Canine Comfort
Six-year-old Scarlet Watson tilted her head in curiosity when she saw several four-legged furry animals inside Butler Memorial Hospital.
“I liked the big fluffy one and the small one,” said Scarlet with a smile on her face.
Four therapy dogs dressed in sweaters and their owners, who are part of the Butler Dog Training Association, made a therapy animal visit to the hospital last week.
Nancy Kieffer, who has been a certified therapy dog evaluator since 1995, walked her dog Sprite, a mix, around the hospital lobby.
“Therapy dogs are truly just visitation dogs,” said Kieffer, the organization's director of training. “Their goal is to visit and to bring comfort during their visit.”
The nonprofit organization has about 45 therapy dogs that are tested and certified as Canine Good Citizens and registered with Therapy Dogs International.
The local organization makes about 12 different visits in a month, while each individual member also does his own therapy visits to other facilities.
Therapy dogs are different than service dogs, who are trained to perform a certain service for patient or person, Kieffer said.
For physical health, pet therapy lowers blood pressure, improves cardiovascular health and releases endorphins that have a calming effect, according to Paws For People, a nonprofit organization that provides therapeutic pet visits. Pet therapy also benefits a person's mental health because it lifts spirits and lessens depression, decreases feelings of isolation and alienation, encourages communication and provides comfort.
Betty Scarnato, a 15-year certified therapy dog evaluator, brought her dogs Archie, a bearded collie mix, and Wickett, a Shih Tzu, who are both certified.
“Most of the time they are a calming influence,” Scarnato said about her therapy dogs. “They relieve stress, they make people smile.”
As a certified therapy dog evaluator, Scarnato looks for personality, she said.
“Are they friendly?” she said. “Do they want interaction with people?”
Other training association members expressed the same sentiment.
Cheryl Sanson carried a pet mat under one arm and held the leash to her dog Carl, a greyhound, who has been a certified therapy dog for about a year.
A therapy dog's demeanor is a key factor, Sanson said. Her favorite part of the experience are the smiles and stories that are shared.Testing consists of a basic obedience course, Kieffer said. Dogs should know how to work with other dogs and people, be handed off to a stranger in an emergency situation, leave food that has fallen on the floor untouched and how to ride an elevator.“You have to want to do that with your dog,” she said. “It has to have the temperament, it needs to want to be working with you during those visits.”Kieffer's advice to people interested in therapy dog certification is to enroll their dogs in a basic obedience course and build on that background first, she said.Although a dog can be trained to sit, lie down and stay, they have to be able to do those exercises out of the confines of their homes, Kieffer said.“Train in many different places and situations, so that not only can they sit in the living room, but sit and stay in front of a store or out on a sidewalk,” she said.Kieffer said her first dog, Chester, who loved people, inspired her to have him become a certified therapy dog.“He took me out of my comfort zone,” she said. “It's so wonderful to see a person light up when you walk in or put the dog in their arms.”Therapy dog certification is not a walk in the park, but the experience is rewarding, Kieffer said.“Some people really don't want anything to do with the dog, but you can watch and see them smile whenever they ever get close,” she said. “It's comforting at times.”
