Can’t any dog be a therapy dog?
The best therapy dogs and their handlers make it look easy – but there’s lots more to animal-assisted therapy than just patting a puppy. Let’s learn about what makes Paw Pause teams special and how we might be able to work with you.
What makes a therapy dog?
“I think my dog would be a great therapy dog.”
It’s the sweetest statement and we hear it all the time when we’re out with our Paw Pause therapy dogs. Whether at expos, meeting parents or bumping into a teacher, everyone thinks their dog is simply the best.
And we would agree!
Every person or family’s dog is usually the perfect therapy dog – for that individual or family.
But when it comes to being a professional therapy dog, it’s like saying someone who enjoys a hit of tennis is the same as Serena Williams.
The game is the same, but the skill level is entirely different.
What makes a Paw Pause therapy dog?
We can’t speak for every therapy dog, but we have incredibly high standards for our Paw Pause dogs. Our dogs achieve their Basic Obedience Certificate – either through a private trainer, school, or council course. This can take anywhere up to 18 months, starting when puppies are about six-months-old.
Our dogs then train as therapy dogs for a further six months.
Overall, that’s at least a two-year commitment.
In real terms, this means our dogs are calm, alert and able to provide predictable behaviour and consistent support under the direction of their handler – a Paw Pause allied health therapist. Our dogs are able to work with a variety of children and teenagers who each bring their own feelings, behaviours and energy to sessions.
While our handlers facilitate sessions and ensure every dog and participant has appropriate boundaries and behaviour, what makes a Paw Pause dog different is the ability to work with any participant, showing up again and again and being a part of a reliable team. Our dogs meet participants where they’re at. They don’t get thrown off by feelings of anxiety, loud noises or sudden movements – things that most pet dogs would be frightened by.
Paw Pause dogs are adaptable as well – we regularly attend special events like school Sports Days, end-of-year celebrations and big assemblies.
And, as much as your beloved family pet is wonderful… you can see that most dogs just don’t have the training that a Paw Pause dog does.
But it’s more than just the dog
And what makes our teams magical is their work in harmony.
Our therapists are all qualified allied health professionals. We have experienced psychologists, social workers, occupational therapists and counsellors working as Paw Pause handlers. All empathetic and kind professionals who have experience working alongside children and teenagers with a thorough understanding of brain development and emotional regulation.
This means we deliver therapy by stealth. Our Paw Pause dogs are the main drawcard for our clients, but, at the same time, the client is being expertly supported by a very qualified human – our Paw Pause handler.
Paw Pause teams are a distraction-free asset in the classroom. We work quietly and seamlessly, fitting in to support our client without any direction required from teachers. We bring a quiet and calm camaraderie to the classroom. We support our clients to remain in the classroom, well-regulated and ready to learn and participate. However, we can also take appropriate breaks as required for our clients under instructions from staff.
Paw Pause teams are educational experts
Paw Pause founder Niki spent more than 20 years working in schools, a counsellor herself, she understands how to engage Paw Pause dog and handler teams to work in schools.
At Paw Pause, we understand that goals related to attending school and being in the classroom are priorities for our clients and their loved ones.
That means supporting students to develop emotional regulation, creating new positive associations about being at school and rewiring unhelpful thought patterns using the reassuring presence of our dog and handler team.
Our priority is to support students to rejoin the classroom and be ready to learn again – because it’s impossible to focus on learning when you’re dysregulated.
Rather than an energetic puppy coming in to distract, a Paw Pause team is a calm presence on whom students can rely. We know that some students only start attending school again so they can see their Paw Pause team and it’s a privilege we don’t take lightly.
We are proud to work in partnership with schools to get the best outcomes for their students – our clients.
Interested in having a Paw Pause team work with your students?
