Many of today's service dogs are performing dual roles: as assistants to their
owners with disabilities, and also as animal-assisted activity/therapy (AAA/T)
dogs. The questions most frequently asked about dual roles are:
Do dual roles affect the relationship between the dog and its handler?
Can performing two such demanding jobs confuse and stress the dog?
Will dual roles impair the dog's competency?
To find answers to these questions, Alert interviewed twelve teams currently
doing both service and therapy work. All of these handler-dog teams have
completed Delta Society's Pet Partners® curriculum and evaluation. Several top
behaviorists and trainers working in the service dog field also provided their
views about the relationship of the dogs' roles to their performance
expectations.
Service and Therapy Dogs Described
Service dogs are trained to do specific tasks for their handlers, but not for
others. Their work demands that they focus exclusively on the handler, ignore
other people, and work reliably amidst many distractions. Service dogs generally
interact with others only when directed to do so by their handlers.
AAA/AAT (therapy) dogs are trained to do tasks for people other than their
handlers, interacting with them as directed by their handlers. They are expected
to work reliably with others, often amidst many distractions.
Service Dog Traits that Apply to Therapy Dogs
Across the board, the service and therapy dog handlers interviewed stated that
the traits that distinguish a capable service dog also make an excellent AAA/T
dog: the ability to focus on the handler and respond reliably to cues. Just as
the competent therapy dog cannot jump on a person he is visiting or otherwise
have contact without being so directed, the service dog has learned the same
lessons during training.
The successful therapy dog has also been trained to maintain focus and respond
to cues despite distractions. In a healthcare facility, the therapy dog can
experience many environmental distractions: people bustling, food carts
clanging, and the whizzing, clattering, beeping and whistling of healthcare
equipment. The ability to focus on its work is essential, whether the dog is
working only for its handler, or for someone else as directed by its handler.
Likewise, the successful service dog learns to ignore the same type of
distractions while working for its handler. Cars careen by with rap music
blaring, busses backfire, people whistle and call in an attempt to catch the
dog's attention, shopping carts rattle past at close range, loudspeakers blare
"Blue Light Specials," and children grab or hug the dog without warning.
Dogs must be able to remain neutral to all types of environmental stimuli so
they can be considered reliable when responding to handler cues. It's asking a
lot of any animal to ignore such stimulus-rich environments, and the handler-dog
teams interviewed all felt the training for both service and AAA/T roles were
similar. The dogs all have to learn to:
focus on the handler.
approach others only when permitted.
perform specific behaviors on cue.
ignore distractions
have impeccable social manners.
Service Dog Tasks that Apply to AAA/T
For dogs doing both service and therapy work, the interaction is still directed
by the handler. Handlers who work with their dogs in dual roles report that they
often use service tasks in their outreach work with clients. They may have their
dogs retrieve a dropped object, help pull the covers on or off a person, or
fetch an object across the room. In addition, many service dogs also have a bevy
of "tricks" built upon service tasks, which they perform during their AAA/T
work. Some examples of service tasks that can be useful in AAA/T are:
The "paw touch" of a hearing dog to alert the owner to environmental sounds
can be shaped into a nice "wave" to say hello and goodbye to the AAA client.
Making a bed can be shaped into a "roll over and pull a blanket around you."
This can help urge a client to attempt to roll over along with the dog as part
of the treatment plan, and can the delight all clients.
Fetching a ball and returning it, to the client instead of the handler, can
facilitate coordination and motor responses.
In service work, the handler may ask the dog to remain in specific positions
to help support the handler or to manage placement of the dog. This skill can
enable AAA/T clients to move their bodies or focus on specific areas of the
room where the dog is cued to remain.
Many of the teams noted that their service dogs scored very high in aptitude for
AAT, due to their existing skills that enabled them to perform service tasks in
all environments. Several teams are doing extensive AAA/T work with people who
have Alzheimer's, dementia, and autism. They depend on their dogs' abilities to
remain unstressed by unexpected emotional or physical outbursts or erratic
behaviors. Their dogs seem to possess excellent resiliency and adaptability,
thanks to their suitability for the work and their service dog training.
Changing between Two Modes: Service and Therapy Dog
How do service dogs change from service mode to therapy mode? Can they still
remain focused on their handlers and perform service tasks for them as required,
even during therapy visits? It is not unusual for a therapy dog to encounter a
series of different responses from the same AAA/T client. It might be hugged
tightly while a person weeps uncontrollably, then pushed away when the person no
longer wants to interact with the dog. This requires enormous flexibility of a
dog's attitude. Handlers of successful dual role dogs tell us that their dogs
remain focused on them, looking to them for directions even when interacting
with others. When called upon to perform a service task during a therapy visit,
these dogs have no problems shifting gears.
One handler explained, "My dog was sitting quietly while a client stroked his
head, when I dropped my glasses. I just explained [to the client] that I needed
to have my dog do a quick task for me, then he could go right back to enjoying
the petting. I cued my dog to fetch my glasses, then cued him to go back to the
client. It was no problem. Even when my dog is interacting with others, he is
'checking in' with me constantly, vigilant to my needs."
Some handlers felt that the dog became less aloof and more outgoing once the
service dog equipment was removed. The majority of handlers replaced their dog's
service equipment with AAA/T apparel after entering the facility where they
provide AAA/T services. One handler explained, "My dog seems to know it's
'interaction' time when the [service] vest comes off and the therapy bandana
goes on." Several handlers felt that changing the working apparel also served to
"cue" the dogs to perform activities the dogs knew accompany this clothing. One
handler noted a change in the dog's attitude. "He's just not quite as aloof, and
ready to meet people."
Without exception, handlers believe their dogs remained focused on them during
AAA/T work, and that the dog's recognized that their primary jobs were still
service work. Dakota, recipient of Delta's 1999 Beyond Limits® National Service
Dog of the Year award, handles his dual role of a service/therapy dog with ease.
Explained his handler, Mike Lingenfelter, "Dakota interacts with children
without being cued, and he does seem to know that these children require special
attention. He enjoys this time to play and relax with them, but always remains
attentive to me as well."
Benefits of Participating in AAA/T
Another handler commented on the reward aspect of AAA/T work for her service
dog. Though service work is primary and her dog is always alert to her needs,
"My dog loves being the center of attention. He has a huge ego. But, doing
things for me feeds that ego just as well."
Each person interviewed indicated that AAA/T work served to enhance the bond
they had developed with their dogs. They found sharing their dogs with others
through AAA/T very rewarding. One person explained, "Watching my dog connect
with people who may not have smiled for days is always an uplifting experience.
Watching them struggle and then tell the therapist, 'Let me try it one more
time, for the dog,' when they might otherwise have given up, is a paycheck in
itself."
Most handlers interviewed found they get as much, or more, than they give, from
the AAA/AAT work they are performing. Lolly is a service dog that does mobility
and medical alert work for Ruth West. Together, they also do AAA/T work with
clients who have Alzheimer's. Ruth talks about how this work affects her life.
"I think AAA/AAT work is one of the most rewarding things we have ever done in
life. We started doing it for 'them,' but now, we're doing it for 'us.'"
Carol King relies on her service dog, Bubba, for medical alert work. Carol
explains, "I love that he can be an AAA/T dog. I know that makes him even more
dependable in public. Without him as my service dog, I would be unable to be out
in public and the therapy work would come to a stop. I cherish sharing my
beloved friend and companion with others who can feel the joy and healing Bubba
offers. It just brightens my whole day."
Mike Ligenfelter relates the spiritual component of his work. "I believe each of
us has a mission in life to let the world know about our special animals and the
power of their healing. I also believe that each of us will never know how many
people we have touched with our expression of sharing our special animals with
them. If working in a dual role expands this outreach, then it must be a very
good thing."
Mike also voiced the feelings of many others interviewed: their service/therapy
dogs have given them new outlooks on life and a new appreciation for living.
Explains Mike, "I now see the world with new eyes and an improved understanding
that my disability is not a handicap, but an asset. I also know that I am, for
the first time in my life, addressing the purpose God intended for me."
Indeed, many other handlers noted that the dual work served to enhance their
spirituality, to bring them each a focus far stronger than they had experienced
in the past. Several noted that doing AAA/T work helped them to put their
beliefs into action, and to become the people they always wanted to be: caring,
compassionate and eager for new tomorrows. For their dogs, it's clear that they
enjoy working in dual roles, and have no problem "switching gears" from service
to therapy work. Dual roles in service and therapy seem to work in harmony,
according to all the teams interviewed. One field of work enhances the other,
requires the same well-trained focus and attention of the dog, and handlers
doing dual work feel their AAA/AAT work has not caused any behaviors which might
be counter-productive to working as a service dog.
One handler sums up his experience by stating, "This has provided me with a very
special insight into my own life. I have learned by doing this work that my
disabilities are small in comparison to theirs. It's provided me with a
much-needed reason to get out and move about, and this is good for my health and
my emotional well being."
Note:
For more of Debi's experiences visiting with her service dog, see A Pet Partner
in Rehabilitation.
To top of page.
Is AAA/T Work Right for You?
Animal-assisted activity and therapy work (AAA/T) is an opportunity to offer
professionalized services in healthcare. It has many rewards for its clients,
the AAA/T dogs, and their handlers. But there are also liabilities that must be
recognized - what happens if the dog injures a client, passes along a disease,
or causes other damages? It is imperative that AAA/T handlers and their dogs are
well suited for the work, and well-prepared to avoid creating any health or
safety problems. Conscientious handlers will become well educated about the art
and science of performing AAA/T, and their responsibilities when delivering
AAA/T services. They will train their dogs and have them evaluated by a trained
evaluator using proven competency-based criteria. And they will be excellent
stewards of their dogs' welfare so their AAA/T practice does not jeopardize
their dogs or others. Likewise, facilities that want to incorporate AAA/T
services for their clients will insist on standards-based training for the teams
it allows to practice within its programs.
Delta Society can help you determine if AAA/T is right for you and your dog. The
Pet Partners® program educates handlers, screens handlers and their animals, and
registers them as members of a national network of AAA/T providers.
Additionally, Pet Partners implements quality management measures that include
re-evaluation of handlers and animals, to assure ongoing competency. Insurance
for Pet Partners is available. Find out more about becoming Pet Partners.
Acute and extended healthcare facilities, schools, and other places that want
AAA/T services will find that Delta Society can provide everything they need for
establishing and administering high-quality AAA/T services. Delta can help you
assess your needs and set up a state-of-the-art AAA/T program.
