THERAPY DOG HANDLER LEADERSHIP
NOTE: Although this page refers to dogs it's also important for all species of therapy pets!
"It's lonely at the top, so give your dog a break and take over."
- Patricia McConnell, Ph.D., Certified Applied Animal Behaviorist
- Patricia McConnell, Ph.D., Certified Applied Animal Behaviorist
NOTE: Our Leadership Class is offered free of charge as part of our Therapy Dog Training Course. Please let us know if you would like to attend out next Leadership Class. WHERE: This Class is held in the spacious rear annex building at Newark Heights Church of God, 1092 West Church St. (just West of 30th St.) Newark, OH - Click HERE for Google Map THANKS SO MUCH TO PASTOR SCOTT MURPHY & HIS WIFE TAMMY FOR DONATING THE USE OF THIS WONDERFUL SPACE!
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Being a safe & effective Pet Partners Handler (especially for dogs) requires the ability to be a PRO-active Assertive Leader.
PRO-Active ASSERTIVE Leadership allows you to meet both your needs and at the same time the needs of your Pet Partner and client (staff, students, residents, patients) in order to inspire confidence & comfort in both your Pet Partner and in others.
WHY
"No other canine related event, no sport nor competition
requires a dog (or any pet) to enter the intimate zones of unfamiliar humans & remain there for several minutes of petting and hugging …
Most dogs (& other pets) have been bred for generations to distinguish between outsiders & family, & to act accordingly. Therapy Pets are no different."
- Kris Butler, Therapy Dogs Today, Their Gifts, Our Obligation
"If you are comfortable being a benevolent leader, your dog can relax, and will love you all the more for it. Keep in mind that dogs feel happier when they know that they are not responsible for making all the difficult decisions that leaders have to make. Dogs prefer knowing that you are in charge, and are often much happier when they understand that they can count on you to take care of things. ... No matter how great your dog is, always be careful about catering to him and indirectly forcing him into the lead. It's lonely at the top, so give your dog a break and take over." - Patricia McConnell, Ph.D., Certified Applied Animal Behaviorist
“It is important to note that a dog’s perception can differ greatly from a human’s perception of the very same event. ... All the screening and training in the world will not prepare a dog for the challenges of intimacy and emotion encountered in visiting animal programs. ... Handler’s who protect their dogs from undo stress increase their dog’s confidence. Success breeds confidence and confidence encourages continued growth. A dog’s level of confidence in the handler is based both on their lifelong relationship and how the dog perceives the handler’s behavior in the moment. Sometimes nervous, unskilled handlers (lacking leadership) seem to abandon their dog’s during visits, ignoring their dog’s communication, focusing more on themselves or people in the environment. This behavior causes stress in dogs and erodes trust to a degree that some dogs learn to anticipate stressful feelings with visiting. All dogs need leaders and visiting dogs are no exception .” - Kris Butler , THERAPY DOGS TODAY: Their Gifts, Our Obligation
"No other canine related event, no sport nor competition
requires a dog (or any pet) to enter the intimate zones of unfamiliar humans & remain there for several minutes of petting and hugging …
Most dogs (& other pets) have been bred for generations to distinguish between outsiders & family, & to act accordingly. Therapy Pets are no different."
- Kris Butler, Therapy Dogs Today, Their Gifts, Our Obligation
"If you are comfortable being a benevolent leader, your dog can relax, and will love you all the more for it. Keep in mind that dogs feel happier when they know that they are not responsible for making all the difficult decisions that leaders have to make. Dogs prefer knowing that you are in charge, and are often much happier when they understand that they can count on you to take care of things. ... No matter how great your dog is, always be careful about catering to him and indirectly forcing him into the lead. It's lonely at the top, so give your dog a break and take over." - Patricia McConnell, Ph.D., Certified Applied Animal Behaviorist
“It is important to note that a dog’s perception can differ greatly from a human’s perception of the very same event. ... All the screening and training in the world will not prepare a dog for the challenges of intimacy and emotion encountered in visiting animal programs. ... Handler’s who protect their dogs from undo stress increase their dog’s confidence. Success breeds confidence and confidence encourages continued growth. A dog’s level of confidence in the handler is based both on their lifelong relationship and how the dog perceives the handler’s behavior in the moment. Sometimes nervous, unskilled handlers (lacking leadership) seem to abandon their dog’s during visits, ignoring their dog’s communication, focusing more on themselves or people in the environment. This behavior causes stress in dogs and erodes trust to a degree that some dogs learn to anticipate stressful feelings with visiting. All dogs need leaders and visiting dogs are no exception .” - Kris Butler , THERAPY DOGS TODAY: Their Gifts, Our Obligation
WHAT - Leadership Vs. Dominance
DOMINANCE – Over powers, forces, builds resistance, conflict, repression, erodes trust & confidence.
LEADERSHIP – Empowers, Teaches, Inspires, Anticipates & Plans in Advance, Communicates Clear Boundaries, Provides Alternatives, Rewards Often - Cultivates, Earns & Builds TRUST!, CONFIDENCE! & SPONTENAITY!
WHEN "Failing to plan is planning to fail!"
PRO-Active – (before) know your dog, anticipate behavior/needs and act BEFORE dog exhibits inappropriate or undesirable behavior. Prevents problem, stress or inappropriate behaviors before they occur.
RE-Active – (after) acts only AFTER dog does something inappropriate or undesirable.
IN-Active – (never) ignores, indulges &/or inadvertently reinforces dogs inappropriate behavior.
HOW“Everything we do is infused with the energy with which we do it.”
Assertive – (calms, focuses, teaches) respects your needs as well as your dogs needs (& client)
Aggressive – (escalates, hurts, confuses) respects your needs but denies your dog’s &/or others needs/desires
Passive – ignores or denies your needs but indulges & reinforces your dog’s inappropriate behavior.
IN-Active/Passive Behavior does not address and inadvertently reinforces inappropriate behavior, which can escalate and confuse dog, can lead to increased stress/insecurity, possible aggression or even injury to dog and/or client, erodes trust, will dilute or even damage your dogs enjoyment, saftely and the therapeutic effect of AAA/T.
RE-Active/Assertive Behavior is behavior that focuses on solving the problem and getting back on track after the problem occurs. Better than IN-Active or Passive but still does not instill confidence & comfort in your dog or in others.
WHEN "Failing to plan is planning to fail!"
PRO-Active – (before) know your dog, anticipate behavior/needs and act BEFORE dog exhibits inappropriate or undesirable behavior. Prevents problem, stress or inappropriate behaviors before they occur.
RE-Active – (after) acts only AFTER dog does something inappropriate or undesirable.
IN-Active – (never) ignores, indulges &/or inadvertently reinforces dogs inappropriate behavior.
HOW
Assertive – (calms, focuses, teaches) respects your needs as well as your dogs needs (& client)
Aggressive – (escalates, hurts, confuses) respects your needs but denies your dog’s &/or others needs/desires
Passive – ignores or denies your needs but indulges & reinforces your dog’s inappropriate behavior.
IN-Active/Passive Behavior does not address and inadvertently reinforces inappropriate behavior, which can escalate and confuse dog, can lead to increased stress/insecurity, possible aggression or even injury to dog and/or client, erodes trust, will dilute or even damage your dogs enjoyment, saftely and the therapeutic effect of AAA/T.
RE-Active/Assertive Behavior is behavior that focuses on solving the problem and getting back on track after the problem occurs. Better than IN-Active or Passive but still does not instill confidence & comfort in your dog or in others.
CALM, PRO-Active ASSERTIVE Leadership
is the only behavior that allows us to meet both our own needs while meeting the needs of our Pet Partner and client (staff, students, residents, patients) at the same time
in order to inspire confidence & comfort in both our dog and in others.
is the only behavior that allows us to meet both our own needs while meeting the needs of our Pet Partner and client (staff, students, residents, patients) at the same time
in order to inspire confidence & comfort in both our dog and in others.
LOCATION! LOCATION! LOCATION!
"Home is where the leader is!" It's important to remember that just because our dogs (or other pets) are comfortable and well behaved in certain locations away from home - perhaps at our place of work &/or homes of various family and friends - does not necessarily mean we have established the trust & confidence in our dogs necessary for them to be comfortable, confident & focused in a wide variety of places. Sometimes volunteers have been surprised to learn that their dogs were uncharacteristically fearful in certain new locations for no apparent reason. (Or maybe so over stimulated they couldn't focus.) There can be many reasons for this and it's important to seek professional help if this happens so that you can learn to apply appropriate techniques with out either forcing, giving into fear, expecting too much too soon (or getting frustrated with their over stimulation). But it's also important to remember that our Leadership plays an important role here as well. If we have practiced Benevolent but Pro-Active, Assertive Leadership combined with systematic, consistent positive reinforcement techniques while socializing in a variety of locations our dogs will ultimately put their trust in US - their leader - rather than in a specific location. They may still feel varying degrees of insecurity and trepidation (or distraction) in new places, but we will have cultivated and maintained enough trust and confidence in our dogs for them to adapt quickly and feel safe and secure with us no matter where they are. WE will be their safe place rather than a location or situation. And distractions will be less overwhelming too. Please see our Socialization page for more information.
"Home is where the leader is!" It's important to remember that just because our dogs (or other pets) are comfortable and well behaved in certain locations away from home - perhaps at our place of work &/or homes of various family and friends - does not necessarily mean we have established the trust & confidence in our dogs necessary for them to be comfortable, confident & focused in a wide variety of places. Sometimes volunteers have been surprised to learn that their dogs were uncharacteristically fearful in certain new locations for no apparent reason. (Or maybe so over stimulated they couldn't focus.) There can be many reasons for this and it's important to seek professional help if this happens so that you can learn to apply appropriate techniques with out either forcing, giving into fear, expecting too much too soon (or getting frustrated with their over stimulation). But it's also important to remember that our Leadership plays an important role here as well. If we have practiced Benevolent but Pro-Active, Assertive Leadership combined with systematic, consistent positive reinforcement techniques while socializing in a variety of locations our dogs will ultimately put their trust in US - their leader - rather than in a specific location. They may still feel varying degrees of insecurity and trepidation (or distraction) in new places, but we will have cultivated and maintained enough trust and confidence in our dogs for them to adapt quickly and feel safe and secure with us no matter where they are. WE will be their safe place rather than a location or situation. And distractions will be less overwhelming too. Please see our Socialization page for more information.
ENERGY! - PRO-Active ASSERTIVE LEADERSHIP ENERGY Animals pick up on &/or even absorb our energy, mood, state of mind – Cultivate a pro-active assertive state of mind even in the earliest stages of training and building a relationship with your dog!
As only 1 example; a dog jumps up to greet in excitement – person remembers to ignore (“No talk, no touch, no eye contact”), folds arms and turns away. There are 3 distinct ways of doing this – outward behavior is exactly the same but;
#1. Person is thinking & feeling (maybe even subconsciously); “Oh I really want to pet and snuggle you, let you know everything is alright and that I love you but I know I can’t. This is so hard, this hurts me more than it hurts you.” ( comes from a position of weakness, feeds anxiety & insecurity)
#2. Person is thinking & feeling (maybe even subconsciously) "x!@#%^&**^%# it, I'm SO sick of you doing this! I HATE this, CUT it out!!!" (may seem to come from a position of strength but also from impatience and exasperation, feeds anxiety, insecurity and intimidation)
#3. Person is thinking and feeling (maybe even subconsciously), “All is well. There is nothing to be upset about. I’m a confident, strong & calm leader for you, communicating strength, patience and calm so you will learn that you get what you want when you are also patient & calm.” (comes from a position of true authentic power, inspires confidence, trust, security - inspires LEARNING as a result of dog's own internal thought process and experience)
As only 1 example; a dog jumps up to greet in excitement – person remembers to ignore (“No talk, no touch, no eye contact”), folds arms and turns away. There are 3 distinct ways of doing this – outward behavior is exactly the same but;
#1. Person is thinking & feeling (maybe even subconsciously); “Oh I really want to pet and snuggle you, let you know everything is alright and that I love you but I know I can’t. This is so hard, this hurts me more than it hurts you.” ( comes from a position of weakness, feeds anxiety & insecurity)
#2. Person is thinking & feeling (maybe even subconsciously) "x!@#%^&**^%# it, I'm SO sick of you doing this! I HATE this, CUT it out!!!" (may seem to come from a position of strength but also from impatience and exasperation, feeds anxiety, insecurity and intimidation)
#3. Person is thinking and feeling (maybe even subconsciously), “All is well. There is nothing to be upset about. I’m a confident, strong & calm leader for you, communicating strength, patience and calm so you will learn that you get what you want when you are also patient & calm.” (comes from a position of true authentic power, inspires confidence, trust, security - inspires LEARNING as a result of dog's own internal thought process and experience)
REMEMBER TO PRACTICE P.E.T.S. WHILE SOCIALIZING!
After your animal is confident, responsive and relaxed away from home more causal socialization may be appropriate too at times
but these are the required criteria for safe and effective AAA/T visits so practicing these skills while socializing in a variety of unfamiliar locations
will build trust, confidence & manners - and therefore enhance the relaxed enjoyment & therapeutic effect for all!
After your animal is confident, responsive and relaxed away from home more causal socialization may be appropriate too at times
but these are the required criteria for safe and effective AAA/T visits so practicing these skills while socializing in a variety of unfamiliar locations
will build trust, confidence & manners - and therefore enhance the relaxed enjoyment & therapeutic effect for all!
From Delta Society Pet Partners
Overall Handler Assessment Tips It is SO important to develop the following habits early!
Equally important for 1st time candidates AND veteran Pet Partners! Don't hesitate to contact us if you have any questions at all - we are here to help you succeed! Highest Score is 2 - Lowest N/R (Not Ready, may try again) N/A (Not Appropriate, may not try again)
Equally important for 1st time candidates AND veteran Pet Partners! Don't hesitate to contact us if you have any questions at all - we are here to help you succeed! Highest Score is 2 - Lowest N/R (Not Ready, may try again) N/A (Not Appropriate, may not try again)
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