Voices From the Field: An Interview with Educator and Therapy Dog Handler, Leslie Gravino

Source: Temescal Associates

By Sam Piha

Through a partnership with Las Positas College and Dublin High School in Northern California, the Career and College Planning class was offered to students in Valley High School (a continuation school, part of Dublin High School). By invitation from the principal, educator Leslie Gravino, brought her golden doodle, Luke the dog, to serve as a therapy dog for the students in her class. To learn more about the benefits of therapy dogs, we asked Leslie a few questions about her experience and her responses are below.

Q: Describe your situation.

A: Through a partnership with Las Positas College and Dublin High School, the Career and College Planning class was offered to students in Valley High School (a continuation school, part of Dublin High). The class was large (32 students) and there were behavior issues that made teaching the class difficult. It was there I discovered the positive power of therapy dogs. 

Source: Temescal Associates

Q: Describe how Luke the dog was used.

A: Luke was brought in on the leash, which allowed students to walk him if they wanted. Otherwise, Luke was free to roam the classroom. He often chose 1 or 2 students to sit by. The kids were free to pet him or cuddle. I also brought dog treats and showed the students how to get him to perform tricks. 

Q: Did you need permission from the school?

A: Because Valley High School is a continuation school, they were able to accommodate therapy dogs on a regular basis. The Principal of Valley said they sometimes used therapy dogs to helps the students stay calm and focused. I decided to bring my dog Luke to class to see if it would help students.

Q: Did Luke receive special training?

A: Luke was trained as a puppy to follow directions and not jump on people. He was not formally trained as a service dog but remains calm and friendly with people and other dogs.

Q: Did you prepare the kids before the visit?

A: The week before I brought Luke to class, I asked the students if that would be a problem for any of them. They welcomed the idea.

Q: What were the results of his visits?


Source: Temescal Associates

A: As soon as the students came into the classroom and saw Luke, they responded with smiles, pets and comments like: “can he sit with me?” Once the lesson began and Luke settled next to a group of students, they seemed more alert, calm and smiled more.

One student in particular, who often looked serious and slightly “lost” in the classroom, came over to Luke every class; he’d pet him, walked him to a fire drill and Luke began to sit under the desk by his feet. It was evident that Luke brought out emotions and affected this student. 

Q: Why do you think the therapy dog visits were successful?

A: Most people respond positively to dogs, especially ones that are calm and friendly. Luke is very calm and somehow made the students calmer. Perhaps animals bring out the softer, more vulnerable feelings of teenagers. Therapy dogs may not just comfort others but enable others to comfort them. 

Q: Were there any downsides or problems?

A: There was no downside to bringing Luke to class. He just made all of us happier. 

Q: Would you recommend the use of therapy dogs for youth programs?

A: Definitely. I highly recommend therapy dogs in any situation where you want to see people smile, be calm, show their caring side and feel part of a community. Dogs have a way of bringing people together, and usually bring out the best in all of us.

MORE ABOUT...

Leslie Gravino

Leslie Gravino holds a Master’s in Art Therapy. She has worked with adolescent girls in a residential setting, and later in the San Francisco Mental Health System for 18 years, where she started businesses that trained people who were homeless and psychiatrically disabled to gain job skills. She then served as the Coordinator of Vocational Services at Las Positas College, Livermore, CA. There she started a computer repair business on campus that served the community. She also was a Psychology Counseling Instructor teaching the following courses: Diversity Issues in America, Career and College Planning and Success Strategies for College.

Luke was featured in several videos that Temescal Associates created to help kids better understand the COVID-19 pandemic. To watch these videos and learn more about My Pal Luke, click here.

Therapy Dogs in Afterschool: Getting Started

Top Left: Pets in the Classroom, Center: PSI Solutions, Top Right: Dog Time,
Bottom Left: Valley Humane Society, Bottom Right: Temescal Associates.

By Sam Piha 

Before introducing a therapy dog into your program, there are several steps that come first:

• Discuss with staff: It is important to discuss the topic of a therapy dog with the program staff. Are they in favor and what questions do they have? There may be a staff member who has a dog that would meet all the requirements for a comfort dog.
• Permission: If the program is school- based, it is important to talk to the principal and learn what are the requirements by the school district (certification, insurance, etc.). It is also important to review with the afterschool provider organization and if appropriate, your landlord. 
• Trial Run: You can search for local organizations that allow you to request a therapy dog visit to your program.

How Do I Find a Local Therapy Dog Organizations to Request and Schedule Visits? 
You can do an internet search to identify local organizations that feature therapy dogs. These organizations offer additional materials and often provide site visits with their dogs. Organizations should be vetted to some degree. For example, do they meet the Standards of Practice in AAI which stipulates things like insurance coverages and recurring evaluations.

Can Any Dog Be a Therapy Dog?
According to Rainbow Animal Assisted Therapy, “The key to any dog’s ability to be a successful therapy dog is its temperament. In general, a good therapy dog is responsive to its owner as well as other people, has good manners, is willing to learn new things, and doesn’t become overly stressed in new situations. Therapy dogs must be friendly and gentle, enjoy human contact, and feel content being petted and handled.

Dogs should be 12 months or older, have lived in a permanent home for at least 6 months, should respond to basic obedience commands (sit, down, stay, etc.), and be able to walk on a loose lead. Dogs must also be healthy and up-to-date on all vaccinations. ” [i] Potential therapy dogs should genuinely enjoy, not just tolerate, interactions with others. If your dog has these qualities, then he or she is a good candidate for animal assisted therapy. 

Making Your Dog A Therapy Dog
“Therapy dogs are everyday pets. They do not need extensive training, although obedience training, whether in a class or at home, is very good for reinforcing the bond and communication between you and your pet. Therapy dogs must be well-mannered. No jumping or barking here! Most importantly, you and your dog need to have a bond that demonstrates not owner and pet, but partners. For all the requirements to become certified with The Alliance of Therapy Dogs, go to www.therapydogs.com.” [ii]

“There is a surge in demand among schools and universities to use therapy dogs to develop better student engagement.” [iii] 

Basic Dog Requirements:
Dogs must be well-tempered, outgoing and friendly, and adaptable to a variety of settings. It is also important that the animal is reliably house trained, healthy and free of internal and external parasites, has no history of aggression towards people or other pets, be well bonded and responsive to their handler.

Therapy Dog Handlers

The bigger challenge is finding therapy dog handlers who are adequately prepared. It’s rarely the dog that causes the problem. Many issues can be traced to a handler who is not capable of recognizing or appropriately responding to changes in their dog’s body language. Therapy Animal Handlers must be able to advocate for their animal at all times, which includes ending interactions when it’s necessary.

Do Therapy Dogs Need Certification?
Therapy dogs don’t need a certification – not even service dogs need to have an official certification or identifying materials on them – but a certification can make things easier when it comes to obtaining emotional support animal rights. It is important that both the handler and the animal have been adequately prepared and vetted to interact with the public.

People interested in being a therapy animal team should seek registration or certification with a reputable therapy animal organization.

If You Want to Get a Therapy Dog Certification

“To get your canine companion in the world of therapy dogs, first it needs basic behavioral training to prepare them for their work with the public. Once they have finished their basic training, therapy dogs must learn to comply with the 10 skills of the Canine Good Citizen test, provided by the American Kennel Club (AKC). Once they pass the CGC test, they must be certified as therapy dogs by one of many qualified organizations.” While the CGC is a useful tool for some teams, it’s not required generally speaking.

Is Additional Insurance Needed?

For therapy dogs, liability insurance can protect against potential financial burdens from accidents or incidents involving the dog, covering expenses like medical bills and legal fees. Consider specialized policies or endorsements for animal liability.

END NOTES:
[i] Rainbow Animal Assisted Therapy, Can Any Dog be a Therapy Dog?
[ii] Alliance of Therapy Dogs, How Therapy Dogs Help to Reduce Student Stress and Anxiety
[iii] IBID.
[iv] Matt Fleming, Therapy Dog & Comfort Dog Certification Guide

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