Therapy Dog Training

I really don't know how many of you have faced this situation, but when you are sick and lying in bed, sad and depressed the sound of pattering paws and the touch of a wet nose and the feel of the soft fur of man's best friend, surely lifts up our spirit and makes us forget our illness for the time being. You are right, I am talking about the therapy dogs who are trained to bring joy to all those who are sad and depressed, who are sick, and who need company when human company push them away. These dogs are trained to love and fill in positive energy in the minds and hearts of these sad and sick people. Dogs have a healing power in them which can make us forget all our worries, no matter how grave they are and even if they cannot solve the problem, they can at least make us forget about it for some time. Now if you are planning to train your dog to be a therapy dog, then there are certain pointers on therapy dog training that you need to keep in mind and some of them have been discussed below.

Who Are They?

The concept of having these dogs bringing joy to the sick and the lonely, goes back to the times of the World War II, when Corporal William Wayne's pet dog, Smoky, brought joy not only to the sick and hospitalized Wayne, but also to the other injured soldiers who were present in the hospital. Gradually this concept of using dogs to bring joy in the hearts of the sick people, was carried on by a registered nurse from England, called Elaine Smith. Soon many hospitals, schools and even old age homes, started getting the dogs in order to bring a smile on the face of the children, the sick and the depressed. In order to have a dog as a therapy dog, it is important that you take care about the temperament of the dog. The dog should be good with children as well as adults, it should not snap out unnecessarily, and should have a playful nature and friendly behavior. These dogs should also be patient and confident and have the power to ease out any kind of situations. If you are planning to train your dog as a therapy dog, or if you are just interested in knowing about training them, then here is some information about it.

Training a Dog

Dog training can sometimes be a really tough job, but not when the dogs are smart and eager to learn. There are several classes that will willingly teach you how to train a therapy dog and also what the various requirements are. One should start training the dog from a very young age, when they are small puppies because that is the time when their mind is fresh and they are more than willing to learn new things. Show them who is the master. Some dogs can take advantage of their master's soft behavior and try and behave in a stubborn manner and that will make training it difficult. Hence, you have to be strong and firm, yet gentle and patient with them. Most importantly, do not give up on training your dog as a therapy dog. You need patience for that and you also have to work hard in order to train them to love and help people in need. You also need to keep some dog treats ready in hand so that you can reward them when they successfully perform a trick or do what they have been asked to. You can also talk to the dog trainers in order to learn about the correct ways of training your dog.

Golden Retrievers, Spaniels, and Dachshunds, are some of the dogs who are best trained as therapy dogs. These dogs are here not only to guard and protect people, but also to bring a smile to their face and joy in their heart.