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Posted by KDiamondDavis on March 09, 2003 at 12:57:33:
In Reply to: Preparing a Puppy for Therapy Woprk posted by ada123 on March 09, 2003 at 07:07:52:
:Hello everyone! I am new to pet hobbyist and I just love all the forums and have learned so much from the chat rooms.
:I have a 8 month old, 77 lb golden retriever, Simon. Simon is a blessing to us and we want to share him. Our goal is to do therapy work.
:He started with puppy class at 11 weeks. We have taken two basic obedience, just finished an advanced obedience and starting our 2nd advanced. I have also signed up for Canine Good Citizen starting in April.
:I take him everywhere, twice a week we walk the outdoor strip mall with lots of sounds, sights and people. We also go the several pet stores where there are other dogs and animals. I obtained a pair of crutches and broken down wheel chair to get him used to these items that he will see whenever we get to the point of therapy work.
:He knows all the basic commands, which we practice in house and and in public. The only issue we are working on is his ferver to have to see other dogs and people. He just loves people and dogs. I am working on controlling him in this area...but he still is a pup and wants to GO NOW, when he sees other animals or people.
:Is there anything that else that I can do to help him succeed in this venture. I know I have 4 months before I test for TDI but I am so anxious.
:Thanks so much
:Ada>>>>>>>>
Sounds like you're doing great! Of course I would recommend my book! Seriously, it might give you some ideas of more things to be teaching him in the months and years ahead.
About the eagerness to rush up to people, you might want to do what I did with my young Believer in the same circumstances. I had either a non-slip collar or a nylon chest harness on her for outings. Whenever she might be unsteady and try to rush up to someone instead of approaching calmly, I would hold on to one of these things (since there's no choking, this avoids making the dog feel "corrected" for wanting to be friendly) and guide the dog to keep feet on the ground, nose out of crotches, etc! This type of handling will help you later on visits, too, when you need to get a dog into a new position in order to be within someone's reach.
Have fun! Training a therapy dog is fun, and you have a great breed for it!
Kathy Diamond Davis, author, "Therapy Dogs: Training Your Dog to Reach Others," 2nd edition, and the free Canine Behavior Series at www.veterinarypartner.com