What if your dog...
What if your dog has a tendency to jump on clients?
You will need to stop this behavior (with gentle tones and actions); do not allow your animal to jump on others. If you are unable to stop the behavior, remove the animal from the situation. Discontinue the visit and notify the supervisor of the reason why. If your dog continuously jumps, you may need to look into trainers or training methods to defeat this behavior.
Otherwise if your dog only jumps when people do a certain action (i.e. pat their legs), you will need to warn people before your visit.
What if you have a worn out/discolored uniform or bandana?
Come get a new one! ITA prefers that your uniforms and bandanas are crisp and red. We will replace your dog’s bandana if your old one is worn out. As for uniforms, we have a thrift store in the ITA office that you are always welcome to browse, we always have brand new polo shirts, or you can bring in any item of red clothing to have it embroidered with the ITA logo for $10.
How many animals can one person work with at a time?
You may do Animal Assisted Interactions with only one animal at a time.
What is confidentiality and how does it apply to your phone/camera?
Be EXTREMELY DISCREET AND PROFESSIONAL at all times with and about your clients. Do not ask, “What happened to you?” Do not betray confidentiality and privacy. KEEP YOUR CELL PHONES TURNED OFF, and NEVER BRING A CAMERA. You
may, however, take pictures if requested to by the patient or family, with their own camera(s).
How should you prepare for a media piece if you are asked to join by a party that is not ITA?
All media activities must be cleared with the ITA office (and the facility if it will take place there) well in advance of the piece. ITA will give you talking points and tips beforehand.
If you are asked to do a media piece, and uncomfortable doing so alone, ask ITA to find another team or staff member to join or replace you.
What if your dog has a tendency to lick/kiss clients?
Many of our therapy dogs are enthusiastic about licking/kissing. This can be a problem because some patients really like that and some really do not! If your dog has a habit of kissing, it is best to warn each person that is close enough for a kiss that they may receive one, and if they do not want to be kissed, they may want to provide more space. If you want to stop it completely you have to give the dog another action to take the place of their instinctive behavior.
What if your contact at your regular facility changes to a new person?
Tell ITA! If your facility’s contact changes, it is important for ITA to be aware of this and have the new contact’s information for our records.
DAILY #2 (Double Points)
What is proper etiquette to find a place for your dog to eliminate? And, what do you do after an accident inside?
Train your dog as much as possible that s/he doesn’t need to eliminate while working. In any case, do not let them eliminate
around the entrances to a facility, or near windows—keep it as far away as possible and ALWAYS clean up afterwards. You
MUST CLEAN UP after your dog, whether after an accident inside or a normal urge outside.
Why is it important to ask permission for dogs to meet?
Dogs are allowed to have opinions. Don’t ever let your dog get “in the face” of another animal (with the infamous line, “Oh, it’s okay, my dog is friendly”). Even therapy dogs aren’t ALL friendly enough to let other dogs rush them! And it’s extremely poor manners.
What should you do if there is an incident (anything that upsets onlookers)?
If you have an incident (anything that upsets onlookers) call the ITA office to report it immediately.
This includes anything that happened with you and your animal, or your observations of another team.
What if your dog barks or vocalizes during a visit more than once?
Vocalizations such as continually barking, loud whining, or howling, are generally considered indications of stress or aggression. Barking can also be upsetting to many onlookers, and is an unacceptable behavior during a visit. If your dog is barking, immediately stop this behavior (with gentle tones and actions). If you are unable to stop the behavior, remove it from the situation. If you return and the behavior continues, discontinue the visit and notify the supervisor of the reason why.
What if you no longer want to visit a facility?
Let ITA know your decision. It is important for us to keep our records up to date, and know where you are visiting. It is also beneficial for us to know, as we can reach out to the facility and communicate this to them while supporting your decision.
Please remember that you are volunteering, and you are not obligated to stay at a place where you or your dog are not comfortable, or do not enjoy. Please let us know as soon as you feel that you no longer want to visit somewhere!
In what situations is using a traffic lead useful?
When navigating hallways, use a TRAFFIC LEAD (12” to 24”)! And walk with your dog between you and the wall (generally
on your right side). Traffic leads are also useful in lobbies, where you may have to check-in.
For cats and bunnies, HARNESSES with leashes will help assure your animal can’t ever leap and run
out of reach.
What are the two biggest things you should focus on during a one-on-one visit with a client?
FOCUS ON YOUR CLIENT AND YOUR PARTNER—be fully present. Watch and listen carefully to both, and leave the rest
of the world out during your visit time.
It's important to make your clients feel heard. This means no phones or distractions to take away from your client's experience with you and your animal.
How should you respond to your animal if you feel they are not being a "perfect therapy animal" during a visit?
Don‘t ever believe your animal is perfect—or expect him to be! Or expect yourself to be, either. Or get angry at yourself or with your animal when one of you isn’t!
What if your dog is uncomfortable with hugs and someone gives them a big bear hug?
Hugging is an unnatural experience for a dog, and most do not enjoy it. If your dog does not enjoy being hugged, or if someone handles your animal too roughly, interrupt him or her and tactfully demonstrate the proper touch. Remove the animal from the person right away if he or she fails to follow your lead.
What if you don’t feel valued at your facility?
If your regular visits seem to be falling apart for any reason, please let ITA know! This tends to happen at facilities where there is high turn-over in staff, and the person who was in charge of the therapy animal program no longer works there. We are more than happy to have another meeting with them to get your visits back on track.
Why is your ITA uniform required? And, name 5 elements of an appropriate uniform/equipment.
WEAR YOUR APPROPRIATE UNIFORM every time you’re on display in public. This includes a red ITA shirt (with a logo), a visit bag with supplies, your badge, and a bandana or vest on your dog. Handling equipment includes a collar/harness, leash, and any other handling supplies you may need.
When you are in uniform, you automatically have more credibility with dubious strangers. You are authorized to tell any colleagues they may not visit if they are not in uniform. AND, A FACILITY’S DRESS CODE SUPERSEDES ITA’S IN ALL CASES.
What would you do if you saw important ITA guidelines not being followed by another ITA team?
RESPECT YOUR ITA COLLEAGUES— watch out for each other’s HEALTH AND SAFETY, and be RESPONSIBLE for each
other’s observance of important guidelines. It all rests with YOU.
Remember, YOU are the service (ITA), so please help us do a good job. We want you to let us know if you see anything off (i.e. working with multiple animals, not wearing uniforms, etc.).
You've been at a facility for 1.5 hours already, but a staff member asks you to visit for just a little longer for some clients who really need it. You should...
This is a time where advocating for your animal can get tricky, as they may have a great reason for wanting you to stay longer. In moments like this, please remember that we ask that you work for approximately 1-1.5 hours at a time (2 hours is the absolute maximum, and only some dogs can work for 2 hours). The dogs become quite tired after that much stimulation and emotional labor. With 30 years of experience, ITA has found that you can burn your therapy animal out by working them too much — in response, they may decide they don’t want to be a therapy animal anymore. You may suggest to a facility that they contact ITA to find an additional team to visit if necessary.
What if your dog has to be around other animals during a visit? Name at least THREE considerations/adjustments you should make if there will be multiple therapy animals present at a facility/event?
Working in group settings requires special considerations and adjustments:
(a) You MUST arrive early enough to give your dogs a chance to greet one another before going inside to work.
(b) Stay 8-10 feet away from other dogs while working (and at least 15-20 feet away from cats, birds, bunnies and the like). If this is not enough distance, you may create a larger vicinity for yourself and your dog. If your dog is unable to become comfortable, remove him/her from the situation. Discontinue the visit and notify the supervisor of the reason why.
(c) NEVER let your animals off-lead when several are together, even outside.
(d) Be very careful about the use of toys and treats, as they both may inspire distraction, competition and/or jealousy among the other animals present. Be willing to share!
What if you are not holding the leash? What do you not have from ITA while you are not holding the leash?
Letting your dog off-lead or dropping the leash is FORBIDDEN, from the time you leave your vehicle until you return to it, with only rare exceptions. IF YOU ARE NOT HOLDING THE LEASH WITHOUT ITA’S PERMISSION, YOUR LIABILITY INSURANCE WILL NOT BE IN FORCE.
If you think your visits would be more beneficial or effective with your dog working off-lead, and/or if a therapist requests you to do so, you must call the ITA office and describe the situation in order to get pre-approval. There will need to be parameters in place for your dog to work off leash (i.e. only dog present, enclosed space, safe environment for all present, etc.)
Which type of Animal Assisted Interaction requires you to have a staff member right by your side?
And why?
NEVER work without a therapist present while doing AAT. If your therapist leaves, follow him/her out!
This is specific to AAT - You are not the facility's therapist, so you shouldn't be left alone with a client in this setting. If you are doing AAA or AAE visits, you will just need to be an earshot away from staff.
What is our philosophy about how you interact with your animal in public (including corrections)?
Be EXTREMELY PROFESSIONAL at all times about how you relate to your animal, especially when you are in public, in uniform. That includes corrections, discipline and elimination. “Teach softly, speak softly, and guide.”
We hope you always treat your animals with respect, but if you are in uniform it will also upset onlookers if they see you yanking on your dog or harshly correcting them. Remember that you are in a fish bowl, and people ARE watching you as a professional working dog team.
If someone in your personal life or a facility asks you to come to a large event with your animal, you should...
Submit the request to ITA. We require/prefer at least one month notice for events (exceptions are possible). We will give you our Event Request Form. This form allows us to get all of the details about the event that we will need in order to recruit volunteer teams. We are sometimes unable to find enough teams for every request.
We ask that you do not attend LARGE events alone, as this can be too overwhelming for your animal (and you).