Volunteers supply trained dogs to assist with rehab
Volunteers supply trained dogs to assist with rehab
Rigorous training yields top-notch canines
Dogs used by the Chenny Troupe of Chicago for animal-assisted therapy in rehab facilities and other health care settings could be described as some of the best-behaved and well-trained pets in the Midwest. In order to pass the strenuous test, the dogs must follow human verbal and hand commands to walk, heel, meet and greet, run through an agility course, stay in place for several minutes, and chase balls only when given permission to do so. All of this must be done without food rewards.
The dogs cannot jump up to give friendly greetings, and they must stay in place even when tempted to play with other dogs and toys around them. When they hear a loud noise, they cannot react, and if they fail even one minor part of the test, they are flunked and must take the entire test again.
This strenuous testing is a harder version of the Canine Good Citizenship test and the Therapy Dogs International test. The reason it’s so difficult is that the dogs must be perfectly well-behaved in order to become pet therapists for emotionally and physically disabled individuals.
"Especially in physical therapy units, we have patients with catheters and fluid bags and people on gurneys and walkers and wheelchairs, and the dogs have to ignore all that," says Judy Keitz, a volunteer and member of the board of directors of the Chenny Troupe. Keitz also is president of Strategic Marketing Inc. in Chicago. "The certification for our dogs is different, because if there’s an emergency, we have to get the dog in a down-stay position immediately," Keitz adds.
Despite the stringent requirements and the high level of commitment required of the adult volunteers, who must commit to 100% attendance for programs at some facilities and at least 75% attendance at others, the program has had no difficulty in attracting volunteers and their pets. More than 300 dogs have passed the test since the nonprofit program was started in 1991, Keitz says.
"A lot of people and their dogs will have a 30% passing rate on the first try, and our tester who is a dog trainer will tell the owners what to work on with their dogs," Keitz says. "We say that any breed has the potential of doing it, but the more high-strung dogs don’t usually make it." Some of the breeds that have made the ranks of pet therapists include: Shi-Tzu, Great Dane, Golden Retriever, Labrador Retriever, Pembroke Welsh Corgi, Rottweiler, Airedale, and even one Terrier.
"We’ve never had a dog hurt or lunge at someone," says Janet Rosen Eaton, executive director of the Chenny Troupe.
While pet therapy sessions in nursing homes and hospice might involve a good-natured dog visiting patients and being petted, the Chenny Troupe dogs are expected to work with patients in actual therapy. Also, the patients may be even more fragile, which is why the standards are so high for the dogs’ behavior. For example, the dogs may work with children who are burn victims. If the dog were to jump up spontaneously on the child, it could cause the child pain and injury. The Chenny dogs will never jump up in that way, Eaton explains.
Also, the dogs work in a group setting, so they must be able to do their job without being distracted by strangers, other dogs, unusual odors, loud noises, or medical equipment. Chenny Troupe does not provide the actual dog training, but by requiring volunteers to pass the test, it encourages dog owners to train their dogs in obedience courses or on their own. The organization provides pet therapy to several Chicago-area rehabilitation hospitals, as well as to other organizations, including adult and adolescent substance abuse treatment programs, Eaton says.
Children and youths especially respond well to the dog therapists. The contact helps them regain confidence and to improve their communication skills. "One thing they learn is positive reinforcement and how gentle but firm commands work with the dogs," Eaton says. "So the kids learn how to be more productive in their human interactions."
With an annual budget of $150,000, the program first was funded through the Junior League of Chicago and with private donations. Now the organization has a couple of fundraisers a year, including a pet fashion show, which supplement donations. Therapeutic recreation therapists and others across the country have contacted the Chenny Troupe to ask if they could set up models of their program in other cities, and the organization is considering doing so within the next five years, Keitz says.
Once a program is started, it doesn’t take long to find volunteers and providers in and out of rehab who are interested in participating, Keitz adds. As a volunteer, Keitz found that it meant as much to her as to the patients she and her dog assisted. "A lot of times there are those miracles that happen where a patient all of a sudden smiles for the first time or takes a step for the first time when seeing the dog," Keitz says. "When you’re there, you forget everything else about your life, and you’re totally focused on the patients for that hour and a half, and the dogs love it because they get 100% attention."
Need more information?
• Janet Rosen Eaton, Executive Director, Chenny Troupe, 1504 North Wells St., Chicago, IL 60610. Telephone: (312) 280-0266. World Wide Web: www.chennytroupe.org.
• Lisa Farmer, CTRS, Director of Therapeutic Recreation Department, Rehabilitation Institute of Chicago, 345 East Superior St., Chicago, IL 60611. Telephone: (312) 238-3979.
• Judy Keitz, RIC Program Leader, Member of Board of Directors, Chenny Troupe; President, Strategic Marketing Inc., 1550 North Cleveland, Chicago, IL 60610. Telephone: (312) 280-1522.
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