Bearded Collies make GREAT Therapy Dogs!

Bearded Collies can make great therapy dogs. You know how amusing Beardies can be? You know how they make us laugh and smile by their very presence? Imagine how that feels to someone struggling with pain, boredom, loneliness!! Beardies offer relief from boredom and unlimited, unconditional love at hospitals, nursing homes, schools, libraries, and many other facilities. This type of work, Therapy Work with your dog, can be rewarding. You get to know the people you visit and you know that you have brightened their day! Many of our Club’s Beardies are involved in Pet Therapy programs. Visiting hospitals and convalescent homes and libraries, our Beardies bring joy and a ‘connection’ to patients who spend their days indoors. Beardies train for the task, and must be able to calmly greet patients and gently offer their kisses. Pam Schuman and Sandy offered a clinic highlighting the work of Therapy Dogs and put our dogs through a typical therapy dog “test.” Our hats off to those owners and Beardies committed to therapy dog programs and the Beardie love they share with others. In 2016 Sandy Dubin gave an excellent explanation of the differences between Therapy dog vs Emotional Support (ESA) vs Service dog. This is for educational purposes only. You would need to check on ALL applicable laws, rules and regulations in your own area. The BCCSC is not responsible for any errors or omissions in the presentation.

BCCA Therapy Dog certificates

The Bearded Collie Club of American, our parent club, offers certificates to Bearded Collies who are improving the community and making a difference in the lives of those who are disables, hurting or forgotten. BCCA Therapy Dog Certificates are awarded annually to Beardies doing therapy work based on verified hours of service. The requirements are as follows: • Level I – a minimum of 25 service hours • Level II – a minimum of 50 service hours • Level III – a minimum of 100 service hours • Level IV – a minimum of 200 hours of therapy work • Level V – a minimum of 300 hours of therapy work Dogs must be certified through a therapy organization that requires certification and carries liability insurance (e.g. Delta Society, Therapy Dog International, Pet Partners), and handlers must be members in good standing with the BCCA.

Service dogs are not Therapy Dogs

The ADA defines a service animal as any guide dog, signal dog, or other animal individually trained to provide assistance to an individual with a disability. If they meet this definition, animals are considered service animals under the ADA regardless of whether they have been licensed or certified by a state or local government. Service animals perform some of the functions and tasks that the individual with a disability cannot perform for him or herself. Guide dogs are just one example, used by persons who are blind or partially sighted. Service animals that assist persons with any type of duty for the person’s disability of their daily activities are considered a service dog and have different rights under the ADA Act. Under the ADA Act, privately owned business that serve the public are prohibited from discriminating against individuals with disabilities. The ADA requires these businesses to allow people with disabilities to bring their service animals onto business premises in whatever areas customers are generally allowed.

Pet Therapy by Pam Schuman (written in June 2011)

I have been involved in working with therapy dogs for about 10 years. I am a member of Love On A Leash. LOL is a national organization and their website is www. loveonaleash.org. I started with CH Simi Gone West Desert Magic who was an absolute natural. He visited with the children at Ventura County Medical Center (VCMC) for almost 8 years, and he also worked at the Wright Library in the Paws For Reading program. Magic was then joined by his daughter, CH Melita Nauti Nina and she was certified and put to "work." After Magic died, we added CH Traleigh Castlecombe Chadbury to our clan. Nina taught him his manners, he was certified and put to "work." You understand, that "work" means that you are petted, hugged, and told how beautiful and wonderful you are for approximately 3 hours at a time. I have often thought that I am definitely on the wrong end of the lead. At VCMC, the children are usually treated at Children's Hospital in Los Angeles were they undergo transplants, etc. and they can continue treatment up in Ventura County, where they can be closer to their families. There are some children who have been seeing the dogs for up to 5 years. We have adults who schedule their infusion treatments when they know the dogs are going to be at the infusion center, as it breaks up the time the treatments take. We are "on call" at the hospital, and have made many visits to the Telemetry Unit, as well as to patients on "med-surg," in addition to pediatrics, pediatric oncology and oncology.