After rounds, Scout sits at Melle s feet as she explains how he became a certified therapy dog. Scout attended weekly classes at the obedience school, where he practiced skills like avoiding IV and oxygen lines and putting his head in people s laps for petting. He learned to stay calm around other animals, which he often encounters during nursing home visits, Melle says. Therapy dogs in training first learn to approach only when people extend their hands, Randel says. A therapy dog must also learn to tolerate having its ears pulled or its tail run over by a wheelchair.
Some dogs perform tricks for patients.
Randel s Golden Retriever, K.C., plays catch by rolling a ball back and forth and lifts his front paws together to say prayers with the children. Since dogs learn at different speeds, each will receive its therapy certification after a different number of classes. Therapy dogs also attend refresher classes after certification. Once a dog is certified, it goes to nursing homes, schools and individual homes. Fifteen canine-human teams are active in the local program, which has been in existence for 30 years.