Therapy Dog Training

Therapy Dog Training at Denver Dog Works

Denver Dog Works has been training therapy dogs for the past decade. Our first therapy dog was Ineka. Some of you may have read the blog posts or heard us talk about Ineka. He was a natural at getting the kids we would visit in local schools to open up and ask us questions. Ineka has since retired but it is our hope that his legacy lives on within each and every therapy dog and service dog.
Recently, we have been asked to assist people in training their dog to become a therapy dog. We quickly let people know that the training involves them just as much as it does their dog. When you have therapy dog; you are a team.

At Denver Dog Works we pride ourselves on all of our training and its many benefits to our clients. But in particular we pride ourselves on the work that we devote to our service teams and our therapy teams.

Michele Forto is our lead trainer and program designer for both our service team program and our therapy team program. She is recognized as an American Kennel Club Canine Good Citizen Evaluator; a registered service/therapy team trainer with Service Animal Registry of America, and is a Registered Service team evaluator for the Foundation for Service Dog Support.
There is a significant difference between therapy and service. The most recognizable difference is that a service dog goes everywhere with his handler. A therapy dog only goes to a prescribed, volunteered facility/location. A service dog may work for his handler up to 24 hours a day with little or no breaks. A therapy dog is only allowed to work a certain number of hours per week and only at their prescribed location. In other words, if your therapy dog accompanies you once a week to the local library and you participate in a therapy dog reading program, you as a therapy team cannot stop off at the local diner and grab a bite to eat inside at a window table.

While there are many therapy training programs and associations to choose from out there; choosing Denver Dog Works Therapy Training Program is a unique opportunity. We certify teams for psychiatrists; psychologists; therapists, and other medically related professions. In fact, Denver Dog Works is on the cutting edge of a new approach in the use of dogs in therapy sessions, assisting the doctors in the treatment of their patients which is being scientifically tested in several areas of study. But don’t let that stop you if you’re just a regular citizen looking to go into volunteering with your dog, Michele can help prepare you for registering through Denver Dog Works or any other company for that matter. Michele has also prepared teams for re-certification with other companies. Our philosophy here is simple; we believe dogs truly bring joy into people’s lives and we’d rather help that team succeed than sit by and watch it fail.

The therapy team training program at Denver Dog Works is a relatively simple process. We begin by giving your dog a temperament test to ensure that he is capable of what will be required of him. Depending on the type of therapy team you are training to become depends on the depth of obedience training as well as public access training. Denver Dog Works utilizes the AKC Canine Good Citizen test as our preliminary test. Once your dog is certified as an AKC Canine Good Citizen we begin working on public access training as well as work environment training. The entire time the team is training they are developing their work ethic. This means that they are learning how to work together and the dog especially is learning to exhibit the best possible manners in all public settings.

Becoming a Dog Works Therapy Team is hard fulfilling work. It should be noted that this type of volunteering is not for everyone. Our evaluation process is intensive so that we are able to determine that the potential team can build their work ethic and be able to maintain their work ethic at a level that will be required of them at the facility they volunteer.
If you’d like to learn more about Dog Works Therapy or Dog Works Service, please contact Michele directly at mforto@denverdogworks.com

Tags: Robert Forto | Michele Forto | Iditarod | Team Ineka | Dog Training Denver | Dog Doctor Radio | Denver Dog Works | Mushing Radio | Duluth Dog Works | Minnesota Dog Works | Therapy Dog Denver
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Michele Forto is a certified canine trainer and the business manager for Denver Dog Works. Michele is also the co-host of the Dog Doctor Radio Show. Michele can be reached through our website at http://www.micheleforto.com

Mia: Part 2 By Chris Bridge

Mia: Part 2
By Chris Bridge

Mia and I are a Registered Therapy Dog Team with American Humane Association.  This is "part 2" of our story of how we DISCOVERED that this was the direction that she and I were to take as a team.  Please return to last weeks blog and read "part 1" if you missed it.  This is a continuation of that story.
 
In writing this week's blog I have spent the last week in the elementary school where Mia and I first started our career as a Therapy Team 4 years ago.  Again we had something happen that we can add to our MOST AMAZING experience list.  We have truly come full circle.
 
My husband's work involved much travel at that time our our lives, so Mia and I would often tag along.  Because of the travel, Mia and I were invited to visit my sister's Special Education classroom in Oklahoma.  Prior to our visit, my sister and I began to talk of one of her new students, whom we will call "John".  John had been diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder.  John had a monkey he had named "Monk" who would sit beside him daily to help him get through his classwork.  I then shared with my sister and John that Mia also had a monkey who she sleeps with and even travels with, I then named Mia's monkey "Monk" also.  I took a picture of Mia and her "Monk" and mailed it to my sister, who then gave it to John.  He was so taken with Mia that he wanted to meet her, so...at John's request...Mia and I went to Oklahoma for our first classroom visit with children.  John kept Mia's picture in his desk until our visit.  Every time he would begin to miss her, he would take out her picture and sit the picture beside him at his desk and leave his "Monk" on the shelf.  He was not needing his "monk" as often to help him with his classwork because he had Mia's picture instead.  John has since made tremendous progress and no longer needs his "Monk", but Mia, after a long days work with kiddos still needs hers, she is still VERY ATTACHED to her "Monk".  Every year we return to this Oklahoma classroom, you should see John and Mia together, what a reunion.  He sees her and and his little eyes light up as big as saucers as he says "Mia, you came back to see me".  At the same time this big Bernese Mountain Dog is loving all over this little boy.
 
Our very first day in the classroom was a huge success. Mia took to the kids just as much, if not more, than the kids took to her, she loved them.  While at the school we were also asked to visit the Multi-handicapped classroom.  We walked in and introduced ourselves.  Mia led me over to one little boy, we will call "Jack'.  Jack was sitting quietly in his chair and began to pet Mia.  This was a child who did nothing but scream, kick and pound his fists on his desk the whole class period, every day of school.  He was now sitting calmly and petting Mia.  We went on to visit each of the other children, and Jack got up to get his coat in preparation for lining up to go to lunch.  As the other children lined up, Jack came to give Mia one last pet.  The teacher asked the kids to tell Mia "thank-you" and of course this huge chorus of  "thank-you" rang out.  Jack leaned over to Mia and said "thank-you Mia".  The teachers all went silent and looked at each other in amazement.  They later told me that Jack had never talked, "Thank-you Mia" were Jack's very first words.  I went back to my sister's classroom and told her of the experience.  She and I both, with tears streaming down our faces, knew at that moment Mia was to work with children.  
 
This last week Mia and I have been volunteering at the school where we started our career in, 4 years ago. Again we visited the Special Education classroom and the Multi-handicap classroom.   We added a visit to the 4 year old preschool class.  When we arrived to the classroom, pat this teacher on the back, all the kids were sitting calm and quietly in a circle.  Mia and I enter, introduce ourselves, explain what we do, and ask the kids if they have any questions.  This little boy we will call "Rusty"  raises his hand, VERY shy, and teacher calls on him.  He wants to ask his question SO BAD, but just can't say it.  We move on the the others, then let the kids lay on their tummies in a circle around Mia so everyone can have a chance to pet her.  Before we leave the classroom all the kids return to their seats and I ask again if anyone has any questions before we leave.  Little Rusty again raises his hand and the teacher calls on him.  He still can't say his question.  The teacher then asks Rusty if he knows the dogs name.  He responds VERY QUIETLY "Mia".  The teacher just grins from ear to ear...as she walks Mia and I out of the room she explains to me that Rusty is mute, he has never talked.  "Mia" was his first word.  I then realized we had gone full circle.  We started out our career in this school helping a little guy say his first words and we DID IT AGAIN.  Way to go Mia, I am so proud of her. 
 
This is our story of how we began to volunteer at Fletcher Miller Special School in Jefferson County, a unique Special Education School for preschool-12.  This school serves a variety of special needs children who are medically fragile and severely developmentally delayed.  We also volunteer at Mental Health Center of Denver, doing group therapy with elementary, (age 6-9) and Middle School (age 9-14) children. 
 
I now understand what it means to be an Animal Assisted Pet Therapy Team and what an honor it is to have Mia as my partner.  Pet Therapy has allowed us to work together with special children, to touch their lives and hearts, if only for a moment, and hope that moment will be remembered by them forever. 
 
Mia had her last visit at VRCC to see her cardiologist in June 2009.  As expected, her heart condition is very stable and does not appear to be progressing. I am so VERY BLESSED to have her in my life.  Because of her, so many wonderful things have come into my life....wonderful children, great friends and meaningful service to others through our volunteer work.  Mia has a tremendous capacity to love children, unconditionally, as I do.  Her skills are too precious not to share with others.  Mia turned 5 in April 2009 and is helping me fulfill my life's passion - to help make a positive difference in the lives of others. 
 
Mia my girl, this is to you..."I Love You".  She is your friend, your partner, your defender, your dog.  You are her life, her love, her leader.  She will be yours, faithful and true, to the last beat of her heart.  You owe it to her to be worthy of such devotion.    Anonymous 
Tags: Robert Forto | Dog Training Careers | Colorado Dog Trainer | Iditarod | Team Ineka | Dog Training Denver | Dog Doctor Radio | Denver Dog Works
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Chris Bridge and Mia are a Registered Therapy Dog Team with the American Humane Association.   Mia is a 5 year old Bernese Mountain Dog. They volunteer weekly in the Denver area. Chris writes a weekly article for our blog at Denver Dog Works. Chris can be reached through our website at http://www.denverdogworks.com