Therapy Dogs As I walked my Bouvier’s through Muskoka’s Arts and Crafts Show, I was constantly asked how I trained my dogs to behave so well. For me I don’t think much about it, as a well-trained dog is part and parcel to being able to live with these animals. For as I have disabilities, if they are not trained I can’t control them and I sure could not share them. Over the years countless people have told me, if you ever need a home for your dogs call me. To get back to training and people loving dogs, this show is very large and takes most of a day to visit all the booths and talk to the people. I came to realize that along with being well trained; they each have different personalities and yet they are all excellent Pet Therapy dogs. One person made me glad that I put as much training into my dogs to develop their personality as well as obedience; as I do. A gentleman approached me and asked if these dogs were Bouvier’s. Yes, I stated and introduced Tig-ger, Toklat and Chimera. A fantastic dog, never seen one before until one day in my daughters Kindergarden class. With that statement I met the father of a girl in a junior Kindergarden class that Tig had visited. This girl had been bitten quite savagely by a large dog and was terrified of them. He told me he had come to the school to take his daughter out of the class, so that she didn’t have to meet the dog that was visiting. But had arrived too late. “As I stood in the doorway I watched my daughter stare at this large dark, shaggy beast that was visiting each student in turn in the circle. As the dog neared my daughter his head turned to look at her. I prepared myself to run into the room and grab her, as I expected her to start screaming. However this dog dropped to the floor and laid down on his tummy and crawled over to her and laid his head within touching distance of her feet. As they stared at each other, my daughter started to cry and suddenly threw herself on top of this dog. As the two lay together she started petting him and kissing him. Since then she has gotten back her love of dogs, just a little more careful. But every once in a while we talk of this shaggy dog that visited her class and how the owner must have worked with this dog to have such an animal”. Her father didn’t stay that day years ago, so two and a half years later I had the pleasure of introducing him the Royal Tig-ger Tank, the dog that proved to his daughter that not all dogs bite. To be a good therapy dog regardless of your dogs personality, your dog must be accepting of all kinds of petting all kinds of wheeled vehicles, canes, noises and in short present a calm face, no matter what situation erupts. If this sounds hard, well it’s not; what is required is time and effort on your part to expand your dogs’ wold a little more each day. Proof of the training is the ability to take a number of Bouviers out anywhere; which is what I had done this weekend. As I walked them through a large art show, where there are numerous breakable items, a non-stop flow of people. As my sons and I and three Bouviers make our way, comments are non-stop, and the number of people stop to touch and talk is unreal. With a constant eye on the flow of traffic, as it is not your dog that will necessarily start the problem. Training once inside is at a sink or swim level. After all it is a terrible statement to take your dog out and not be to let people pet them. The training pays off as Tig the pro of five plus years, stands, downs or sits as the crowds gather, Toklat and Chimera prefer to stand but neither are afraid. Over the next several hours all three are kissed, hugged, petted, pulled, drooled on, slapped etc. Each personality becomes clear. Tig-ger movers through the crowd with the boredom of years experience and daily exposure; content to receive his share of attention. Chimera the youngest and at times still a pup, the world is in need on constant exploring. The head in constant motion, gentle head butts to get attention. But simply commands bring her back in line. Toklat strike a middle ground, the solid show dog in him comes out, as he stacks and struts for the crowd. In short a well-trained dog becomes an ambassador for any field of the dog world. That people can enjoy them anywhere, be it down town, at shows, hospitals, schools or nursing homes. Good training makes every personality just a bit to a whole lot better and well worth the investment of time and energy. Rita Lillico
Posted on: Sat, 03 Jan 2015 17:18:49 +0000
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