I have been involved in library therapy dog programs since 2007, when I became the head of the Children’s Department at the Crown Point Community Library. CPCL had an ongoing program called Read to the Dogs, and they partnered with a therapy dog group in Lake County called “Power Paws for Kids.” Certified and trained dogs would come to the library and children would pick out a book and “read to a dog.” Dogs are excellent listeners and provide a safe, non-judgmental environment for kids to practice their reading skills. Children don’t feel pressure to read to a dog because the dog won’t judge them if they mispronounce a word or skip a page. From a large Bernese Mountain Dog to a small Chihuahua in a wheelchair, there was a dog for everyone. Most of the children would read but some just wanted to pet the therapy dogs. Others would come to each Read to the Dogs program because they had their favorite dog and wanted to visit them and give them a treat. I watched the group for a few years, and eventually thought my Yorkshire Terrier Gigi could do it.

I remember a person came to the library when the Read to the Dogs program was happening and said, “Cool, so I can bring my dog to the library and get it read to?” We had to explain, “No, the dogs needed to be trained and certified and the dogs were part of the therapy dog group.” There is a lot of training involved before a canine is ready to be in a therapy dog program. Gigi was the first dog that I trained. We went to puppy class, and we needed to retake it because I flunked. These classes are more about training the person. You need to be consistent with the commands you give your dog, and you need to have a lot of patience. It also takes time, and you need to put the time in when training your dog. I did not realize that at the time I was working with Gigi.

To get into the therapy dog group, one needs to pass the Canine Good Citizenship test. There are 10 skills needed, and the test completion needs to be signed off by an American Kennel Club-approved Canine Good Citizenship evaluator:

• Accepting a friendly stranger.
• Sitting politely for petting.
• Appearance and grooming.
• Walking on a loose leash.
• Walking through a crowd.
• Sit and down on cue/stay in place.
• Coming when called.
• Reaction to another dog.
• Reaction to distractions.
• Supervised separation.

I received extra help from a member of the dog training club. They worked with me one on one on the skills we were weak on. It wasn’t an easy process, as Gigi had trouble not pulling on her leash and she would pop up and not stay in place for the required three minutes. Gigi finally earned her Canine Good Citizenship title and membership in Power Paws for Kids in August 2013 and we were involved visiting many libraries, until we moved back to Grant County in 2014.

Grant County has a different therapy dog group called Love on a Leash. In Indiana, there are six chapters. The Heartland Chapter covers Grant and Miami Counties. Other areas in the state are Terre Haute, Columbus, Hamilton County, Indianapolis and Kokomo. I needed to go through the Love on a Leash evaluation process and discovered that the local Mississinewa Valley Obedience Training Club had an evaluator. Gigi and I took a few classes to brush up our skills. The Love on a Leash evaluation is very similar to the Canine Good Citizenship test but includes a few extra factors about your dog’s demeanor. Factors such as does your dog exhibit apparent aggression, or do they keep their composure if someone approaches in an erratic manner. We passed the Love on a Leash evaluation. Love on a Leash has an extra step that the Lake County group did not have. We needed to do 10 supervised visits with a Love on a Leash evaluator. These need to be completed within a year after you pass the Love on a Leash evaluation. After that, your completed paperwork is turned into the national Love on a Leash group as well as a membership fee.

Gigi and I would go to the Marion Public Library for their Read to the Dogs programs and to Indiana Wesleyan University before their finals at Christmas Break. I had a very heartwarming interaction with a college student at their “Dogs and Donuts” event. A student came up to me and I asked her if she wanted to hold Gigi. She nodded “yes” and she hugged Gigi close to her as tears streamed down her face. She said this was her first time away from home and she missed her dog. It’s hard to keep your composure in situations like those.

Sadly, Gigi passed away in 2021 and I really missed going to Love on a Leash events. Our other Yorkie, Ozzy, did not have the right demeanor to be a therapy dog. He is set in his ways and does not like others not “living in his pack.” I was now on the lookout for another dog who could possibly be a therapy dog. In April of 2023, my stepdaughter happened to see a puppy who was up for adoption. A 10-week-old Morkie – a Maltese/Yorkshire terrier mix – needed a home. I was out of town for my job when I saw a picture of the puppy and I immediately called about him. When I met him, I had a feeling that he might make a great therapy dog. He is so friendly, and he has such a happy look almost like he is smiling. We got him on the spot later that evening and changed his name to Rocky.

I knew that I wanted to get Rocky into training classes as soon as I could. Rocky needed to go through the proper vaccination schedule before he could take the Mississinewa Valley Obedience Training Club classes, which are seven weeks long. We started with the puppy class. We worked on walking on a leash and healing and sitting as well as the commands: leave it, stay and come. The next level is the basic level, where we learn more commands: sit stay, down stay, weave between other dogs, recall, stand and turns. After passing the basic class, we could become members of Mississinewa Valley Obedience Training Club. This lets you get the first pick on other classes that are given, and you get a discount. This got us prepared to take the Canine Good Citizenship class.

We passed the Canine Good Citizenship test and the Love on a Leash evaluation on the same night. This meant that we could start with the next task of doing the 10 supervised visits. I was able to get all 10 visits completed by going to a couple of libraries in Grant County, Taylor University and a retirement facility. The final step is to fill out the Love on a Leash paperwork. For each visit, the evaluators sign a form and comment on how you and your dog did. For example, “Do you have your dog under control?,” “Are you talking with the program participants?,” “Is your dog well-groomed and clean?,” and “How does your dog react to the other dogs?” One comment I got from an evaluator was “Rocky did well with the little girl with the beads in her hair.” I did not think about it when it happened, but Rocky did not flinch or try to bite at the beads. Those beads might be a trigger for other dogs to either be afraid of or to try to play with them.

Dogs in the therapy group need to be on their best behavior and be under control. They must show no aggression with people or other dogs and they must be fine with sudden movements or sounds. Rocky has been to the Lowe’s home improvement store many times and he has a fan club there. We take him for car rides. He has spent a lot of time with my young nieces and nephews. It is apparent that he loves adults and children. I’ve also tried to get him used to other sounds – like taking the trash can from the curb to our house. This helps him get used to sounds he might hear at a nursing home with wheelchairs.

Having a therapy dog is amazing on so many levels. With the school-age children, they get to practice their reading skills, and they get to learn about different dogs and how to treat them. College students need to de-stress during finals, or they need some comfort when they are far from home and missing their family and pets. At a nursing home, the residents may not have family close by and they really miss their pets. It took me a couple of years to get Rocky officially in the Love on a Leash group. It is such a joy to share Rocky with others and it is worth all the time, effort and training that is involved.

This post was written by Northeast regional coordinator Paula Newcom of the Indiana State Library Professional Development Office.

Links
https://www.powerpawsforkids.org/
https://www.akc.org/products-services/training-programs/canine-good-citizen/
https://www.loveonaleash.org/