Enriching the 'Magic' of Therapy Dogs

BACKGROUND:  St. John Ambulance Therapy Dog teams have been providing comfort and support to individuals they visit for over 15 years in Saskatchewan, and since 1992 starting in Peterborough, Ontario. There are numerous other therapy dog organizations in Canada. 

The human and dog volunteer teams visit at a range of places where individuals do not typically have access to a pet, such as hospitals, airports, and university campuses. This is called an animal assisted activity. Extensive vetting and testing is typically involved in becoming a therapy dog team, but limited education is provided to handlers to increase their awareness and skills in areas that would support their visits. 

AIM:  To help fill this gap, a free, four-hour online course has been designed for therapy dog handlers to:

• Become aware of their own biases with regards to the diversity of others (e.g., culture, race, sexuality, socioeconomic status, etc.), and make a commitment to supporting inclusive therapy dog experiences.   (Module 1 - diversity & inclusion)
• Describe what mental health is, with particular attention to anxiety and trauma and how they impact thinking and behaving, and identify the basics of responding to a client’s mental health.  (Module 2 - client mental health with Erin Beckwell)
• Describe mental health self-care and peer support, why they are important, and how therapy dog handlers can practice them.   (Module 3 - handler self-care and peer-support with Janelle Jackiw)
• Identify the basics of dog body language and therapy dog care, during and after visiting.  (Module 4 - dog behavior and care with Anne Howie)

This course is open to therapy dog handlers as well as anyone wishing to improve inclusive communication with others, the well-being of themselves, and/or better understand their dog’s behaviour. The course modules will be available in June, 2022!