Who Makes a Good Therapy Dog?

Source: Freya L. L. Green Photography, used with permission

We’ve just completed our New Dog Intake process in the B.A.R.K. program at the University of British Columbia where we saw 12 dogs out of 39 earn acceptance into the program. In this post, I reflect on the key characteristics of strong therapy dogs (and their handlers).

For the last 10 years, our program has screened and trained dog-and-handler teams for participation in both on-campus and community-based stress-reduction programs. This includes a robust “Drop-in” program held on Fridays to support students as they face what can be potentially lonely weekends as they adjust to life on campus and their new roles as college students. B.A.R.K. also offers a “BARK2GO” program that sees therapy dogs stationed throughout the campus on Wednesday afternoons—this offers students a “quick fix” and allows students to interact briefly with therapy dogs and their handlers as they make their way to and from classes. In the community and for the last five years, we have had therapy dogs and their handlers participate in a drop-in session at the local law enforcement precinct. In short, we’ve had a lot of experience working with therapy dogs and seeing firsthand the characteristics that contribute to therapy dogs being successful in sessions.

Source: Freya L. L. Green Photography, used with permission

Following are three key traits characterizing strong dog-handler teams.

1. The handler is proactive in the management of their dog. Handlers anticipate challenges, are aware of their surroundings, and manage interactions between visiting clients and their dogs. An example of this might be a student who, on the run, munches on a sandwich between classes, sees the BARK2GO program, and decides to pop in for a visit. The handler would welcome the student and ask the student to finish their sandwich before visiting with the dogs. Even well-trained dogs are easily tempted by food and rather than correcting a dog who grabbed a sandwich, the handler manages the behavior of the client, avoiding a potentially unpleasant outcome.
2. Perhaps one of the most important traits of strong therapy dogs, especially B.A.R.K. dogs who work in programs that bring together multiple dog-handler teams in the same space, is their indifference to other dogs and their concurrent interest in meeting new people. Though multiple dogs might work in close proximity to one another, we do not encourage dog socialization. Rather, we want the focus to be on greeting and interacting with the humans who come for a visit. In our New Dog Intake assessment, we ask ourselves, “Does the dog want to do this work?” and “Does the dog enjoy meeting new people?”
3. Capable therapy dogs have the ability to invite the client or visitor to match their calm, relaxed state. Understandably, many visitors to sessions will be excited (as they should be) and what’s important is that the dog remains calm and doesn’t rise to the excitement level of the visiting client. Rather, the dog remains steady and calm and, in doing so, invites the client to join them in this calm state. We might consider this "calm contagion"—the therapy dog passing along calm energy to the visiting client to help them reduce their stress.