My dog Logan and I do hospital therapy at UCLA and Santa Monica/UCLA hospital.

Years ago I saw several news stories on therapy dogs and did my research on what it takes to become a therapy team. At the time Logan was 2 years old and full of energy. I had several conversations with the director of the animal therapy program at UCLA and when he met Logan, he commented on what a great therapy dog he would make if he had the proper training.

I spent the next 6 months training for the Delta Society test (now it's called Pet Partners) and felt ready to be tested. As it turned out we didn't pass on our first attempt, but was told to keep practicing and try again.

I took the Canine Good Companion test (CGC) a few weeks after not passing the Delta test and left with a perfect score. Now it was back to working towards the next Delta Test which was in six months. When we retook the Delta test, the evaluator was the same evaluator and asked, "Is this the same dog"? We passed with ease. That was almost two years ago.

Logan and I do our two visits each month visiting staff and patients. When we enter the hospital, Logan walks in as though he owns the place. He's greeted with lots of warmth and praise. Some of the hospital staff have numerous Logan pictures on their cell phones and share these images with other friends and family.

This type of service is not only a lot of fun, but extremely rewarding, especially when we put a lot of smiles on a lot of faces.

Often people I meet get the impression that Logan’s life is dedicated to being only a therapy dog. Not true. When Logan is home or out for a walk at the park he is just like any other dog. He runs after birds and squirrels, plays with other dogs, etc…

Attached Thumbnails

 

Thanks for sharing Logan's story. He's a handsome and happy looking fellow. Sharing the info about how you got into therapy work helps others who are interested but don't know where to start.

__________________

Zoe, Rockwall Nantucket Breeze, BN, CGC, Delta therapy dog
Zeke, our introduction to the world of Golden Retrievers

Thanks for the kind words, I have so many Logan stories, in and out of the hospital. When I get some time, I'll post a few hospital visit stories. Some are really sad with a good feeling ending.

I tell family and friends, for me, doing this type of service makes me feel incredibly fortunate because I drive to the hospital, do my few hours of service and I get to go home. Some of the people we visit will never go home or if they do, their life will never be normal.

The magic Logan and dogs like Logan do in this type of setting is truly a miracle. Best of all, I get constant therapy from my Logan day and night.

He's certainly a handsome Golden with a smile that could melt just about any heart. Thanks for your work. I'm sure the two of you have brightened the day for many people...it really does make a difference.

Pete

__________________


Sonny, the black lab, ran ahead to make sure there were no gophers or jackrabbits in the way. If you don't give a dog a specific job, he'll improvise one for himself and it will invariably be fun. There's a lesson there.
John Gierach