From: kathleen.brewer@cutting.hou.tx.us (Kathleen Brewer) 
Newsgroups: rec.pets.dogs
Subject: Re: Delta Society and Pet Therapy
Date: 14 Nov 92 11:11:00 GMT
Distribution: world
Organization: The Cutting Edge - Houston, TX - 713-466-1525
Reply-To: kathleen.brewer@cutting.hou.tx.us (Kathleen Brewer) 

TO: saavik@mentor.cc.purdue.edu

MB(>have a CGC you're part way there.  Evaluate your pet carefully, is it
MB(>reliable, calm, not easily spooked.  If you think you're pet can
MB(>handle the situations that may occur (like getting knock by wheelchairs,
MB(>or walkers, or petted sometimes rather roughly) then you may right
MB(>pet for therapy work.
I have done therapy work with brain damaged patients, this included
accident victims and stroke patients. One thing you need to ask the
facility where you are going to do the work, is information on the
individual patients. They can give you a brief outline. If there are
patients in the facility that have brain damage you need to know this.
If it is front lobal damage you need to take some precautions. Front
Lobal damage takes away the patients ability to determine right from
wrong. They will just react to any given situation without warning. I
had a instance that a patient pinched my dog. Thankfully the dog only
reacted by getting off the lap, but a less stable dog, could bite in
that same situation.However at the same time, these patients benifit so
much from the pet therapy. It has a real calming effect on even the most
violent. For those that have withdrawn totally, it gets them to react.

MB(>Therpay work can also be a lot of fun.  One old lady that look like she was
MB(>about 100, loved Mauii.  She kept trying to get Mauii up in her lap on the
MB(>wheel chair.  You just have to picture this.  A little tiny lady that
MB(>looks like she would break if you touched her was calling big fuzzy
MB(>Mauii into her lap and Mauii kept looking at me like "what do I do now?"
MB(>I told her be careful, and that's exctly what she did.  She carefully put h
MB(>feet up on the wheel chair seat next to the lady's legs and put her head on
MB(>her lap.  The lady practically squeeled with excitement.  She called
MB(>Mauii closer and closer, until Mauii had her feet on the wheel chair arms
MB(>and her head on the lady's shoulders.  The lady just sat there hugging
MB(>Mauii around the neck and giggling.  Mauii just looked back at me like,
MB(>"Ok now how to I get down."  It was just great!!!

With the small dogs I have taught them a sit/down stay with hand
signals. This works great if you are working with patients that are in
wheelchairs or bedridden. The patient thinks the animal is staying in
the lap on its own. This just thrills the patient.
Lucy is a bedbug, and throughly enjoyed the patients that were
bedridden. She would just lay their with them, basking in all the
attention.

Kathleen Brewer@cutting.hou.tx.us
---
 . OLX 2.1 . Nothing is so smiple that it can't get screwed up!
                                                                                                                     
From: bassett@hpcss01.cup.hp.com (Diane Bassett)
Date: Mon, 23 Nov 1992 16:40:36 GMT
Subject: Re: Vacation...
Organization: Hewlett Packard, Cupertino