Therapy dog brings patients joy

Here's another wonderful article about the benefit of therapy dogs on patients.  Please read and enjoy!  The original can be found at Thousand Oaks Acorn.

2010-12-02 / Health & Wellness

By Stephanie Bertholdo

bertholdo@theacorn.com

PUPPY LOVE—Freda Marsh, a patient at Westlake Health Care Center, enjoys a visit from Sophie, a 1-year-old yellow Lab who is being trained as a therapy dog. SANDY PEDEFLOUS/Special to the Acorn Sophie is a pooch with a mission, as is her owner, Sandy Pedeflous.
Sophie is a yellow Labrador retriever on the small side for her pedigree whose training as a therapy dog has made her a giant with bedridden patients, senior citizens and just about anybody who needs a little companionship and compassion.
Pedeflous said she purchased the puppy for two reasons. At the age of 15, her beloved border collie/ German shepherd mix Phoenix was slowing down. Pedeflous thought a spunky pup eager to learn might have the ability to invigorate her older dog.
She also wanted to train a therapy dog. Since Labradors are highly trainable, Sophie was a perfect candidate for the job.
Pedeflous saw firsthand the power dogs have to heal and bring happiness to patients when her sister, Robin Rodgers, was hospitalized with encephalitis and meningitis.
“I got to know patients and saw not only how they responded to (therapy dogs) but how entire families responded,” Pedeflous said.
Pedeflous got Sophie at the beginning of the year and started training her to be a therapy dog when she was 10 weeks old.
The first lesson for therapy dogs is to learn how to listen to their owners. Sophie learned the command “leave it,” which means that even if a treat is right in front of her nose, she cannot take the food. When Pedeflous tells Sophie, “Okay, take it,” the dog is rewarded with the treat.

At a year old, Sophie has a repertoire of skills and tricks that please patients young and old. When Pedeflous commands her dog to place her paws up, Sophie puts her front paws on the walker or wheelchair of a patient who is ready to pet the dog and receive a little love. The dog has been taught not to touch the body of an elderly person because their thin skin is prone to bruising or cuts.
Pedeflous learned how to train Sophie through Love On a Leash trainer Linda Voller. Love on a Leash is a nonprofit organization established in 1984 in San Diego.
Pedeflous is also training Sophie to work with children with disabilities. The dog has been poked in the eyes, had her ears pulled and her belly prodded in order to help her learn not to react negatively to a child.
“We pulled her around the house by her tail,” Pedeflous said.
The most important aspect of training is to expose therapy dogs to every conceivable experience so they do not bark or react, she said.
Pedeflous said that the first time she brought Sophie to a healthcare center in Westlake Village the dog showed fear at the sight of a wheelchair and barked at person using a walker. She was also afraid of the elevator.
“After that she was okay,” Pedeflous said. “She just needed exposure from the beginning.”
Freda Marsh, a patient at Westlake Health Care Center, said, “Sophie brightens my day and makes me smile.”
Sam Sacks of Oak Park said therapy dogs were helpful to him when he was fighting cancer.
“When I was in the (intensive care unit) for cancer and the dogs came in, it was just so uplifting,” Sacks said. “They made me smile and laugh and temporarily forget my problems.”
Pedeflous routinely brings Sophie to the home of her neighbor Jack Hague, who is dealing with several health issues.
“I love it when (Sophie) comes,” Hague said. “She kisses me and really connects with me. She makes me feel so good.”
Pedeflous said that Sophie elicited belly laughs from a 35-yearold woman with permanent brain damage.
“She was like a 4-year-old walking into a candy store,” Pedeflous said of the woman’s delight at seeing Sophie.
Sophie is learning how to entertain people. She knows how to roll over, perform the army crawl and accept a treat without touching a person’s hand.
Pedeflous is teaching Sophie how to salute with a paw and fall down at the sound of “bang, bang.” Pedeflous said the new tricks are expected to be a crowd pleaser at the Veterans Hospital.

Related articles

• Therapy Service Dogs (drdeborahserani.blogspot.com)
• Dentistry Practice Thrives with Addition of Dental Therapy Dog (prweb.com)
• Pit Bulls: America's Dogs Help Wounded Warriors (animals.change.org)
• Happy Ending For Three Special Dogs: Home For Life Animal Sanctuary Welcomes International Dogs To New Lives And Perhaps A Future As Therapy Dogs (prweb.com)
• You: Veterans with PTSD train dogs to help comrades with physical disabilities (washingtonpost.com)

Back to Basics

Image via Wikipedia

Since I have been having such a time with the new foster dog, I felt I should go back to basics and get out my dog training information.  I originally got information from here.  Although this information was specific to my rattie, I think it will work on Austen, even though he is a little more laid back than Satchmo.

Anyway, I will start his program tomorrow and we will see how he does!

I also think I will get out my information on making foods for these little ones, as my Satchmo is getting older and his stomach is much more sensitive.  Austen, on the other hand, simply is a picky eater.  If you would like a copy of the ebook on canine cuisine, you can get one too.

One of the things I struggle with most in having a rat terrier is that he moves with the speed of sound and is an escape artist.  He and Austen are ganging up on me, as I am out chasing them more than I want to be.
I found a great product and am going to buy one for each of them after the holidays.  It's called Animal GPS Tracking Solutions and with this on each one of them, I won't worry so much because I will be able to find them easily.  After I get one, I'll let you know how it works!