North Texas Therapy Animals

25/03/2024

FREE webinar alert! Suzanne Clothier will be presenting on her groundbreaking Functional Assessment Tracking (FAT) application on Thursday 3/28/24 at 7pm Eastern.
https://aggressivedog.thinkific.com/courses/FAT
Designed by trainer Suzanne Clothier, FAT® is an innovative app that evaluates and tracks the dog’s cognitive, physiological and social well-being across 14 dimensions.
Humane training and quality care depends on detailed, accurate information and clear communication with all who care for the dog. FAT® makes it easy to collect what you need to know about the whole dog.
FAT® helps you put quality of care front and center, whether you care for one dog or hundreds. Create comprehensive up-to-date profiles and at-a-glance graphics, track progress, and easily share the information with everyone on the dog’s team.
Understanding each dog as a whole being changes how we care for their well-being.
Join us to learn more about what this powerful tool can do for the dogs in your life.
(The webinar will be recorded for anyone who cannot attend live. The presentation will be for approximately 45 minutes followed by 15 minutes of Q&A with Suzanne. No CEUs will be available for this particular event. The *live* event will be limited to 500 attendees. There is no limit to the number of registrations for the recorded version.)

01/03/2024

A comprehensive study dismantles the myth that a dog's breed dictates their behavior. In truth, with only 9% of behavioral differences attributed to breed, find out what really makes your dog tick and how this knowledge can foster a deeper bond between you and your pet.

14/01/2024

29/12/2023

Happy Christmas Eve !!

29/12/2023

Wishing you a tail-wagging, book-loving holiday season! From our Reading Education Assistance Dogs, may your days be filled with heartwarming stories, cozy moments, and the magic of shared smiles. Happy Holidays! 🐾📚✨

29/12/2023

Wishing you a season filled with warmth, joy, and the comforting presence of our furry friends! Happy Holidays from all of us at Intermountain Therapy Animals. May your days be merry, bright, and sprinkled with paw-some moments of love. 🐾🌟

28/12/2023

Our 2024 Level 1 AAPT: Theory, Research, & Practice workshops!

04/12/2023

It is with excruciating pain and sadness that I write this to inform all of Gibbs' loyal followers that he has crossed the Rainbow Bridge. I'll continue to honor his legacy and his wonderful life by sharing his photos and memories of his amazing work. I'm so grateful and fortunate to have had such a beautiful soul in my life, and it makes saying goodbye so very hard.

25/09/2023

Stop the pressure!

03/09/2023

This Is So True!!

02/05/2023

❤️

27/03/2023

https://www.thewildest.com/dog-behavior/dog-assisted-therapy

True therapy dogs — dogs who participate in structured programs designed by health care professionals can decrease pain, improve mobility, sp*ed up post-surgery healing and even calm autistic children as well as increase their social interactions.

10/03/2023

Important to remember!

Following on from my previous FB post, another illustration of GROUND SNIFFING. Please watch the video here: http://chn.ge/224xBIj and sign the petition if you agree that this is the result of ignorance about dog body language, unethical treatment of animals, and irresponsible broadcasting practices.

American Humane Association: http://americanhumaneblog.org/message-to-natgeo-reality-show-abuse-is-never-acceptable/

A good breakdown and Q&A by Lisa Mullinax -http://growlsnarlsnap.com/cesarandthepig.html

A veterinarian speaks out against Bad Science -http://www.drandyroark.com/one-pig-making-speak-bad-science/

10/03/2023

Following on from my previous FB post, another illustration of GROUND SNIFFING. Please watch the video here: http://chn.ge/224xBIj and sign the petition if you agree that this is the result of ignorance about dog body language, unethical treatment of animals, and irresponsible broadcasting practices.

American Humane Association: http://americanhumaneblog.org/message-to-natgeo-reality-show-abuse-is-never-acceptable/

A good breakdown and Q&A by Lisa Mullinax -http://growlsnarlsnap.com/cesarandthepig.html

A veterinarian speaks out against Bad Science -http://www.drandyroark.com/one-pig-making-speak-bad-science/

08/03/2023

Reading Education Assistance Dogs® has now registered over 7,000 R.E.A.D.® teams since our beginning in 1999! We would like to thank all of our volunteers for their support, dedication, and commitment to R.E.A.D.® and their communities around the world. R.E.A.D.® is in all 50 states and 26 other countries as of 2023, and becoming even more wide-spread as the years go on. We would not have been able to reach this point without ALL of you! From the bottom of our animal-loving hearts, THANK YOU!

27/01/2023

Service dogs.
Probably one of the most unpopular topics for any pet dog trainer.
I cannot begin to count the amount of service dog training requests I receive.
“Can your online courses train my dog to be a service dog?”
“I need to make my dog a service dog so he can ride on the bus with me” (Yes, someone seriously asked me this)
“Do you certify service dogs?”
No - no - no - and more no.
Service dog training is completely different from pet dog training.
If your dog is trained to walk nicely on a leash and sit and stay, they are a pet dog.
If your dog comes up to you and nuzzles you when you are sad - they are still a pet dog.
If you want your dog to accompany you into stores or fly in-cabin on planes … they’re still only a pet dog and these privileges are not for them.
Service dogs are task-trained.
They are specifically taught to work for people with disabilities.
A dog that solely provides comfort is not a service dog.
I see a lot of people acquiring dogs, labeling them as “my service dog” and *then* going about training them.
This is not how that works.
You cannot just select a dog, put a service dog harness on them and figure the rest out as you go.
We regularly receive requests from dog owners who tell us that their “service dog” pulled them over on leash or has always been highly reactive.
That their service dog relentlessly chases wildlife on walks or has anxiety in social settings.
One time I got a request from a lady who told me that she got a dog from the shelter to be her son’s service dog, but that “service dog” was now biting the son and could I please fix it.
I’m sorry - none of those dogs are not service dogs then. And they likely won’t be service dogs in the future either.
Please be honest about the dog you own.
Unless you worked diligently to train them as a service animal with specific tasks, they are a pet.
A beloved, (hopefully) well-behaved, wonderful pet.
But not a working dog, and you should not demand the privileges that are reserved for true service dogs.
Staying clear with this distinction protects the actual service dogs and their owners :)

19/01/2023

Kathy Klotz from ITA is quoted in this article, and everything she says is spot-on! Some experts believe that only about 10% of dogs truly love this work, and yet it seems EVERYONE wants their dog to be a therapy dog.

Here’s how to prepare yourself and your canine partner for providing comfort to people in need as a certified therapy dog.

23/10/2022

Once you own a dog you never p*e alone 😊