# Therapy dog tricks



## jimla (Oct 9, 2008)

Does your therapy dog do tricks to entertain during visits? Elliot and I visit patients the hospital rehabilitation area. I would like ideas for tricks that would work in that environment.


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## Millie'sMom (Sep 7, 2012)

I take my two to a hospice for children. It provides end of life care for those under 18 and respite care for families with multiply handicapped children. The favourite is, surprisingly, bang you're dead. They also like when they retrieve things off the floor, push the handicapped door button. Catching treating in their mouth, "saying their prayers" and "snuggle"--jumping up on bed, laying down on the bed and placing their head on the child's chest are also popular. The kids are also thrilled when the dog can bring them a juice box or water bottle from the fridge.

Good luck with your therapy work


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## TheZ's (Jun 13, 2011)

Millie's Mom that's an impressive list. How did you train them for those? We need to work on some fun tricks. Zoe's are very limited - "paw", "other paw", "kiss", "touch", waiting with a treat balanced on her nose, "bow" (very rusty on that), and of course sit and down (don't really consider those tricks but some people admire an obedient dog).


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## inge (Sep 20, 2009)

In the hospitals where Tess and I go, not much is allowed...basically it's four on the floor all the way. Patients love it when she just comes up to them and snuggles her head on their lap. But no tricks...she can't even wave her tail.


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## laprincessa (Mar 24, 2008)

If we have room, Max will do his spin, twirl, and take a bow routine. If we have lots of room, I tell the residents that we're going to attempt to weave - and the real trick is if he doesn't take me down! (He doesn't but that makes them laugh). He can roll over and do the bang, you're dead trick. And give paw, high five, give me a kiss. I can't let him off leash so some things are limited, but pretty much the nursing home residents love to see any tricks.


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## pandamonium (Apr 18, 2012)

I love you guys!... The joy you bring to people in immeasurable...


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## Millie'sMom (Sep 7, 2012)

TheZ's said:


> Millie's Mom that's an impressive list. How did you train them for those? We need to work on some fun tricks. Zoe's are very limited - "paw", "other paw", "kiss", "touch", waiting with a treat balanced on her nose, "bow" (very rusty on that), and of course sit and down (don't really consider those tricks but some people admire an obedient dog).


Your list makes me laugh, because my dogs can't do anything on your "list" except sit and down. 

Full disclosure, these two are failed special skills dogs. Most of the tricks were learned with clicker training. The easiest for your Zoe to learn would be how to open the handicapped doors. Trying saying to Zoe "paw" to different things, so she will willingly touch what you are pointing at. Teach her to jump up, paws on walls and doors, by holding a treat about where she would be if she jumped up and put her paws on the wall. When she is comfortable with both, combine them and say "paw" while pointing to the handicap door button. Retrieving objects, they needed to learn the names of some objects, eg shoe, keys, remote, etc. Once they learned the names, it is easy to say "get the ???". Snuggle, happened by accident. The younger one would jump up on my bed, and I would pat my chest so she would put her head there. This was self-rewarding and we eventually added a name to it. I was not sure she would do this with anyone but me, but she surprised me right off by snuggling in for a movie with the first child that asked her. "Saying her prayers came from a trick training book called Dog University. She learned retrieving drinks during her special skills training, so I can't take credit. However, this is the most problematic because it means she can open the fridge whenever she wants.

Good luck with your training.


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## Millie'sMom (Sep 7, 2012)

inge said:


> In the hospitals where Tess and I go, not much is allowed...basically it's four on the floor all the way. Patients love it when she just comes up to them and snuggles her head on their lap. But no tricks...she can't even wave her tail.


Since I go to a children's hospice, it is pretty much anything within reason goes. At this point in their lives, the quality of life is more important, and anything that makes them happy is allowed. I have even left one of my girls for an extended "visit" with a little girl, who was in too much pain to be cuddled, but liked the warmth of the dog cuddled beside her. She passed away with that dogs head on her pillow.


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## TheZ's (Jun 13, 2011)

Millie'sMom said:


> . . . She passed away with that dogs head on her pillow.


What a moving story. You must have been so proud of your dog for providing that final comfort.

Thanks for the tips on the tricks. We'll have to give some of them a try. We're actually pretty well along with recognizing names of lots of things and retrieving.


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## GabeBabe (Oct 1, 2010)

*Therapy Dog Tricks*

Hi,

We are members of Therapy Dog Inc. We, Gabe and I, along with the other dogs/people that attend various events during the month do DO tricks. 

What we do depends on how much room we have and the environment we are in. 

Gabe knows: sit, down, spin, twirl, pray, shake, find the treat (which hand), bow, touch - to various hand positions, talk (which can be too much volume wise), roll over, find it, check it out. The dogs in our group know many tricks also. The opportunity to use them depends on the situation. Sometimes the smaller dogs can be lifted to a petting position, whereas, sometimes Gabe being larger just can rest his head on a lap, bedside area, wheel chair. Sometimes just being soft and fluffy is enough - as this week when we met a wheelchair bound child that was blind. 

Sometimes people are afraid of 'big' dogs and he is a great ambassador to teach that dogs are friendly. Usually then - I lure him to turn around, and 'back' up to a person and let them pet his hind quarter. Once they feel how fluffy he is and how calm he is they are happy they did that. 

Once a child pet Gabe with his feet due to non mobility with his hands. Once a little toddler came yelling and screaming up the hallway in a hospital and while Gabe was laying on the floor she just turned and plopped down and sat on him. 

So the testing they do serves a real purpose. This Thursday we go to an assisted living facility. Those Grandmas/pas love the dogs.

We also have 'trading cards' - little cards with Gabe's photo, our therapy numbers, and a "We came to visit you" and a "Have a Great Day" on it, we hand these out to the children, visitors, or leave them with a sleeping patient to let people know that we were there and were thinking about them. You can get them at Vistaprint for next to nothing.


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## Millie'sMom (Sep 7, 2012)

TheZ's said:


> What a moving story. You must have been so proud of your dog for providing that final comfort.
> 
> I was and am very proud of that little dog. She "flunked" out of the special skills program because she was too little. I think she has found her calling, she loves the kids and seems to know what to do to make them happy. I have never taken her to work with adults.


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## laprincessa (Mar 24, 2008)

I love that idea of the cards! One of my friends hands out signed photos of her dog Misty - we say that she has her own fan club. We could get photos of Max and Misty and have them say something like "members of the Max and Misty fan club." THank you!


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