Do I need a therapy dog for my therapy dog? However quirky that sounds, let’s consider the effect of doing therapy dog work on the dogs themselves. Most people would agree that dogs in general, and therapy dogs in particular, bring comfort and relief from anxiety for a lot of us. Dogs involved in a program such as Community Therapy Dogs Society (CTDS) can experience a number of situations and be exposed to a number of people that they are not accustomed to. So how does that affect them?
As a comparison to a human situation, we have all experienced people who are either depressed, look at life in a negative way or are in rough shape when, at the end of meeting with them, we feel drained of life or energy. But why is this? In wanting to help such people we burn off nervous energy and can absorb their negative energy in a way that “empties our tank”. Moreover, I would suggest that most people experience some degree of nervous anxiety when entering a new environment for the first time and meeting new people for the first time. The same thing applies to dogs. Although they have the reassurance of being with their owners, dogs need to assure themselves that the environment and these strangers are ok and will not be a threat to them. Their senses are alive, particularly their nose and eyes. They will be checking out all the different smells and trying to read these new people’s body language. The experienced owner will let their dog take time to reassure themselves that all is well. The other factor, particularly relevant when visiting a seniors’ home, is that the thermostat is generally kept at a higher temperature than most home environments, so the dog will need to adapt to a warmer climate.
The more a dog visits a particular school, hospital or seniors’ home, the likelihood is that it will become more used to the working conditions but it will still have to adapt to different smells when meeting new people for the first time.
Furthermore, dogs have an uncanny ability to sense when people need extra therapeutic help: examples being of people who are depressed, lonely or close to dying. Dogs want to spend additional time with such people and can be reluctant to leave them. We don’t truly know what it is that causes this reaction in a dog but is likely a combination of the person’s body language and chemical odour given off by the body.
In the five years since CTDS began its programs, many owners have told me that, following a therapy visit, their dog is tired and will sleep more than in a day without a therapy visit. By burning off nervous energy and absorbing the energy, positive or negative, from the person they are visiting, dogs become fatigued and themselves need a restful break. That is why owners understand not to “push the envelope” with their dogs and expect too much from their furry friends. We don’t ever want to get to the point that therapy dogs get burned out and need a therapeutic partner themselves!
