THERAPY DOG SOCIALIZATION - AWAY FROM HOME
NOTE: Although this page frequently refers to dogs it's also important for all species of therapy pets!
NOTE: Although this page frequently refers to dogs it's also important for all species of therapy pets!
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"No other canine related event, no sport nor competition requires a dog (or any pet) to enter the intimate zones of unfamiliar humans & remain there for several minutes of petting and hugging … Most dogs (& other pets) have been bred for generations to distinguish between outsiders & family, & to act accordingly. Therapy Pets are no different." - Kris Butler |
CLICK on image to READ PERSONAL TERRITORIES
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Both Quote above left & Personal Territories information and diagram above right are from Therapy Dogs Today: Their Gifts Our Obligation,
2nd Edition by Kris Butler. Copyright 2004, 2013. All rights reserved. Used with permission.
2nd Edition by Kris Butler. Copyright 2004, 2013. All rights reserved. Used with permission.
The importance of properly socializing & training
your pet AWAY from home is very important.
There are only 3 locations we need to practice training our pets:
(Thanks to Susan Bryant for that little gem!)
Training and socialization are not separate activities. DO NOT ever leave your clicker and treats at home! ALWAYS bring clicker & treats with you until your basic skills are on solid ground - ALWAYS while you are teaching new behaviors AND/OR increasing the degree of distractions and duration of learned behaviors! (Click HERE to learn about Clicker Training and why we encourage learning how to practice it effectively.) You should always be conscientious of teaching and requiring your dog to practice proper manners while socializing. Once you learn appropriate positive reinforcement training techniques and you're dog begins to respond willingly to basic verbal/visual cues (or if you have another pet you are considering) we would be happy to accompany you on a social visit in a public place & offer constructive feedback if you would like (more information about complimentary socialization feedback & support below) but it may be helpful to see how social your dog really is before deciding if he or she would be right for this activity.
Many of us assume that if our dog (or other pet) is friendly with strangers at home that they would be a good therapy pet. Maybe, maybe not. It's important that we get our pets away from home - out of his or her comfort zone - to see how social they really are. Even if we take our pets to a park &/or visit grandma in the nursing home and everyone loves her this does not necessarily mean she is ready to be a therapy pet. Perhaps he or she would be a wonderful therapy pet but they may not be ready quite yet. Even if we take our pet to work or another friend or relative's home often they need to be socialized even further out of their comfort zone. Training, Leadership (NOT to be confused with dominance) and Socialization are ALL important to be a good Pet Partners therapy TEAM. TEAMWORK is key! Handlers make up 50% of the team but are 100% responsible for safety, comfort & control!
While preparing your pet for therapy work it's very important to remember that this is the ONLY activity - including recreational sports or competitions - that requires your pet to be comfortable sustaining 10 to 20 minutes of certainly social, usually personal and often intimate interaction with stranger after stranger for a prolonged period of time - usually 1 to 2 hours (2 hours maximum!) in often highly charged emotional situations. (see Personal Territories diagram above) This is not natural for any pet - especially dogs - no matter how friendly, well socialized or even well trained but when properly prepared and supported our therapy animals do enjoy and look forward to working in this capacity with great enthusiasm! Although we refer specifically to dogs in the following it generally applies to other species of therapy pet candidates as well.
- Home
- Class
- Everywhere Else!
(Thanks to Susan Bryant for that little gem!)
Training and socialization are not separate activities. DO NOT ever leave your clicker and treats at home! ALWAYS bring clicker & treats with you until your basic skills are on solid ground - ALWAYS while you are teaching new behaviors AND/OR increasing the degree of distractions and duration of learned behaviors! (Click HERE to learn about Clicker Training and why we encourage learning how to practice it effectively.) You should always be conscientious of teaching and requiring your dog to practice proper manners while socializing. Once you learn appropriate positive reinforcement training techniques and you're dog begins to respond willingly to basic verbal/visual cues (or if you have another pet you are considering) we would be happy to accompany you on a social visit in a public place & offer constructive feedback if you would like (more information about complimentary socialization feedback & support below) but it may be helpful to see how social your dog really is before deciding if he or she would be right for this activity.
Many of us assume that if our dog (or other pet) is friendly with strangers at home that they would be a good therapy pet. Maybe, maybe not. It's important that we get our pets away from home - out of his or her comfort zone - to see how social they really are. Even if we take our pets to a park &/or visit grandma in the nursing home and everyone loves her this does not necessarily mean she is ready to be a therapy pet. Perhaps he or she would be a wonderful therapy pet but they may not be ready quite yet. Even if we take our pet to work or another friend or relative's home often they need to be socialized even further out of their comfort zone. Training, Leadership (NOT to be confused with dominance) and Socialization are ALL important to be a good Pet Partners therapy TEAM. TEAMWORK is key! Handlers make up 50% of the team but are 100% responsible for safety, comfort & control!
While preparing your pet for therapy work it's very important to remember that this is the ONLY activity - including recreational sports or competitions - that requires your pet to be comfortable sustaining 10 to 20 minutes of certainly social, usually personal and often intimate interaction with stranger after stranger for a prolonged period of time - usually 1 to 2 hours (2 hours maximum!) in often highly charged emotional situations. (see Personal Territories diagram above) This is not natural for any pet - especially dogs - no matter how friendly, well socialized or even well trained but when properly prepared and supported our therapy animals do enjoy and look forward to working in this capacity with great enthusiasm! Although we refer specifically to dogs in the following it generally applies to other species of therapy pet candidates as well.
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Appropriate socialization - WITH appropriate manners & leadership (NOT to be confused with dominance) - in a controlled setting with a variety of strangers, both indoors and out, away from home is very important. If your dog is under reasonably good control on a flat buckle collar (or other acceptable equipment) - no choke chains, shock or prong collars - there are many dog friendly places you can socialize your dog. Even visiting with people outside of stores is a good start. Once you are comfortable visiting in an outdoor environment with many different types of people, sounds and smells - such as outside Walmart, Hobby Lobby, Michaels, Giant Eagle, Kroger, Best Buy etc., you might be ready to try indoor visits - in unfamiliar settings. Banks, garden centers, home improvement, hardware stores and office supply stores generally allow dogs and are an excellent place to start. Especially if you have a dog who exhibits any shyness it would be best to start in a quiet indoor setting rather than a much more chaotic environment outside a store where people are rushing in and out. Your vet's office, pet store or pet event is NOT an unfamiliar setting. Remember that your dog's nose not only dominates his/her face, but his/her brain, as well. A dog relies on his/her sense of smell to interpret his/her world, in much the same way people depend on their sight. So a pet store will not be so far out of their comfort zone even if they've never been there before as one of our own stores and smells would be. Just imagine how overwhelming a health care facility is to a dog! Please contact us for a list of local pet friendly businesses that allow our volunteer candidates to socialize and train in their facilities. For socializing in indoor locations that may require an explanation we have provided a brochure for you available for download and printing below.
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click on image to enlarge
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"SAY HI!" Practice introducing the cue to "Say Hi!" in a happy tone when your dog visits others politely and enjoys the interaction. Often it is necessary for your dog to wait politely before greeting - practice teaching and requiring polite greetings! Don't let your dog rush ahead to greet no matter how excited others are to visit with your dog. Rushing up to greet can be a very difficult habit to break - the attention they get as a result is a reward in itself therefore the rushing is being inadvertently rewarded. Polite greetings are very important for therapy dogs who visit others who may be feeling quite fragile or afraid. "Say Hi!" can be a more effective "release" to visit politely after waiting than "okay". Often dogs interpret "okay" as a release to explode! "Say Hi" let's them know they may visit now but only if they approach politely. It can also give a shy dog confidence and trust. We always want to reassure dogs that visiting with strangers is a happy activity. If our dogs are hesitant we want to give them reassurance and support (see P.E.T.S. below) but we must never push them too far too fast. If they aren't enjoying the interaction we can do more harm than good.
Cats (and other pocket pets) should be comfortable socializing while wearing a harness and leash. If they walk comfortably on a leash they need to be able to respond to a verbal/visual cue to stay close to the handler just as dogs are required to do (which is EXTREMELY RARE even for cats who walk comfortably on a leash) and must also be comfortable socializing while being carried (either in a basket, carrier or arms) and sitting on strangers laps. It is not unusual for cats & small dogs used to the freedom of walking on a leash to be quite uncomfortable being carried so this should be considered and practiced in advance. Cats especially will often feel more comfortable with a solid "floor" beneath them such as in a basket or carrier than being carried in arms.
Cats (and other pocket pets) should be comfortable socializing while wearing a harness and leash. If they walk comfortably on a leash they need to be able to respond to a verbal/visual cue to stay close to the handler just as dogs are required to do (which is EXTREMELY RARE even for cats who walk comfortably on a leash) and must also be comfortable socializing while being carried (either in a basket, carrier or arms) and sitting on strangers laps. It is not unusual for cats & small dogs used to the freedom of walking on a leash to be quite uncomfortable being carried so this should be considered and practiced in advance. Cats especially will often feel more comfortable with a solid "floor" beneath them such as in a basket or carrier than being carried in arms.
REMEMBER TO PRACTICE P.E.T.S. WHILE SOCIALIZING!
S.T.E.P.S. Diagram from "Teaming With Your Therapy Dog" by Ann R. Howie, LICSW, ACSW
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Build positive habits right from the start!
After your animal is confident, responsive and relaxed away from home looser, more causal socialization may be fine too at times but P.E.T.S. are the required criteria for safe and effective AAA/T visits (and for the Skills & Aptitude Test) so practicing these skills while socializing in a variety of unfamiliar locations is essential to build trust, confidence & manners - and therefore enhance the relaxed enjoyment & therapeutic effect for all! Always be aware of subtle stress signals and be careful not to push your dog or expect too much too soon. And it's very important to remember while you are practicing training & socialization away from home this is no time to leave your clickers & treats at home! Never miss an opportunity to reward appropriate behavior as often as possible in as many locations as possible. This is what will make a significant difference in your progress! |
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LOCATION! LOCATION! LOCATION!
There are only 3 locations we need to practice training our pets:
"Home is where the leader is!" It's important to remember that just because our dogs (or other therapy pets) are comfortable and well behaved in certain locations away from home - perhaps at our place of work &/or homes of various family and friends - does not necessarily mean we have established the trust & confidence in our dogs necessary for them to be comfortable, confident & focused in a wide variety of places. Sometimes volunteers have been surprised to learn that their dogs were uncharacteristically fearful in certain new locations for no apparent reason. (Or maybe so over stimulated they couldn't focus.) There can be many reasons for this and it's important to seek professional help if this happens so that you can learn to apply appropriate techniques with out either forcing or giving in to fear (or getting too frustrated with their over excitement). Socialization away from home is no time to leave your clicker and treats behind! Never miss an opportunity to reward appropriate behavior as often as possible in as many locations as possible! But it's also important to remember that our Leadership plays an important role here as well. If we have practiced appropriate positive reinforcement techniques with Benevolent but Pro-Active, Assertive Leadership (NOT to be confused with dominance) while socializing in a variety of locations our dogs will ultimately put their trust in US - their leader - rather than in a specific location or situation. They may still feel varying degrees of insecurity and trepidation (or distraction) in new places, but we will have cultivated and maintained enough trust and confidence in our dogs for them to adapt quickly and feel safe and secure with us - and hopefully others - no matter where they are. WE will be their safe place rather than a location or situation so they will feel relaxed and free to spontaneously interact with strangers - while minding manners too. Please see our Leadership page for more information. |
Conscious Awareness - Conscious Actions diagram above from "Teaming With Your Therapy Dog" by Ann R. Howie, LICSW, ACSW
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Whether training new skills or practicing various skills while socializing in a variety of unfamiliar or even familiar locations it's important to practice positive reinforcement with your dog! Please click here for more information about Positive Reinforcement. Better yet, seek professional help from one of our Recommended Local Dog Trainers to learn how to best apply Positive Reinforcement techniques. Additional information on our Can My Dog Be A Therapy Dog?, What Kind of Training Does My Dog Need, Acceptable Equipment, Leadership , and Essential Tips for Therapy Dog Training pages all provide helpful information to keep in mind while socializing your dog too.
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Be sure to keep appropriate manners and your own handler leadership skills as defined in the Pet Partners Skills & Aptitude criteria in mind while visiting people in these facilities with your pet but start slow and don't expect too much from your dog too soon. Practicing appropriate manners while visiting with a lot of strangers in strange places can be much more challenging than most people expect even for the friendliest of pets. Is your dog timid, shy or over eager to greet? Does he or she avoid interaction or leap ahead? Try to be truly objective and note how others respond to your dog - not only the dog lovers but note if anyone is timid or unsure around your dog even if it's only 1 or 2 people. Be painfully honest with yourself about this. Be sure to seek professional help if you or your dog experience any challenges or your dog exhibits any signs of stress. The sooner you seek professional help the better to assure that you are not inadvertently reinforcing undesirable behaviors. The longer bad habits go unchecked the more challenging it will be to adjust. Even a dog with an excellent aptitude for therapy dog work may quickly be soured by inapropriate interactions or lack of Leadership and handling skills. It's important that these social outings always be positive experiences for your dog and others. Even if they are positive for your dog and others seem to love your dog it's important that your dog learn appropriate manners as soon as possible so that visits are equally positive and therefor most beneficial for those they visit - including those who may be feeling quite fragile.
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Once you have seen that your dog does indeed enjoy interacting with strangers in all these strange places - or, better yet, even before! - it's time to hone your skills and teach appropriate manners. If your dog is still a little tentative it is even more important to hone your own leadership skills so your encouragement to be friendly with strangers will be trusted. A good positive reinforcement trainer can help you hone your skills, teach manners, desensitize fears and - if your dog does have the appropriate aptitude - help assure that you and your dog both have a positive experience your pet will look forward to repeating while inspiring confidence in the safety, comfort and control you possess for those you will be visiting with. It's important to remember that not all those we encounter in the facilities we visit are comfortable around dogs and their comfort level must be honored as well. Even those who do love dogs may be feeling quite fragile and will need a relaxed dog who responds willingly to verbal and/or visual cues to enjoy their visit. While not all dogs are suited for this work, a good positive reinforcement trainer may be able to help you make more of a difference than you imagine so please consider seeking professional help as soon as possible. Please see our Can My Dog Be a Therapy Dog, Recommended Dog Trainers, What Kind of Training Does my Dog Need..., Leadership & Essential Tips for Therapy Dog Training pages.
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COMPLIMENTARY SOCIALIZATION FEEDBACK & SUPPORT
Once you have completed training with your dog (or if you have another animal you are preparing for therapy work) Angel Paws' Pet Partners Evaluator & Instructor would be happy to meet you in a public indoor location for socialization support & feedback. Please keep in mind that this feedback and support will be offered strictly as an Evaluator/Instructor - not as a professional dog trainer - so if you are preparing a dog it is important to have consulted one of our Recommended Trainers for basic dog training techniques first. Contact Patti at 740.364.0824 or by . In order to make the most of your telephone conversation and socialization session please complete the form below or be prepared to answer the questions included on the form below before scheduling a meeting. Please be sure to review all relative information provided on our web site prior to contacting us to schedule an appointment for Socialization Feedback & Support. |
Angel Paws Brochure to download & print, 2 pages, print front & back, fold inward in 3rds with photos on front. Great to hand out while socializing in indoor locations that may require an explanation!
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