# Things to do with a puppy with future therapy dog in mind?



## Kristen&Gunner (Dec 27, 2014)

My puppy is 3.5 months. I would like to have him become a therapy dog once he is an adult. 

What things should I work on in the first year besides basic obedience and socialization? We are in puppy kindergarten classes right now. I have two little boys aged 2 and 4 so he is already getting used to being touched and handled by them.

What things should I not allow him to do? I was talking with a woman today who said therapy dogs are not allowed to play with tennis balls or sticks because the temptation of walking sticks and the tennis balls they put on walkers in nursing homes.


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## SwimDog (Sep 28, 2014)

I meet many owners of young puppies with these goals. So many times they're worried about "perfect" manners and don't give the puppies a chance to be a puppy which ends up frustrating everyone.

1) Confidence. Learn about dog body language - many people are not able to identify dog body language that indicates stress/discomfort unless it's pointed out to them. Watch to be sure that your puppy is not just "okay" with being touched all over, going new places, stepping on surfaces etc - but that your puppy is truly calm and comfortable. If your puppy is not okay, talk to your instructor about what you can do to change things.
2) Focus: Use the attention games you learn in class and play those in as many different environments as possible. It's easy to get dogs to do things once they're focused - the focus is the harder piece!
3) Interaction: Give your puppy opportunities to learn appropriate interactions with different people - be ready to jump in and reward calm behavior. If feels rude to 'ruin't he moment between the person and your puppy but trust me - we want to reward your puppy for staying on the ground and being calmer - because most puppies get more wild as they get older unless we're very careful!

And don't be afraid to give him chances to run and play and be excited. I know dozens of therapy dogs who play with tennis balls or sticks - they can learn when it's play time and when it's visiting time. 

Start researching the program you would like to test wtih. Ask if you can come and help with a test (they need volunteers!) before your puppy is old enough to take the test - that will give you an idea of what's needed at that level and where people are typically unprepared (walking...!).


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## tippykayak (Oct 27, 2008)

I agree with SwimDog about the sticks and balls. Our dogs are ball nuts, but you train your therapy dog to "leave it." So while Jax will give the balls on a walker a long, wistful look, he knows he has to leave them alone when he's told to. Just the same way that if somebody drops food or a pill, he needs to know to "leave it," even though he's allowed to eat treats at home and many other places.

The thing I would recommend to you over all other advice is to socialize, socialize, socialize. With a pup at his age, it's a lot easier to get him used to different surfaces, types of people, situations, etc,. than it is with an older dog. You can still target specific issues later on, but it's more efficient and easier with a puppy.

I actually wrote up an article about socialization awhile back that covers most of the key aspects and activities you can do. It also has a really through, printable checklist of experiences to give a puppy. I would recommend using a checklist like that to be sure that your puppy is getting a wide range of positive, mellow experiences early in life. It's based on what we do with our dogs, and both our current dogs are active therapy dogs.

For future potential therapy dogs, I would also target a wide range of people. Be sure your puppy meets people of all races and ages, and it can help if the puppy is around people with physical or mental disabilities. Unfamiliar styles of voice and gait can sometimes freak out older dogs, so exposing your pup to those things when he's young will help set him up better.

I would also stay in classes pretty consistently. Go straight from Puppy K to basic family obedience, and go from there into more advanced levels of obedience and CGC. Rally class can be great practice too, since so much of those skills involve having the dog maintain a connection with you as you move around and ask for different behaviors.


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## TheZ's (Jun 13, 2011)

You've gotten two very good responses. I think socialization is really the key. You want your dog to be comfortable and confident with a broad range of people and situations. In addition to the training mentioned above, doing a therapy dog class is a good idea. It should introduce your dog to equipment such as crutches, canes, walkers and wheel chairs, as well as teaching you how to read your dog's stress level. If your dog has seen someone using a cane or a walker with tennis balls on it before you start working, it shouldn't be a problem when you do start working.


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## MercyMom (Dec 19, 2011)

The Canine Good Citizen is a good prerequisite for therapy. In Canada it is The Canine Good Neighbor from the CKC or the Canadian Good Citizen certification. You're on the right track. Keep up with the good training.


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## Kristen&Gunner (Dec 27, 2014)

So far the only issue I'm having is finding elderly people to socialize him with. And that is important because ideally I would like to take him to nursing homes as a therapy dog. He has met people in their sixties and early seventies but they are very able bodied people. 

Do you have any suggestions on how to find ways for this type of socialization. I am worried that my 4 month window is closing quickly.


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## tippykayak (Oct 27, 2008)

Don't worry too much about the window. If he's met all kinds of people, including able-bodied elderly people, it won't be a big jump for him later to learn about people who are older or in poorer health.

Why don't you try calling around your local nursing homes? If you tell them you have a puppy that you are training up to be a therapy dog some day, they may allow you to visit. Just thinking out loud here.


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## TheZ's (Jun 13, 2011)

I think socialization is an on going process and wouldn't be too worried about accomplishing everything early on. I found that your dog can get lots of socialization just by taking walks along the sidewalk in town. We live in a suburban community and I did that with Zoe. Over time we encountered older people using canes, even a man in a motorized wheelchair. The motorized wheelchair gave her pause at first because it moves smoothly along the sidewalk but makes a bit of a whirring sound. The man in it was happy to greet us when I explained that she was training for therapy work. Finding a bench outside a library, coffee shop, grocery, ice cream store etc. is another way to meet lots of people. Even just staying calm as everyone is passing by is good experience.


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## Lucky Penny (Nov 13, 2011)

All are awesome responses! You don't need to worry about the stick and ball thing. My girl never has this issue, but a simple "leave it" would work to stop her from going after anything. Actually, I bring a ball sometimes and people love throwing it for her.


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## Anon-2130948gsoni (Apr 12, 2014)

If you have a senior living facility in your town, go over there on a nice day with your puppy. Many residents like to spend time outside and most are happy to meet a puppy and tell you about dogs they have had and loved. a really high-end gated kind of place may not welcome you, but we have a facility in the main part of our little town where they have benches right near the sidewalk.

A park near an assisted living community is another option.


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## Rikki (Apr 7, 2014)

I had Bella in classes of one sort or another since the age of 12 weeks. Learning basic commands at an early age is key but the place that I take her to makes learning fun and is very positive. I also exposed her to as many situations as possible, taking her to parks, the zoo, doggy daycare etc. When I met strangers that looked like they might want to pet her I had her sit before they could pet her. She also went through two therapy dog classes the first being at age 9 months. We took another class last month and yesterday she passed her TDI test! It is a lot of hard work to make a committment to keep up with training on a daily basis and I know that now that she is certified I will still keep training her so that she continues to do well. For me it was totally worth it. Good luck.


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