The presence of dogs in the therapy office

Esther

A couple of years ago, we purchased a beagle mix from a nearby kennel.  After reading a lot of information about therapy dogs, I decided to see what kinds of programs were available in English, in Denmark.  I was unable to find anything so I read up about the mere presence of animals in the therapy session.  Not surprisingly, there is a wealth of data about the calming effects of animals.  With the goal of bringing 'Esther' to work, I began training her.  I also took here everywhere-- trains, busses, and my classroom where I teach.   My goal was to get her acclimated to many different sounds, sights, and types of people.  Today, at 2-years old, she is a surprisingly calm dog, and I have ventured into bringing her into the therapy office.  My clients have, for the most part, been appreciative.

Feel free to say how you would feel if there was a dog in your therapy!

Here is a link from someone who researcher this exact issue.  Enjoy!

https://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/decoding-your-pet/201501/what-if-your-therapist-had-dog-in-the-office