Canterbury Class Canine

Therapy dog Jenson is putting smiles on the faces of students at Ashburton Intermediate School.

The eight-year-old collie/staffie cross trained for eight months to support residents in residential homes and still spends time at a Methven rest home, but he’s in his element at the intermediate school and is loved to bits by pupils.

Jenson spends most of his days in class 7/7 with his owner and class teacher Kristine Sheppard.

Mrs Sheppard said she picked him from the SPCA in Christchurch in the aftermath of the earthquakes.

He is named after the British sports car, Jensen Interceptor.

He had not been treated well in his younger days, but had soon shown his caring, calm and loving nature.

Jenson had been in training as a therapy dog for a number of months through an organisation called Canine Friends Pet Therapy, she said.

He has been a regular fixture at the school for a number of months after acceptance by the board of trustees and after a number of protocols had been followed.

Year 7 student Jacob Robinson said Jenson went on walks with students and if they were upset he could sense their feelings and came over to comfort them.

“He’s super friendly and very gentle and we all love him.”

Classmate Anna Green said Jenson cheered up children who were feeling a bit down and he loved all the attention.

“He’s got a ball called Wilson, which we throw for him, and hanging out with him just makes you happy and feel good.”

Toronto Therapy Dog

A global pandemic is not enough to keep Coogee the Australian labradoodle away from the seniors she loves to visit.

But the therapy dog has been relegated to snuffling at an iPad, while they blow kisses.

Coogee, and her owner Maureen Harvey, have been visiting the residents of Sunnybrook hospital’s Veterans Centre since last summer. At this point, she says some on L-Wing, where the average age is 97, think Coogee is their own dog.

“A dog brings joy to everybody,” Harvey told CBC Toronto.

“No one pets a dog and is angry after.”

Before, Coogee would parade through the ward, happily being pet. Sometimes, she’d gently rest her head on some of the frailest residents.

COVID-19 stopped those visits this March. That’s when Dr. David Williams, Ontario’s chief medical officer of health, issued a directive shutting down all outside access, including for therapy animals, as part of an effort to stop the novel coronavirus from getting into long-term care homes, where it can have devastating effects.

At the beginning of June, nearly 80 per cent of Canada’s COVID-19-linked deaths had been in long-term care homes.

Harvey and Sunnybrook’s Jennifer Ashby could see the shutdown coming, but it still hurt. Quickly, Ashby, a recreation therapist, found an iPad and within weeks the two women were holding virtual visits with Coogee to provide a ray of sunshine for the residents (thankfully, there have been no COVID-19 cases at the facility).

“It certainly is great to have a dog in the building,” one woman named Georgie says. Two men wave to Coogee, as Harvey waves the pup’s furry paw on the screen.

“You’ve made our day,” Harvey tells one woman.

“And mine,” the woman responds, with an ear-to-ear smile.

Ashby says Coogee’s weekly visits give residents a few key things: a dose of “unconditional love,” a sense of normalcy in a time when she’s often approaching them wearing a full face shield, and perhaps best of all, a chance to practice their social skills.

Ashby says she’s seen low-stakes visits with Coogee lead to better virtual interactions with family members the next day.

“My favourite moments are when a veteran’s having a bad day, and they see the dog, their face lights up… sorry,” Ashby says, brushing a tear away before it can reach the top of her face mask.

“You know you’ve made a moment, you’ve changed their day. You’ve made them happy when they weren’t happy.”

Canadian experts have backed up the idea that having access to a pet can be incredibly beneficial for people’s mental health, something that’s being taxed by COVID-19.

In recent years, therapy dogs have become a more common sight in Toronto.

St. John Ambulance has about 275 active dogs and handlers who normally volunteer everywhere from hospitals to retirement homes to classrooms to corporate offices (the last one is how the organization raises money.)

They’ve also been there on some of Toronto’s worst days: including those following the Yonge Street van attack and the Danforth Avenue mass shooting.

Now, due to COVID-19, almost none of those therapy dogs are working.

Just a handful have pivoted to video calls, said Christine Paradis, a Toronto-based branch advisor with St. John Ambulance and a volunteer herself.

“Oh, it’s horrible. It’s been really hard,” she said.

It’s not that hospitals and long-term care homes don’t want video visits, it’s that they lack the staffing to do the calls. In the absence of visits, volunteers have been sending videos of their dogs, or even printing posters.

Finally, at the end of May, Paradis found a group of young caregivers who were up for an online meeting with her therapy spaniel-mix, Dexter. It’s not the same, she admits, as touch is such a huge part of therapy animal visits, but it seemed to delight everyone involved.

“Dexter loves to Zoom,” she said.

It could be the bowl of treats next to the monitor.

Senior Dogs

For years he has gone on walks and adventures with you. You played tennis ball fetch with him for what felt like hours on end. He has sat on the sofa and watched TV with you. He has been there for hugs and snuggles when you felt sad. He knows all your routines and you know what each of his barks mean.

Now he moves a little slower. His muzzle is gray and his eyes are a bit cloudy. He sleeps more than he used to and sometimes doesn’t want to get up. Your best friend has aged, and much too quickly.

Senior dogs deserve our attention just as much as they did when they were younger. They may have special needs or need additional health care, but they still have a lot to offer us in the way of companionship and love. My first therapy dog was a nine-year-old Shetland Sheepdog I rescued from the Lexington Animal Shelter. His health had been neglected, he had heartworms and a mast cell tumor, as well as a coat in awful condition. We vetted him, gave him good food, taught him some basic obedience (and yes, an old dog can learn new tricks), and he became a registered therapy dog, bringing delight to nursing home residents. He lived a very full life for five more years.

What is considered a senior age varies depending on the size of the dog. Small dogs are considered seniors at 11 years old, medium dogs at 10 years old and large or giant breed dogs at eight years old.

You may first see signs of aging in your dog by some graying of the muzzle, a slight cloudiness in his eyes, or maybe some stiffness when he walks. Most of the symptoms of old age can be improved and slowed with good veterinary care.

Jennifer Bonovitch, DVM, with Two Notch Road Animal Hospital says, “I strongly encourage my patients to come in every six months for a full senior exam, along with screening bloodwork. Many times we can catch a disease early, either on a physical exam or a bloodwork abnormality, enough to intervene to the point the pet can live a full life with minimal side effects, as opposed to not intervening until the medical issue is urgent and possibly irreversible.”

Crystal Knight, DVM, with Cherokee Trails Animal Hospital, adds, “There are diseases that are more common as your pet ages, but AGE is NOT a disease. Plan in advance for the cost of more routine health care like dental cleanings, blood work, more frequent examinations, and medications that are needed to help keep your pet in the best shape it can be.”

Common problems like arthritis, urinary incontinence, and some skin lumps and bumps can often be treated easily and provide your senior dog with much relief.

While your senior dog may not be ready to run a 5K with you anymore like in the past, he will still enjoy moderate exercise and this will help keep his joints healthy. Even if it seems like he wants to lie around, take him for a pleasant sniff walk around the neighborhood. Walks are not only good for his physical health but provide another way to enrich his life.

Ellen Huse, DVM, with Sunset Animal Clinic offers some easy to implement, practical advice for helping your senior dog. “Especially for large breed seniors, ‘seniorize’ your home. Use baby gates to block off steps so they can only go up or down with your help or supervision. Make a trail of rugs or bathmats or other non-slick surfaces across hardwood floors. Encourage them to lie on padded surfaces, so they won’t be as stiff when getting up. I recommend swimming if practical and leash walking so there will be less muscle wasting. Omega 3 fatty acids at proper dosages are good for joint, brain, and skin health. Remember their hearing and vision aren’t as keen as they used to be, so make efforts not to startle them.”

Other members of the Alliance of Force Free Animal Professionals provide excellent tips such as keeping your senior dog’s nails trimmed to help them remain steadier on their feet and prevent toe and carpal arthritis. Keeping your dog’s weight down is always important, but even more so as they age and find movement more difficult. Mental enrichment is as important now as when he was younger. Like I mentioned above, casual sniff walks are very rewarding. Many dogs love to go on car rides, use food dispensing toys, swim, and play with you. Whatever your dog enjoyed doing when he was younger, he may still enjoy as a senior. Just make sure the activity is modified to accommodate his physical status. Then there is the question of whether to bring a puppy into your home when you have a senior dog. My advice is if you do so, it is preferable to bring in a puppy that won’t grow into an adolescent that is considerably larger than your senior dog. Adolescents and large puppies can accidentally hurt senior dogs with rough play. If your dog loved playing with other dogs when he was younger, he may enjoy the company of a puppy and it may bring back some of his playfulness. However, more often than not, I see a puppy is more of an annoyance to an older dog. If your dog never liked playing with other dogs, then this is definitely not the time of his life to bring in a puppy. If you do have a puppy with a senior dog make sure you observe and interrupt if the puppy won’t leave the older dog alone.

Training Detection Dog

When Dan and Lisa Williams adopted Shep two years ago, they noticed he had a penchant for sniffing around cars.

The New Stanton owners are hoping their 3-year-old Australian cattle dog soon will be using his olfactory skills to recognize people infected with the coronavirus, as part of the new regional Covid-19 K-9 Detection Task Force.

“It’s kind of exciting to think that a dog can do that,” said Dan Williams, who plans to undergo training to be Shep’s handler.

Researchers in Great Britain, Florida and eastern Pennsylvania are looking to train canines to provide warning of covid-19 infections. The new task force wants to achieve the same goal with a cadre of 10 dogs and handlers in Southwestern Pennsylvania.

Shep made the cut from among 168 area dogs recently tested for suitability as trainees. He and his owners were recognized at this week’s meeting of the Youngwood Dog Club, where Dan Williams was installed as vice president of the local nonprofit.

The Williamses took Shep into their home after he turned up as a stray in New Alexandria.

“He would go around cars and smell the inner fenders and around the doors,” Dan Williams said. “I always wondered if he’d been in some kind of training for a K-9 (police) dog.”

With his current owners, Shep has been trained to visit schools and nursing facilities as a therapy dog.

“He really does a good job with that,” Dan Williams said, so, “we thought we’d try him with the covid-19 training.”

During the dog candidate testing, Lisa Williams said, “I think they were looking to see if he would smell where food was when they removed it and put it somewhere else. They wanted to see if he had the ability to problem-solve and know to look for where it was without anybody telling him.”

The task force commander, Rodney Little, acknowledged the difficulties that Shep and the nine other dogs overcame to qualify as covid-19 detection trainees.

“The hardest part about the test is you can’t tell your dog what to do,” said Little, who turned over presidency of the Youngwood Dog Club to Billy Cowherd. “They have to let their brain take over and work.”

The plan is for Shep to undergo six or more weeks of training for covid-19 detection while Dan Williams completes one week of handler training.

First, Little said, the task force is looking to raise some money. It received about $800 in donations, but he figures it will cost a little more than $1 million to initiate the task force team and keep it in a state of readiness for a year. He said grant applications are being readied to submit to organizations such as the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Ultimately, Little would like to have trained dogs ready to provide covid-19 detection in such public spaces as courthouses and airports.

“If the virus goes away, our task force team will not,” he said. “Our team will be trained and ready to deploy for any threat needed. They’ll be able to smell things such as explosives and guns.”

Therapy dogs Walt & Jeni

Walt has the endearing habit of plunking down on your feet when told to sit. He gives the best hugs, just snuggling his big golden head into your shoulder.

It’s no wonder the residents at The Meadows Home for Special Care in Yarmouth have missed this personable therapy dog and his owner.

Belleville, Yarmouth County resident Dan Fleck has been visiting the facility with Walt, a six-year-old golden retriever, on weekends for the past three years. His wife, Wendy Vickers, brings their other therapy dog, Jeni.

When COVID-19 restrictions put a halt to interior visits, the two therapy teams continued with window visits and then started making videos starring the dogs. These were uploaded to Youtube and the links were supplied to Meadows staff.

The videos were shown to the residents on iPads or streamed on large flatscreens in lounge areas.

“They loved them,” says Fleck. “We started getting requests from individuals who wanted to hear their name in a video.”

Fleck, a retired fishery officer, says they’ve also received requests to visit other facilities, such as schools, in the past.

“We said no. People there can get out and go places. These people can’t.”

He says Walt is ideally suited for the job of being a therapy dog.

He doesn’t shake hands because it could be harmful to seniors, as they have thin skin.

He also doesn’t give kisses but is “incredibly social.”

“He acts very gentle when he has his bandana on but as soon as he gets home, he’s a guy. He’ll go out and roll in the mud.”

Walt also knows how to read expressions, according to Fleck. He provides an example of how most people will just keep going past if they see a person with a “big, snarly look” on their face.

“Walt knows if he sees a happy person and they’re smiling. He says, ‘I’m going to them!’”

Resident Kay Morehouse says she misses the snuggling.

“Some dogs wouldn’t pay any attention to you if you don’t feed them but he’s adorable all the time.”

Fleck recalls during one pre-COVID visit there was a gentleman who just used to listen to music with his headphones. He took them off when he saw Walt, however. The resident hadn’t talked to anyone in a long time but began speaking to Walt. He asked, “Is that Bonzo?”

Fleck, said, “Yup, that’s Bonzo. If you want this to be Bonzo, he’s Bonzo.”

Meadows recreation programmer Morgan Leary says the residents adore Walt and Jeni and always look forward to their visits.

“The residents’ faces would light right up. On their birthdays the dogs would come in wearing party hats. It’s super nice.”

“Both Dan and Wendy go the extra mile for the residents,” she adds.

Meanwhile, COVID visitor restrictions that have been in place for long-term care facilities since mid-March will now be easing.

On June 10, the province announced that effective Monday, June 15, visits can resume at long-term care facilities, provided they happen outdoors and visitors stay two metres, or six feet, away from residents and staff.

There are 132 long-term care facilities in Nova Scotia that are home to almost 8,000 residents. For additional information on requirements at individual facilities, people can contact them directly.

Therapy Dogs For Autism

One of the most common struggles for people living with autism spectrum disorder is socializing with others. Previous research has shown that dogs can serve as social catalysts, and children with autism may feel more comfortable speaking and socializing in the presence of a therapy dog. However, the answer may not be that simple.

In a new study, researchers at the University of Missouri found that while therapy dogs may benefit some children on the autism spectrum, they should not be seen as a one-size-fits-all answer for children struggling with social communication.

Courtney Jorgenson, a doctoral student in the MU College of Arts and Science, collaborated with Casey Clay, former assistant professor of special education and researcher at the MU Thompson Center for Autism and Neurodevelopmental Disorders, to study the impact of a therapy dog on the verbal communication of children with autism as they were speaking with a therapist. They found that some of the children spoke with the therapist more often in the presence of Rhett, a black Labrador Retriever at the Thompson Center, or when they were able to earn time playing with Rhett. Others spoke with the therapist more when they were able to earn time playing with a favorite toy, such as an iPad.

“The autism spectrum is incredibly broad, so what might be an effective intervention technique for one child might not necessarily be the best option for another,” Jorgenson said. “With so many different options available, this research can help parents make the best choices for their child.”

Therapy dogs go through extensive training to provide affection and comfort with a calming influence. Jorgenson recommends parents of children with autism speak with their doctor to ensure the benefits that therapy dogs provide will align with the reasons for wanting one and not assume that a therapy dog will benefit every child equally.

Research has also shown that dogs can help reduce stress. As children on the autism spectrum tend to have higher rates of anxiety and depression compared to children who are developing typically, therapy dogs can potentially be used to help them feel more comfortable in social environments.

“Petting a dog can raise your oxytocin levels, the same hormone that gets released when you hug a loved one,” Jorgenson said. “There’s a long way to go in figuring out how dogs can best support children on the autism spectrum, but this research can help identify which kids might benefit the most.”

“Evaluating preference for and reinforcing efficacy of a therapy dog to increase verbal statements” was recently published in Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis. Funding was provided by the Organization for Autism Research. Rhett, the Thompson Center’s therapy dog, was trained and provided by Duo Dogs, Inc. The content is solely the responsibility of the author and does not necessarily represent the official views of the funding agencies.

Hanford Fire Dept. Therapy Dogs

A pair of golden retrievers are the newest recruits at Hanford Fire Department. The two dogs are being trained as a hybrid of facility and therapy dogs for the department. Their names are Asher and Tiller.

“So, the ‘Tillerman’ is known as the guy on the back of the ladder truck, ladder trucks actually drive the back of it, so that’s kind of how that name was picked out and then as for Asher, you know obviously ash that makes a lot of sense, but also there’s kind of meaning behind it like blessed and happiness,” said Hanford City firefighter Matthew Martinez, who is also Asher’s handler.

The California Service Dog Academy donated the pups to the fire department and co-founder, Rebecca Corso says they’ll play a big part in reducing firefighters stress levels.

“Let’s just be honest and I think first responders are having a rougher year than a lot of people because of everything that they’re having to deal with and we just jumped on the chance, when they approached us, we were all over it,” said Corso.

Hanford City firefighter and Tiller’s handler, Connor Kurtz, spearheaded the idea of getting pups for the department two years ago after coming back from a twelve-hour shift.

“So, it’s kind of nice to come back to the station and the plan is these guys are gonna kind of help us kind of cope with the call you know maybe just help get our mind off of it and kind of help relax, reduce stress and anxiety,” said Kurtz.

The pups have been with Martinez and Kurtz since Friday and are still learning as they’re only about 9 weeks old.  They’ll face the special challenges posed by COVID-19 along with the crews.

“With COVID and all the protests going on, hopefully this will lighten the whole world up and kind of just get their mind off that and so far especially at home it’s helped me out.”

The Hanford Fire Department and the California Service Dog Academy hope this will be an ongoing program to help first responders and the community.

Working Dog

Work for Iskra, a 10-year-old German shepherd, once included searching vehicles at a checkpoint in Baghdad or patrolling Trump Tower in New York City for explosives as part of the team keeping the then-president-elect safe.

These days, the retired military working dog is more focused on searching out scents along park trails in San Antonio and keeping close watch on her favorite human, Jake Ferkin.

“She’s kind of obsessed with me,” the 23-year-old Army sergeant said with a laugh.

He found himself attached to Iskra after serving as her handler at Fort Myer, Va., for more than two years beginning in February 2016. Together, Ferkin and Iskra, a dog with specialized training to identify explosives, served on various stateside security missions, including protecting President Donald Trump as he prepared to take office and securing Arlington National Cemetery for a wreath-laying ceremony that was part of inauguration events. The pair also served overseas on missions in Israel and a 10-month stint in Iraq.

“She’s really friendly to people and didn’t have too much trouble with travel,” Ferkin said.

Once they returned from Iraq in 2018, Ferkin got orders to Joint Base San Antonio, where he now works training new dog recruits with the 341st Training Squadron. When he left Iskra, he knew she was beginning to show signs of age and pain in her hips and knees, and he began efforts to get her retired so he could adopt her.

He turned to Mission K9 Rescue, a nonprofit that works with the Defense Department, military contractors and police departments to rehabilitate working dogs to retire into civilian homes — quite often with former handlers.

Since its founding in 2013, the group has rescued more than 990 dogs, with about 640 returning to former handlers, said Bob Bryant, co-founder and chief technology officer for Mission K9 Rescue.

“There’s a relationship there. It’s a known individual to the dog. The dog receives comfort from the known person,” Bryant said. “The person receives comfort and love from the partner he or she served with.”

Many of the retiring dogs go through a rehabilitation process at the nonprofit’s ranch near Houston, where they learn to decompress and function in a home-like environment. Many have quirks that come from years of training and working — a fear of thunder, because of exposure to gunfire, or a bias against other animals, people or clothing.

The Houston-area facility, which welcomes volunteers, can hold up to 40 dogs at a time. Mission K9 Rescue would like to expand to hold 60 dogs and install a place for the dogs to swim, Bryant said.

The nonprofit also helps fund medical treatment, and prospective owners must show they are capable of meeting the dog’s medical needs before an adoption is approved. Age is also a factor for a dog’s health, with the average age of dogs that come through the rescue at 9.5 years old, Bryant said.

“We are extremely stringent in our adoption requirements,” he said. “We have over 1,500 applications sitting right now. We got in over 100 last weekend. A lot of people want to adopt these dogs, but not all are able to invest the time, money or resources required to maintain them.”

There is a $300 fee to adopt from the group, but Bryant said they invest far more into the dogs than they ask for in return.

Iskra officially retired from service in early May and returned to Ferkin on May 25. In a video of their reunion, Iskra spends about 45 seconds checking out the cameras and people documenting the event before she recognizes it is Ferkin holding her leash. She then begins to jump at him and turn circles at his feet.

“Yeah, there was a lot going on, so it took a minute,” Ferkin said. “I’m really grateful for [Mission K9 Rescue], because I would not have been able to go get her myself.”

Because of travel restrictions in place for the coronavirus pandemic, Ferkin was not allowed to go to Virginia to collect Iskra. Instead, volunteers from Mission K9 Rescue drove the dog to Texas.

Just a couple of weeks into their reunion, Iskra is adjusting to retirement and her new home with two dog siblings and Ferkin’s wife, Felicia. She still has the drive to work or play, but even after a few rounds of fetch, Jake Ferkin said the dog begins to show pain in her hips.

“What’s she’s having trouble adapting to is that she wants to continuously work,” he said. “Her body just can’t really handle it.”

Iskra will occasionally wander out into the yard on her own or venture farther along the trail at the park, but Jake Ferkin said it’s not long before she returns to him.

“She just likes to be with me,” he said.

Comfort K9 Program

Sheriff Troy D. Berry is proud to announce the implementation of a new initiative aimed at helping victims of crime in Charles County: the Comfort K9 Program. This program, which has been in the planning phase for several months, will be aimed at providing emotional support to victims of crime, particularly children. The Comfort K9, a Golden Retriever, will work directly with a detective assigned to the Special Victims Unit (SVU) in the Criminal Investigations Division.

Detective Sergeant Kristen Clark, who supervises the SVU, developed the concept for the CCSO’s Comfort K9 Program after researching the work of therapy dogs with other police departments around the country. Research has proven that therapy dogs have increased disclosure rates in children during the forensic interview process from 34% to over 80%. “Our Comfort K9 will assist detectives who are conducting forensic interviews with children or other victims of crime who may need emotional support,” said D/Sgt. Clark. “This canine can also provide comfort for victims who are testifying in court cases.”

K9 Liberty is a 10-month-old female Golden Retriever who received her training at Applejack K9 Academy, home of the Elite Registry of Working Dogs, in Charlotte Hall, MD. She will continue to work with her trainers as she begins her role with the CCSO and transitions to working with her handler, Detective Nina Garner, who serves in the SVU. “We are grateful to the staff at Applejack for the top notch training they have provided Liberty in preparing her for the important work she will do in our community,” said Detective Garner.

“Victims of violent crimes have experienced significant trauma, and we are committed to helping them through the criminal justice process,” said Lieutenant Andrew Schwab, Commander of Persons Crimes. “The Comfort K9 Program will be a vital part of that process, especially for adolescent victims.”

Photos, announcements, and updates about Liberty will be provided on the CCSO Facebook page.

“We are looking forward to working with our new therapy dog partner,” said Sheriff Berry. “She will undoubtedly be a positive addition to the CCSO family and will provide an invaluable service.”

Helping Local Veterans

Wolfhounds Legacy Corporation is a non-profit that has been working with rescue dogs to train them as service animals for veterans and first responders. They are on a mission to save the lives of both the dogs and people, one dog biscuit at a time. Of course, there’s more to it than a few treats.

“It is our mission to save dogs and veterans, alike, to reduce the unnecessary loss of life to euthanized dogs and veteran suicides. Wolfhounds Legacy Corp. trains dogs for a minimum of 200 hours over an 8 month course training session to ensure they meet all criteria of an outstanding service companion. Dogs are trained specifically for the assistance of veterans with PTSD, however, can work to accommodate most needs for veterans,” explained a post on their Facebook page.

The local Hendry-Glades WLC group has been holding some indoor training sessions at the Pioneer Community Center, which has come in handy with the weather we’ve all been experiencing.

“Big thanks to the Pioneer Community Center, for letting us use the indoor facilities. Our team of veterans is a bit smaller because some have gone north for summer. We were able to practice a lot of tasks such as- doors, public bathroom, ignore food, ignore happy puppy, off leash work, place, long down with handler out of sight, find me and keeping focus,” the group’s leader, Tyla Bebon wrote. “Next we will be starting on click training to work specifically on tasks- get help, retrieve items, pick up, carry and specific tasks that each individual veteran may need assistance with.”

She added that if anyone is interested in getting their dog into WLC training, there were some spots available. Veterans and first responders, who need service dogs or training for their own dog, are free. “If you are looking for training and are not a veteran we have spots available for donations,” Bebon explained.