Sara and her Golden Retriever puppy Stevie are practicing for Therapy Dog work in assisted living facilities in Canada.
In this 62nd episode of Therapy Dog Talk, chat with Sara and her Golden Retriever, Stevie, about their journey to become a therapy dog team and their experiences practicing in assisted living places in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada.
Sara shares why she wanted to do therapy dog work with Stevie and their plans to get certified by Therapeutic Paws of Canada. She also talks about the Canine Good Neighbor test that Stevie needs to pass to become a therapy dog in Canada.
We explore why it’s important for Stevie to be around different people and places to get ready for therapy dog work. Sara tells us about her plans to visit places like long-term care homes, hospitals, and family courts to help kids who need to testify feel more comfortable.
During the episode, we discuss important skills for therapy dogs, like walking nicely on a leash and the “leave it” command. Sara also points out Stevie’s easygoing and happy personality, which will help her be a great therapy dog.
Sara also wants Stevie to take part in fun dog sports like dock diving, agility, and competition obedience. She gives helpful advice for people starting with a therapy dog, like not putting too much pressure on the dog and using mealtime for training to make it more fun.
By the end of this episode, you’ll learn a lot about training a therapy dog in Canada and the experiences Sara and Stevie had practicing in assisted living facilities. You’ll also get some great tips for starting your own therapy dog adventure.
In this episode, we discuss …
- How they were able to get started practicing in assisted living facilities.
- What the path to Therapy Dog looks like in Canada.
- How they plan to get certified through Therapeutic Paws of Canada.
Key moments you won’t want to miss:
- [01:15] Sara talks about why she wanted a therapy dog and her plans for Stevie, her Golden Retriever, to become a certified therapy dog with Therapeutic Paws of Canada.
- [02:30] Sara explains the Canine Good Neighbor test that Stevie needs to pass to be a therapy dog in Canada.
- [04:29] It’s important for Stevie to meet different people and be in different places to get ready for therapy dog work, like practicing in assisted living places.
- [13:19] Sara shares her plans to visit long-term care homes and hospitals with Stevie when she’s a certified therapy dog.
- [14:24] Sara wants Stevie to help kids in family court feel better when they have to testify.
- [15:26] Teaching Stevie to walk nicely on a leash is challenging, but it’s an important skill for a therapy dog.
- [17:03] Sara talks about how important the “leave it” command is for Stevie, since her breed likes to put everything in their mouth.
- [19:12] Stevie’s happy and easygoing personality will help her be a great therapy dog.
- [21:08] Sara wants Stevie to take part in dog sports like dock diving, agility, and competition obedience.
- [23:03] Sara gives advice for people starting with a therapy dog: don’t put too much pressure on the dog and use mealtime for training to make it fun.
I hope you enjoy this episode as much as I do. Give it a watch or a listen and then let me know in the community which part you found the most helpful!
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