# What Do You Think??? Therapy dog for children w/cancer



## harmony (May 30, 2002)

I have a dog I want to use to help chlidren with cancer, with as much as he has helped me. My personal dog died 3yrs ago, and I do have the best or the best for me and my saftey, but there is another!!! My heart truely goes out to these kids who need just a little something extra and I think (God giving) I might have it, to help. Of course he is not a pure breed German shepherd but a mix (in a sort), and I have been through the classes before to have a therepy dog, but pulled back myself to what I thought it would take! I want so much to help these children!!! I do help kids in another way and out of many seen a promising result (Glory to God!) but this is really getting to me about what I should do right now. What do you think?


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## MaggieRoseLee (Aug 17, 2001)

Not sure what you are asking exactly...

If you want to help to uplift and work with sick children with your dog, I'd continue to get your Therapy Dog certification and then work with the hospitals in your area.


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## Jax08 (Feb 13, 2009)

Absolutely!


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## EJQ (May 13, 2003)

I have to admit that I'm not exactly sure of what you are asking either. But if you are thinking of using a therapy dog to help children cope with disease then by all means continue with therapy training.


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## harmony (May 30, 2002)

The dog I have loves people and great with kids, really good dog. Now when I got him he was very dog agressive, but doing better now still I would never trust him 100% when it comes to something like that. Do you think the dog would have a chance or not? He is not a pure breed but he is a shepherd mix, and sweet as pie when it comes to people.


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## Jax08 (Feb 13, 2009)

Therapy dogs do not have to be purebred. You need to work on his dog aggression. Start with the LAT game (Look At That). That could be a concern because therapy dogs often have other dogs around them and when he is tested, the testers will be watching that. Look up Therapy Dogs International (TDI) for what tests you'll need to pass and expectations.


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## harmony (May 30, 2002)

I did train him to be around horses, herd and he does trail rides with us some too. He is really smart and I would like to do more with him.


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## harmony (May 30, 2002)

He has come a long way with dog aggression, he does things now he couldn't do when I took him in. When they test dogs (I have only been thru some of the work before) how do they test them with other dogs.


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## Jax08 (Feb 13, 2009)

You walk up to the person with your dog in a heel. The person will be coming towards you with their dog in a heel. You will meet (dogs on the outside of both of you), PUT YOUR DOG IN A SIT FIRST! YOU ARE ALLOWED TO DO THAT!, and you greet the person (shake hands, how ya doin') and walk away. 

You will also be tested in crowd, that may contain other dogs if they see fit to do that. You will have a supervised separation. They put my dog right next to a small dog with a teenager holding her while I had to go somewhere that she couldn't see me ( I watched the whole thing from behind a car and the teen kept pushing on her butt to get her to sit while she was looking for me the whole time). 

I was terribly not pleased with the way they conducted the test that day but we passed. I never followed through with joining TDI though.


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## bianca (Mar 28, 2010)

I took my dogs litter mate through Delta Society as a therapy dog and part of the evaluation process was just in the classes. The instructor was always looking to see how the dogs were with the other dogs in the class. We had 7 dogs in our group and the classes were conducted in a really small space so if one had an issue, there was no hiding it.


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## harmony (May 30, 2002)

My house is filled with kids all the time, lots of teenagers these days, lol. At the moment I am making them do 4h (horse club) and not so much with the dogs. I could make them help me with this dog if I have to. This dog was only two when I got him and a wicked bad temper toward other dogs, he does great now with my little dog, the cat and the other big dogs but one. I think we might have a chance as long as everything is always supervised. The dog is now 6 or 7 yrs old, do you think that is to old?


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## harmony (May 30, 2002)

I really want a chance at doing this with this dog, he's one of my favorites "Baby Bear" we call him.


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## Castlemaid (Jun 29, 2006)

Not too old. Be sure he is comfortable with kids/noise/people/other critters/dogs in other situations, not just at home. My mixed-breed Spaniel that I used to have got evaluated and passed for therapy work at around 7 to 8 years old, and he did very well in therapy visits.


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## Chicagocanine (Aug 7, 2008)

No, it's not too old. Bianca is 7 and she just passed a therapy dog test in the spring, and we're planning to take another one in November to join a different organization.


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## harmony (May 30, 2002)

This is going to take a lot of courage! I have been thru the classes one time before myself to learn what it took to do this, before taking a dog right. Well I was getting the dog ready "I thought" would be a good one and before I took her in for her to be tested I knew she wasn't the one. I then figured out the one dog at the time I had that could do this, I gave him away to friend that really needed him (long story). It's still on my mind and always has been and I look at my dogs and what I have to work with (I have favorites) and think maybe one more try and go thru with it all the way this time. The dog I would like to do this with is so special to me (he is a very special dog) I'm thinking it might be worth a try. I worry about failing and this is going to take the most courage yet for me to see this thru.


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