unique position of being the human part of a Pet Therapy Team, and an instructor that helps prepare other dog/handler teams to take their Therapy test.

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Thank you for this article, still crying….missing my heart dog, Baxter a Pembroke Corgi. We had to say goodbye 18 months ago when the tongue cancer took his quality of life. He was 13 years old and we had him since he was a puppy. We had many adventures through those years but what I miss the most is the emotional connection we had. He always knew my mood and adjusted his interaction based on what I needed. There have been many comments on the dog side of therapy pet work. I would like to speak about the human side of the leash. I was the human end of the leash for 4 wonderful years with my retired racing greyhound, Doug. Doug was 3 when my husband and I adopted him and at first glance he was not any type of material for anything. My youngest dog Comet , a Great Pyrenees mix, has been doing therapy work with developmentaly disabled adults since the age of 1 and a half. Because I am very familiar with the folks we volunteer with I am able to assist them with proper behavior around Comet. I also make sure to give him the proper amount (not to much, but just enough) exercise before we make a visit. ACCIDENTAL R+ There’s no better example of this than raising your voice to get a dog to stop barking. BARK BARK! Be quiet! BARK BARK! BE QUIET! BARK BARK BARK BARK! CHESTER SHUT THE F UP!!!

I beat myself up a lot with this decision, but I had a lot of support to help me through that, especially from guide dog instructors. They all said I wasn’t a “bad” handler for wanting a male, and that they would find me a good dog soon. So… after this novel, I’d appreciate, thoughts, prayers, anything that would help my new dog come into my life.I’ve been continuing to enjoy reading about people’s experiences in AAT and very inspired to hear about all the dog/person teams that have made such a difference in people’s lives and had their own lives enriched by the experience. I’m more motivated than ever to look into it for Sandy. I’m sorry I haven’t been around as regularly as I used to, but I’m still waiting on a guide dog, and I’m ready. Thank you for covering the topic of animal assisted therapy! I feel that therapy dogs are born with the personality traits necessary to perform this heartwarming and healing work. I believe that the most important factor is that the dog thoroughly enoys it. My dog has been going on weekly visits for the past 4 years at a hospital and hospice and I’m frequently asked how I trained her so well. Other than basic obedience training I can’t take any credit because she really performs the therapy on her own and I take my cues from her. As we walk her tail is swaying from side to side and she looks like a happy dog. I observed a dog who is new to the program and even though he was very obedient, his tail was between his legs as he was going down the hall and the poor little guy looked miserable. I think a good therapy dog is gentle or “polite” and it is important that they are friendly or nonreactive to other dogs, because we frequently meet other teams who are visiting or the patients may be having visits from their own pets. I look forward to your posts on advice to handlers. I think therapy dogs are mostly born, but some dogs, with care and attention, get better, and some other dogs just have to wait untill they’re older. But it can go the other way, also. I have two dogs. One mini schnauzer mix, who was as social as a dog could be. Happy but calm, she adored people. But as she aged, she began to ignore them, and now is a “just my close friends” kind of girl. The same with other dogs. I have always used my dogs in therapy with other dogs, and she would be playing with any dog in just seconds. Now se ignores them.

I hope everyone who can, will hug their dogs super tight from me, and I’m so glad people like all of you, but especially Tricia, exist here in this time, so that we can all get the love we need.In some ways, it’s really that simple, isn’t it? At their best, that is what dogs do; they make us happy. At our best, we make them happy too. That can only be true because we share so very much with them, and the foundation of what we share is our emot ions. Dogs are emotions—living breathing embodiments of fear and anger and joy, emotions we can read on their faces as well as any language. The question about a dog being born or trained for therapy work has been one I have thought about for years. From the first time I brought dogs into my life, (late, I might add, I was in my late 40’s) I always wanted to do therapy work. Of course the fact that my chosen breed are Dalmatians has not made that the easiest task. They are a fun breed but also a rather exuberant lot. Each time I would do all of the training required and pass the tests but there always seemed to be something that prevented doing therapy work. I am now wondering if I had let some of those dogs get a bit older before trying if maybe I would have been more successful with them. Fast forward–I now have a six year old male Dalmatian who is a wonderful therapy dog. He seems to sense when people need him most. It always amazes me to wacth him as he works a room full of old folks. On a recent visit a new resident was brought in to our meeting area. I was told that she was reluctant to join us because she is blind and would not be able to see what was going on. They helped her get seated on a couch and I asked her if she would like to meet the dog. As I walked him near the couch so she could maybe touch him, he ever so gently got up on the couch next to her. He turned and sat next to her, gently wiggled his hip into her hip. She petted him over his entire body as I described to her what he looked like. She then said, “today I can see, and what I see is a magnificent animal”. I and the staff were a teary eyed. I don’t think what I saw that morning was trained. I believe he has an amazing sense of what is needed.

To complicate things further, WAY too many people involved in this work don’t know how to read their own dogs….what they do when they are stressed, or nervous or uncomfortable or worn out. I have several comments which I’ll write as I listen to your Rotary talk. You just made my dogs bark by the way! I’m so sorry you are feeling ill. I empathize after years of not being able to walk without pain and a cane and having constant fatigue due to thyroid and diabetes. Look to natural remedies and acupuncture/pressure. They have worked so much better for me than prescribed meds with their side effects. Now onto my comments on your talk. Somehow, I cannot imagine you having a murderous look on your face. In the meantime, I hope you can feel better soon. I also know what it’s like now to live with a chronic illness. My asthma has become very severe over the past year and a half, so I have to get energy when I can, and where I can. Fortunately, both schools have said that this will not get in the way of me getting a new dog. I just keep walking my routes, and exercising when I can. I just hope that I can find out what’s going on soon, so I don’t have to take as much steroids as I am right now. Anyway, feel better, and pet both of those wonderful dogs! 🦮🐾 Hmmm. Could we use that? Get out the leash as a reinforcer every once in a while? Something to think about, yes?What did I do? I held the leash, I carried his water bowl and his big soft greyhound bed big enough for him and a reader 🙂 I was silent. I let the readers talk to Doug and made sure that they knew that he was listening, that they could touch him, kiss him, rest on him, show him the book, play hide and seek in the library before their session with him. I let them feel safe with him, I let the other children listen with out embarrasing the readers that were “his”, I encouraged the parents that the readers (grades 3-5) were making progress, I was a non-judgmental listener just like my dog. I let Doug lead. This is a question I feel passionate about. Therapy dogs are BORN. The one element too many people ignore is how HARD this work is for dogs…they have to be kept (and keep themselves) under control at all times, tolerate all kinds of handling in unfamiliar situations, AND be loving. If they don’t LIKE doing this, then they are not therapy material.