The Makings Of A Successful Therapy Dog

I was recently asked about what it takes to be a good therapy dog.  The person asking has always been interested in pet therapy, but neither of her previous dogs ever seemed suitable; one didn't like strangers and the other was terrified of unexpected noises. Definitely not suited to pet therapy, but they were wonderful companions to her nonetheless. So, of course, you know, this just got me thinking.  If someone was trying to find the perfect dog for pet therapy work, what should they look for?  

First and foremost, you need a dog that loves meeting new people.  If your dog is fearful (or aggressive) toward strangers, then pet therapy isn't for you.  I've turned away many a prospective pet therapy volunteer whose dog was afraid when meeting me.  Dogs that back away from friendly new people or hide behind their owners, avoiding contact, just aren't going to warm to pet therapy.  In addition, dogs who shy away or hide from a new person will often elicit a response such as, "Oh...your dog doesn't like me!" We certainly never want someone to feel this way on a pet therapy visit!

While loving new people is great, they need to not be overly enthusiastic about it. Meaning successful pet therapy dogs show joy when meeting new people, but they don't jump up on them, paw for attention, bark for attention, or move too quickly.  The best pet therapy dogs I know amble or trot up to new people with a loose tail wag, and often a grin on their face as if to say, "Hi! Nice to meet you!" They position themselves for scratches and pats and wait to see if the human wants more.  If they do, the dog moves around and makes another pass at the person for attention and love.  Yes, dogs can be taught to approach people calmly without barking or jumping up, but it does take time. If your dog is already a mellow, people-lover, there is less you need to do on the front end in terms of training on this skill.

Your dog will also need to have really good on leash manners.  That means that they don't pull you, gasping for air as they go.  They should walk at your side, or slightly in front of you, but your arm should not be fully extended, nor should you have to ball up the leash to keep good control.  Therapy dogs should be able to walk nicely on leash with a flat collar, harness, or head halter; they shouldn't need choke chains or pinch collars for control. You will want to work with your dog to be able to pass by other pet therapy teams in tight spaces without the dogs tangling leashes or getting underfoot.

If you are getting a puppy to train for pet therapy work, start from the get-go!  Expose your puppy to friendly strangers even before you can let their feet touch the ground.  Take them in a pack, a stroller, or simply carry them in your arms to places where people congregate.  Encourage people to pet and engage your puppy and reward your puppy for accepting friendly strangers with interest and joy.  Pet therapy visits are chock full of new smells and new noises, so expose your puppies to busy situations that incorporate smells and sounds like hardware stores, department stores, playgrounds, and shopping malls.  You should also plan to start working on cooperative care exercises with your puppy so that handling at the vet is optimized, but also so that your puppy will be tolerant of handling (or perhaps a bit of mishandling) on their therapy visits.  Therapy dogs need to tolerate having their feet, ears, noses, and tails touched, fur rubbed the wrong way, and an occasional tail pull.  Especially if you want to work with patients in memory support, having your pet therapy dog tolerate all forms of handling is a must.

It's important for pet therapy dogs to not be afraid of medical equipment.  Take your dog outside hospitals or nursing homes and work with them around folks in wheelchairs or using walkers and canes.  You can also take your dog to areas frequented by people pushing strollers or shopping carts.  Get your prospective therapy dogs used to wheeled contraptions that have people attached to them.

While it isn't talked about frequently, it is just as important to train your prospective pet therapy dog to leave items they see, smell, or find on the ground.  And if they do pick something up, to drop it for you when asked.  It doesn't happen a lot on therapy visits, but it happens enough that I've always taught my dogs from the time they were puppies to leave it and drop it on command.  That way, if there is medicine on the floor, a needle, or a latex glove, for example, your dog will know to leave it alone when asked, not to mention leaving any food crumbs they find on the floor behind as well.

Lastly, I think that the best pet therapy dogs can tolerate being around other dogs without becoming scared, agitated, or overly enthusiastic. I'm not saying your dog has to love other dogs to do pet therapy; on the contrary, I'm saying they just need to be able to work in proximity to other pets to be successful.  I actually prefer dogs who are kind of aloof or indifferent with other dogs on leash because I know that they are always going to choose to interact with the people rather than with the other dogs on a pet therapy visit.

This is, by no means, an exhaustive list of what I look for in a potential therapy dog, but it's a good start.  Breed of the dog, age, sex, etc. are less important to me; a young, intact male, pit bull can still be an amazing pet therapy dog, for example.  And, yes, I've met Golden Retrievers and Labradors that weren't suitable, at least not until they matured past the stage where they were no longer body slamming everyone they meet, stepping on feet and jumping up for attention.  They'll likely be great pet therapy dogs someday, once they've grown up a bit and settled down, so never give up hope!

As always, if you have questions about your pet's behavior, you know where to find me.

Desi was a natural at pet therapy.  He would amble toward people, big smile on his face and tail wagging.  He would put his sweet, soft face on their lap or in their hand.  He never jumped up, pawed, or barked for attention, but would wait patiently for his turn.  He could spot someone who needed him a mile away.  Agitated dementia patients didn't scare him, neither did crying babies, or fire alarms going off.  He was a rock through it all, offering unconditional love and soft collie fluff to bury your hands or face in if you needed to.  I miss him every single day.

The Domestication of Trash Pandas

Recently, my daughter's best friend sent me an NPR video about how raccoons could be the next animal domesticated by humans.  She knew I'd have thoughts on this as she knows I worked with raccoons years ago at the San Diego Wild Animal Park when I was a wild animal trainer for the "Rare & Wild America" show. She's heard my stories about these rascals stealing hair ties and barrettes, unzipping zippers, and frisking you anytime you tried to work around them.  Raccoons are smart, cagey, defiant, and deceptively cute.  Raccoons can also be aggressive and scary, something all the folks posting adorable videos of "trash pandas" seem to forget.  These are still wild animals and raccoons remain the most frequently reported rabid animal in the United States.  Raccoons are not to be trifled with by the inexperienced looking for a photo op on Instagram.  Nonetheless, I watched the video she sent me and I'd like to add my two cents worth.  If you missed the video, here's the link to the story:  https://www.npr.org/2025/12/22/nx-s1-5637566/pet-raccoon-science-history-future

A researcher in Arkansas hypothesized that raccoons are undergoing "self-domestication" in urban areas because she believes that urbanization kick-starts the domestication process.  Whether it's the domestication of dogs, cats, or cows, the process of domestication results in physical changes for the animals undergoing domestication.  Humans select animals who possess the traits that they prefer.  In dogs, for example, we selected for friendlier individuals, choosing to invest our time and resources in pups that weren't afraid of us and were able to work alongside us.  One physical trait associated with domestication is a shrinking/shortening of the nose (someone really should have told collies about that fact, but I digress). The author of the study stated that researchers weren't sure why smaller snouts are associated with domestication, but that's not entirely true.  We do know why noses get smaller.  It's all about selecting for traits that make animals "cuter" or more baby-like.  Button noses are cute, whether they are on a human baby or a kitten. There is a name for this biological process whereby animals retain juvenile characteristics into adulthood and it is neoteny.

Neoteny can be seen everyday.  Those tiny little features on the face of a human infant help bond them to their mother and other caregivers.  Those same tiny features are seen in the faces of kittens and puppies too and we've selected for those same features to be carried on into our adult cats and dogs.  Cats are developing larger foreheads, dogs are getting shorter noses and bigger eyes, characteristics seen in juvenile animals of any species. It's all about what humans select for and we have a tendency to select those individual animals that look like babies we can care for.

Okay, back to the raccoon study.  The researchers in this study looked at thousands of photographs of raccoons living in rural and wild areas and compared their snout size/length to photos of urban raccoons.  What did they find?  They found smaller snouts on the urban living raccoons, a sure sign that domestication is happening. From this they concluded that perhaps one day, raccoons might be kept as pets, much like dogs and cats are now.

All I know is this:  Raccoons have a long way to go before I'd ever consider one as a pet.  I do know wildlife rehab folks who care for injured, abandoned, and neglected wild animals.  Some are released back into the wild while others must live out their lives in various levels of confinement due to permanent injuries, loss of limbs, or other disabilities.  The best wildlife rehab people build beautiful enclosures that give these animals a wonderful life, safe from predators, including cars. These animals are allowed to be animals, though they often become acclimated to their human caretakers, interacting with them and other species of animals, much like the animals I worked with years ago at the Wild Animal Park.  It makes for entertaining videos and a good way to learn about wildlife.  Here's one of my favorite wildlife rehab folks (she does have raccoons, as well as foxes, and opossums, and a skunk):  https://www.instagram.com/juniperfoxx/

Anyone out there ever had a wild animal as a pet?  I've met folks who had wolves, ferrets, and yes,  raccoons.  Would love if you shared your stories with all of us.  

As always, if you have questions about your pet's behavior, you know where to find me.

Here's one of my favorite pictures from my Wild Animal Park days.  This is my friend, Michele, and me with Ralph and Betty, our raccoons.  These animals, along with a fox, wolf, a couple black bears, lynx, bobcat, and three opossums, just to name a few, were the animals we trained and cared for.  You'll notice no dangly earrings (Ralph and Betty would have stolen them), and Betty has a hold on one of Michele's buttons.  She was bravely wearing a watch!

Something To Talk About

Do you talk to your dog in full sentences?  Do you tell them all about your day, asking them questions about theirs as well?  You're not alone.  While I think we all realize that our dogs can't answer us back (though we often fill in the conversational blanks for them, right?), we continue to converse with them on and off all day long.  You do this, I do this, and a large proportion of dog owners around the world do it too.  Seems there is actually something to this, according to science.

When we carry on our one-sided conversations with our dogs, it triggers the same activity in our brains as conversations with other humans do. Meaning, our brains process those Q & A sessions with our dogs as real conversations. These verbal interactions with our dogs are a form of social bonding akin to having a conversation with another human being. For folks like me who live alone, these conversations are actually life-affirming.  Studies show a 31% decreased rate of depression for those who lived alone with dogs versus those who lived alone without them.  This doesn't mean that dogs are a substitute for human contact, but rather amazingly that they are the same as far as our brain is concerned.  When you talk to your dogs, even though they don't talk back, your brain believes you've made a real social connection, building those neural pathways.  Studies have demonstrated that when we talk to our dogs in full sentences, our bodies experience an increase in oxytocin (the "love hormone") and a decrease in cortisol (the "stress hormone").  Our dogs don't have to talk back to us; their eye contact, proximity to us, attentive behavior, and active listening register as real social engagement to our nervous system.

Dog owners living alone often get teased for having conversations with their dogs.  They are told how silly it looks when clearly dogs don't talk back. But here's the thing:  Dogs do communicate with us and their attentiveness and desire to interact with us is the way they do it.  Ask any dog owner and they'll tell you:  Dogs communicate very clearly with us through body language cues.  If it's dinner time and you've not made your way to the kitchen, they'll try to lead you there. And if you ask them if it's time or if they are hungry, their response is quite clearly yes, via a game of canine charades! I often find my conversations with my dogs more rewarding than some of my social interactions with other people during the day, and I don't believe that's just me.  Dogs don't judge the way so many people we encounter do.  

So, just keep chatting away with your dogs.  They appreciate when you do and your brain and body are reaping all kinds of long term health benefits. Just because you want to stay home and hang out with your dog doesn't make you anti-social. On the contrary, you're engaging in equivalent social bonding with your canine companions. And you can quote me on that.

As always, if you have questions about your pet's behavior, you know where to find me. I'll be here, talking to my dogs.

Nobody listens better than Henley.  He follows me around, hanging on my every word.  If I'm working and not talking to anyone, he'll come over, nose me, and look me straight in the eye as he's doing in this photo. Just look at that eye contact and attentive listening.  No, I don't have treats in my hand.  This is just a sweet dog engaged in social bonding with his human.

Puppy Love

I've got four clients right now who are preparing for the arrival of spring or early summer puppies.  They've put down their deposits with the breeders they've chosen and are anxiously awaiting the arrival of their newest canine family members. I worked with each of them on the process as these four clients are unique:  They all worked with me with a previous dog who had serious behavior problems rooted in anxiety and aggression.  Each wanted to avoid ever having to go through that again, if they could help it.  They told me how helpful they felt it was for me to break down the process for them, giving them guidelines for choosing a breeder, and then, for choosing their puppy. Because of that, I figured it was time to share that same information here, just in case you are gearing up for puppy fever too.

First, you certainly don't have to work with a breeder to acquire a puppy. I will say, however, that working with a reputable, knowledgeable breeder or fancier can make the puppy selection process a bit more reliable.  When you instead choose to acquire a puppy at a shelter, rescue, or an online marketplace (e.g. Craig's List or a puppy broker), you are going to have a harder time getting any of the background information that you need on the dam and sire (i.e. the puppy's mom and dad), especially with regard to their physical and mental health.  You also won't be able to check references and talk to other people who acquired a puppy from this same person.  You will have to rely on the limited experiences noted by the shelter, foster, or Craig's List seller. And if you are using a puppy broker, you will find that the information you are given is even more limited because these folks just move puppies between puppy mills and prospective pet owners, despite their frequent protestations to the contrary. 

How do you even find a reputable breeder?  Sure, you can go on the AKC's website and research breeders, but remember that just being on that website doesn't insure that the puppies produced by that breeder are going to meet your needs.  Instead, I encourage prospective puppy owners to talk to breeders in person at dog shows where you can see them with their dogs and then interact with them online via social media.  So many breeders use Facebook and Instagram to show off their puppies, dogs, show results, and breeding programs.  Interacting with them and their followers who are often previous or current owners of their dogs, allows you to see, follow, and ask questions of real owners of the breed (and breeder) you are interested in. Look for lots of transparency on their breeding program.

Let's get one thing straight:  All puppies are cute.  No question about that.  So, you need to coach yourself to look beyond the cute and really analyze the way the puppies you are following on a breeder's account are being raised.  Even before the puppies are born, you want to look at the dam and sire and see how they themselves are being raised and engaged. Are they always shown running around outside in a pen with a bunch of other dogs, or are they also shown camped out in the kitchen or on a bed, sofa, or someone's lap?  Are they only shown at dog shows, or are they also shown running agility, competing in flyball, or doing nosework? How many litters has the breeder produced?  How often are they breeding their dog(s)?  All of this is just as important to the puppy choosing process. You want your puppy's parents to have been cherished members of your breeder's family, not money-making, puppy-producing machines.  You want to feel comfortable knowing that your puppy's mama was fed properly while pregnant, protected from stress and strain, and regularly evaluated by a veterinary professional. Puppies born to stressed out moms come into this world already challenged behaviorally.  Puppies born to well-adjusted, happy,  and physically sound mothers come into this world with brains that are pliable and open, not already challenged with stress hormones.

Once you've found a breeder that you are comfortable with, and you like the way that they raise and care for their adult dogs, it's time for you to look at the way that they prepare their puppies to go to their new homes. I seek out breeders who use the "Puppy Culture" approach to raising puppies.  This approach focuses on the science behind socialization and training. It fosters emotional resiliency and brain development.  It encourages puppies to reach their full potential from birth to 12 weeks of age through appropriate behavioral challenges and physical challenges.  Even newborn puppies should be handled, stimulated, and exposed to new experiences. This program also includes exercises that prepare puppies for house training, crate training, and checks for resource guarding. Puppies who complete Puppy Culture programs are inquisitive, resilient, and well-prepared for that move from their breeder's home to yours. You really do need to critically expand the way you think about puppy raising beyond just "my puppy was lovingly raised in the breeder's home" to "my puppy was raised to be confident, curious, and successful in their loving breeder's home."

Finally, when you get to the point where you are going to the breeder's home to choose your puppy (and, yes, I think you need to go to their home and choose your puppy), you will likely be one of several people there to pick out their next canine family member. Breeders often have their list of prospective puppy owners, those in line for female puppies, those in line for male puppies, and/or those in line for either sex, but with more concerns about coat color, for example, or temperament. I'm always going to advise you not to choose your puppy based on their coat color or sex, but rather to look at their temperament and the way they engage you when you meet them.  And if you want to do a bit of temperament testing of those puppies on your own, especially if your breeder doesn't use the Puppy Culture program, then please revisit one of my previous blog posts on the subject of temperament testing for prospective puppy owners here:

https://juliebondanimalbehaviorist.blogspot.com/2021/06/pick-of-litter.html

While I'm not currently in the market for a new puppy myself, I am closely following a litter of collies that is due this month.  The dam and sire of this litter are actually Zelly's parents, so these pups will be full siblings to my daughter's sweet, adolescent collie. I can't wait to see these puppies develop and watch them thrive in those first weeks under the watchful eye of my friend and her pack of sweet, well-adjusted adult collies, including Zelly's grandmother.  If I'm lucky, I'll get a chance to visit with my friend before these puppies go off to their new homes.  That puppy fix should last me until I'm ready for my next collie puppy of my own, right?

As always, if you have questions about your pet's behavior, you know where to find me.

Here's baby Henley in a photo sent to me by his breeder.  He looks pretty comfortable and content on that dog bed. Henley was the last puppy to go home because I needed get all of my ducks in a row to drive up to Washington state to pick him up.  Ozzie and Westley made that road trip with my daughter and me and it is a trip filled with a lot of fond memories.