Rx Canines - Therapeutic Intervention Dogs

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Rx Canines - Therapeutic Intervention Dogs Rx Canines Therapeutic Intervention Dogs work with Educators, Reading, Speech,OT, PT, CLS, and others

30/05/2023

Getting the Next Partner - Picking a Puppy

Where to get the next viable Animal Assisted Intervention candidate is a hotly debated topic. Many people get a puppy and announce this puppy is their new ¨therapy dog¨. Bare in mind this is the equivalent of having a newborn baby and announcing ¨this boy is going to be a doctor when he grows up¨ or ¨he is going to be a ballet dancer because his Dad is one¨ or ¨he's going to be a musician because music runs in the family¨. And then they set out to help their child meet those goals. They enroll him in science club, or dance classes, or buy him a guitar. There is nothing wrong with hopes and dreams when it comes to children or puppies. The only issue is it doesn´t take into account that one particular child or puppy's interests and talents. That baby may grow up to be a doctor. It is at least equally possible he will grow up to be an architect, plumber, lawyer, psychologist, or circus performer. Because that is what the child has the interest and aptitude to do.

We can discuss Nature vs. Nurture another time. However, without the ¨nature¨ all the ¨nurture¨ in the world isn't going to create a happy working dog. The handler can do all the socialization, take all the right classes, gradually expose the puppy to many people, places, things, and be the perfect (if there was such a thing) handler of a working dog, but none of that guarantees the dog will become a great, confident, happy, working partner.

Service Dog organizations like The Seeing Eye and Canine Companions for Independence do not evaluate dogs for their work as service dogs until the age of about 15 months. These are people with breeding programs designed to create dogs for the work. These puppies are raised by people with a lot of guidance from the organization with the goal of them becoming working dogs. The puppies are temperament tested by experts. Generally less than 50 percent of those puppies, at 1 year plus, will have the physical health, temperament, and aptitude to do the work. And some of these programs have been doing it for a hundred years!

So if the experts have about a fifty percent success rate, how is it that people with much less experience and expertise have a much higher instance of creating working dogs? Perhaps they don´t really. There are many examples of folks asking for advice because their future ¨therapy dog¨ is sound sensitive, sight reactive, reactive to other dogs, reactive to some people, and so on. And much great advice is given to help the dog overcome those issues. Little thought is given to the idea the puppy may not be a great candidate to put into an unpredictable work environment which is where these dogs are headed.

These puppies, with all the socialization, exposure, and training, are going to make marvelous pets but many of them will not be suited to do the work. They will be able to pass their certification examinations but will they do the work with ease and joy? Or would they be happier remaining the family pet? And who decides? And how?

There isn't an issue with getting a puppy and HOPING it will grow into a viable working partner. However it is becoming all too common to see dogs working because much time, money, and emotional energy has been spent presuming this puppy will have the temperament and aptitude to do the specific work the handler has chosen. The dogs CAN do the work, but should they?

Dogs should not be expected to grow up and meet our expectations. They should be nurtured, socialized, receive gentle exposure, and great training. Then, when they are older their aptitude, not just ability, for the work should be evaluated preferably by experts and not the dog owner. Maybe they will grow up to be an exemplary Animal Assisted Intervention dog. And maybe they will be happier doing agility, flyball, rally obedience, scent work, tracking, docking diving, going hiking, and being the amazing family pet they are destined to be.

23/05/2023

One of My Favorite Questions:

Certainly in the top 10 questions I get asked is ¨What is the best breed for Animal Assisted Interventions¨? It´s a great question but a complex one.

When I taught draft work, folks would ask ¨How much can a dog pull?¨ and the answer was ¨How old is the dog? What is the physical condition of the dog? What is the surface? Is it a two wheel or four wheel vehicle? Are the wheels ball bearing? What is the outside temperature? How long has the dog been conditioned?¨” Which is rarely the answer anyone wants!

The same is true for AAI work. There are really only two types of dogs, dogs that were bred to work independent of humans and dogs which were bred to work with humans. Both can make terrific AAI dogs depending upon the work.

My current working dogs, 2-Shetland Sheepdogs, Great Pyrenees, Papillion, Dachshund/Italian Greyhound mix. In the past, more Shetland Sheepdogs, Standard Poodle, and Chesapeake Bay Retriever. I've trained other handlers with Irish Wolfhounds, Great Danes, Irish Setters, Rough Coat Collies, Bernese Mountain Dogs, Labs, Goldens, Miniature Pinschers, Doberman, Old English Sheepdogs, German Shepherds, Maltese, Yorkies, Shih Tzu, Border Collies, crossbreeds, mix breeds, and lots more.

It's all about aptitude. We want dogs who not only tolerate but actually enjoy the work. When I hear someone say ¨any dog can be a therapy dog¨ I think any dog can be trained to pass the certification/registration evaluations. And that is pretty much true. However passing those evaluations does not measure aptitude and aptitude is what the work is all about. Otherwise youŕe trying to fit a square peg into a round hole. Albeit a nicely trained square peg.

Breed is much less important than aptitude. Breed counts more about living with a dog you will enjoy. An Old English Sheepdog may have a lovely temperament and aptitude to do the work but unless you enjoy grooming, it isn't the best choice for you. A Papillon may have the brains and personality to work very well but if you have toddlers at home it may not be the best choice for you. The French Bulldog you are considering has a lovely temperament and has never met a person or group of people he didn't like but will he fit into your hiking/boating lifestyle? At the end of the day, this dog is living with you and your family and that fit needs to work. The dog may partner with you in the work for about 8 years but will live with you for, hopefully, many more.

Consider lifestyle compatibility and remember that aptitude is everything! A dog who, when working, gets as much as she gives, is the partner you want.

16/05/2023

The USE of Dogs

Language is important. It reflects how we think but it also impacts our thinking. One of the words to consider carefully is “use”. Each time we say something along the lines of “we use the dog to facilitate occupational therapy” there is an implication the dog is something we use like a hammer, balance beam, or bookbag. It’s not a word often associated with people. We don’t “use” the teacher, occupational therapist, dog handler, or student. We do use paper, pencils, smartboards, and manipulatives. Those are inanimate objects. Our working dogs are not. They aren’t people, but they aren’t something to use without thought of their safety, mental health, and wellbeing. If people hear the term “use” as it pertains to dogs, eventually their brain starts to sort the dogs into something which can be used. And I’m not sure we want to add to that perception. I’m not perfect, and certainly make the mistake of using “use”. But I’m trying to get better about it. Certainly it is something to think about.

Another beautifully run conference at Green Chimneys.  Thanks to them, IHAC, and my fellow conference attendees.  Pictur...
01/05/2023

Another beautifully run conference at Green Chimneys. Thanks to them, IHAC, and my fellow conference attendees. Pictures of some of them attached.

Tomorrow's the day!  Let's get together at the HAI conference at Green Chimneys.  Head over to the breakfast venue on Fr...
28/04/2023

Tomorrow's the day! Let's get together at the HAI conference at Green Chimneys. Head over to the breakfast venue on Friday or Saturday, look for one of these guys on the table, and introduce yourself! It will be great to meet others in the field and exchange ideas. Green Chimneys is a great place for a conference. Looking forward to seeing everyone.

Headed to the Human-Animal Interaction Conference at Green Chimneys on April 28/29th. Looking forward to meeting up with...
26/04/2023

Headed to the Human-Animal Interaction Conference at Green Chimneys on April 28/29th. Looking forward to meeting up with folks. If you´d like to meet up, look for one of these squishies (dog shaped stress balls) on a table at the breakfast venue on Friday and Saturday morning. Hope to meet you there! Green Chimneys is a great place to attend conferences.

Harper's first official day at school.  Welcome to the pack!
20/09/2022

Harper's first official day at school. Welcome to the pack!

19/05/2022

Had a wonderful time presenting at the NJSHA conference on Animal Assisted Interventions in Speech and Language. Very nice group with great questions. The dogs enjoyed it as well! Maybe next year we can do a follow up with more advanced work.

https://www.njsha.org/continuing-education/friday-sessions/ -21

Welcome to the working dog pack!  Here is Harper who passed his AKC Canine Good Citizen and Bright & Beautiful Therapy D...
19/05/2022

Welcome to the working dog pack! Here is Harper who passed his AKC Canine Good Citizen and Bright & Beautiful Therapy Dog Certifications on May 14, 2022. He is only 19 months old so will continue his training until he reaches, at least, his second birthday. Then, hopefully, he will transition into working. He is pictured here with his evaluator, Janet Mines Krings.

The Calais School was presented with an Innovation in Special Education Award by ASAH for our Animal Assisted Interventi...
17/05/2022

The Calais School was presented with an Innovation in Special Education Award by ASAH for our Animal Assisted Intervention Program.
https://www.asah.org/about-asah/

Principal John Cohrs and AAI Coordinator Tiffany Shevchik are pictured accepting the award.

26/11/2021

·
Had a wonderful time presenting at the ASAH conference here in NJ. We had some good discussions regarding Animal Assisted Interventions, Animal Assisted Activities, Animal Assisted Therapy Animal Assisted Crisis Response, Animal Welfare, Diamond vs Triangle models, volunteer vs. professional, part-time and full-time dedicated handlers. We discussed benefits and challenges of implementing a sustainable program - not dependent on any one person or dog. And we played some Occupational, Speech, and Social Skills games and handed out Hershey's Kisses (tm) to all the willing participants. Hopefully, a bunch of special education schools walked away with a better understanding of how to have a goal oriented program in their school. I hope we get to do it again!

An exciting addition to the AAI program https://m.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=10159868830742080&id=739577079
24/09/2021

An exciting addition to the AAI program
https://m.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=10159868830742080&id=739577079

The Calais School is proud to provide the first BEADS OF COURAGE® program pilot for emotional support in an educational setting.

The BEADS OF COURAGE® programs use beads as visible and tangible art forms that carry intention. Beads of Courage believes that every time a bead is given courage is honored, suffering is alleviated, resilience is strengthened, and the experience of human caring is affirmed.

The inspirational program will be implemented through the Calais School’s Animal Assisted Interventions program. As students at Calais work with the school’s Animal Assisted Interventions dogs and handlers in various related service areas, the beads will be used to help the children share their stories of courage. The school’s counselors, therapists and teachers will play an integral role in the program.

To learn more, please read our blog on our website: https://www.thecalaisschool.org/calais-school-becomes-first-school-ambassador-for-beads-of-courage-program/

Many thanks to Charlotte's Litter!
05/08/2021

Many thanks to Charlotte's Litter!

Charlotte’s Litter Awards Grant to Animal Assisted Interventions Program at The Calais School

Students at the Calais School in Whippany will receive a better education and spend more time working with dogs in the Animal Assisted Interventions (AAI) Program at the school thanks to a generous grant for the program from Charlotte’s Litter.
The $1500 grant will help fund the program, including training for new handlers, technology, manipulatives and dog supplies, according to Development Consultant Sue Wasserman.
"The Animal Assisted Interventions Program at The Calais School is honored to be a recipient of the Charlotte's Litter Grant,’ said Calais Animal Assisted Therapy Coordinator Tiffany Shevchik. “We look forward to using this funding to move our program forward during the 2021-2022 school year."

JoAnn Bacon, Founder and Executive Director of Charlotte’s Litter and the Charlotte Helen Bacon Foundation, announced the new grant in a letter to Calais Executive Director David Leitner and Wasserman. “I am pleased to announce that Charlotte’s Litter is awarding $1500 in grant money to The Calais School,” she wrote. “We are excited to contribute to your school-based program and find your therapy dog program has the potential to reach students in a way that meets our foundation’s mission.”

Leitner thanked Charlotte’s Litter and the Charlotte Helen Bacon Foundation for their generous support of the AAI program, which will benefit so many special needs students. “The Calais School is proud to serve 86 students from nine New Jersey counties as we recently celebrated our 50th year,” he said. “With the pandemic, it has been a challenge for us, as humans, on how to deliver our services effectively, but Calais has risen to the challenge.”

To read more, please visit the foundation website: https://calaisfoundation.org/charlottes-litter-awards-grant-to-animal-assisted-interventions-program-at-the-calais-school/

Happy graduation!  We're so proud of you all.
25/06/2021

Happy graduation! We're so proud of you all.

Opening of the specially designed Paw Park on National Therapy Animal Day!  Our park was designed to be used by related ...
06/05/2021

Opening of the specially designed Paw Park on National Therapy Animal Day! Our park was designed to be used by related services for students and dogs. Orbit and Dunkin appear to approve!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-f3M9l8lcvA

The Calais School in Whippany opens its Paws Park, for its therapy dogs, April 30, 2021. Video by Allison Freeman for the Calais School.

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