Therapy Dog

Basenji Talk
Log in to reply
  • L

    Hi All! My heart surgery went well and I came home this morning. Abbey gave me a huge BAROO but her first order of business when she got out of her crate was to gobble up last night's supper which she had been saving till I came home. Then she cried because Heather (my DIL) left. Then she had to check out my overnight bag and my ouches. She was most interested in the bandaid in the bend of my arm where the IV was! Mostly she hangs on me in case I might disappear again. She did allow me one short nap, then she woke me up so we could have lots of fun playing green bunny, hedgehog, soccer ball and squeaky chicken, which everybody knows is good therapy after heart surgery. I do appreciate all your kind words and prayers for me and for Abbey. She is recovering nicely from being chewed up by that monster last week but she still doesn't want to go the park.

    0
  • jys1011J

    OOHH soo good to hear everything went well!!! Lots of happy (((HUGS))) for you & Abbey. Once you get better I'm sure Abbey will get to tackling that fear of the park. Make sure u give her lots of treats along the way…maybe some HIGH value treats like turkey hotdogs :D :D

    Lots of prayers for a speedy recovery!!

    Basenji Mom of C3PO & TOPAZ

    0
  • J

    I am glad to know all is well and you are home, but I'm sure Abbey is even happier to have you back with her!!

    0
  • DukeD

    Lenora, Glad you're back home with Abbey. She seems to be doing her best as good therapy for you. You must have told the doc about Abbey so he would let you out, right? Now that you're home, recovery will be so much quicker and sweeter. Healing thoughts and best wishes that you and Abbey get back to the park soon. :)

    Jill

    0
  • ChaseandZahrasmomC

    Lenora,

    I missed the post about you having surgery, I hope that you have a speedy recovery! Sound like Dr. Abbey is in charge of your home care!

    Jenn

    Jenn

    Chase and Zahra's Mom

    0
  • nomrbddgsN

    Good wishes for a speedy recovery-and I want you to listen to Abbey now, sounds like she knows the more you laugh, the quiker you heel, Oh I mean heal!

    Arlene, the Basenji Brats with the Boxenji![](images/smilies/biggrin.png "Big Grin")

    0
  • alkiteA

    Hugs and happy thoughts for you and Dr. Abbey! She'll be in charge of your physical therapy routine from here on out. :D

    0
  • tlbuddyT

    Good to hear that your surgery went well. I am sure you will have a speedy recovery with Abbey by your side.:)

    0
  • hdterryH

    Sorry to hear about your surgery but HAPPY all is well and you are back home with Miss Abbey.

    0

Suggested Topics

  • KipawaK

    Bullying dogs - dog psychology questions

    Basenji Talk
    7
    0 Votes
    7 Posts
    2k Views
    KipawaK
    Well, the lab I mentioned (chocolate overweight one) almost took me out by slamming into my knee. I commented loudly " he better not insure my knee!" No comment from the owner. Others were keeping an eye on this over exhuberant dog too. Many peeps were standing behind a bench for protection. What really bugs me is that the park has very visible signs when you enter it that say you must have control of your dog.
  • nobarkusN

    Solar dog

    Basenji Talk
    3
    0 Votes
    3 Posts
    933 Views
    KanangaK
    Oh my… that looks familiar (from today): [image: 3e322118.jpg] Buddy would love this environment. Lots of sunlight (when the sun is out).
  • abby_basenjiA

    Does your dog do this?

    Basenji Talk
    8
    0 Votes
    8 Posts
    3k Views
    Rita JeanR
    Jaycee digs same way but she does somersaults head down over she gos first time neighbor saw it they could not beleive it. I think neighbor came over every day for a week waiting to see it again and Jaycee would do it. Yes I very much second that digging usually will cause the great B-500. Rita Jean
  • nobarkusN

    Therapy Basenjis

    Basenji Talk
    9
    0 Votes
    9 Posts
    3k Views
    K
    @wizard: How does one become a therapy dog? My Gossy has a great temperment and gets along with people really well. This sounds like something we could do together. Start calling around to your local hospitals and nursing homes and ask if they have a pet therapy program and what it involves. (You might have to explain what you mean to get a good answer. lol) Some places require certification through a therapy dog company, others do not. They might just want to meet and evaluate the dog or have their own assessment test of some kind. There are several therapy organizations, the most common is TDI. http://www.tdi-dog.org/ If you look at the links on the left, there is one for "upcoming tests" and that will give you an idea of where you can get them certified. There are no preliminary requirements for doing the test, but most dog training clubs offer some kind of therapy dog/CGC prep classes or just a general obedience class can help. TDI uses the AKC canine good citizen test plus 4 extra testing criteria. (having to pass by food without eating, being around kids and hospital equipment, etc.) Once you feel your dog has the social skills and obedience training to take the test, you can contact the test sites and sign up. They usually run around $20 to take the test. Once you pass, to become certified you have to have a thorough vet check with testing and proof of vaccinations, and also sign something that's like a code of ethics. The big thing about being certified is that then TDI provides insurance for wherever you visit in case something were to ever happen when you're doing your visits. However there is a big list of rules you must follow to be in compliance with the insurance, like only using specific collars (no chokers) and not using your certification to get your dog into places, etc. (therapy dogs are NOT service dogs) A facility that does not require certification from TDI or the like will probably have their own testing procedure and rules because I'm sure they'll have to have insurance coverage too. So TDI would be a great thing to do, but contact your local facilities first because you may not have to go that route. All my kids are TDI therapy dogs, it's a lot of fun. I used to visit a local hospital, but since I moved I haven't had time to figure out where to go around here and set something up. So we need to redo our certification, ugh. It's hard for them to pass the separation from mommy part. lol I never took pictures because I didn't think it was appropriate where we were, and with it not being the same people like at a nursing home. But Susan has some other nice ones on her website that she's shared over the years. http://www.apubasenjis.com/TherapyBasenjis.html
  • nobarkusN

    Devil dog/good dog

    Basenji Talk
    6
    0 Votes
    6 Posts
    2k Views
    nobarkusN
    Yes I agree Pat, Fort Funston could get very crowded and dangerous for smaller dogs as packs of bigger dogs playing could cause injury. My 2 Basenjis were very good and stayed pretty close to me and got used to the crowds. The only problem I had there was with this lady who had an older Tri color female Basenji. It would bite my blk/wht, Nika who was 1-1/2 on the butt. A few times of that and I stayed way away from her. The problem is Nika was a very playful girl and never did anything like that. A few times of getting nipped on the butt started her doing it to other dogs and Basenjis. A Basenji would want to play and Nika would chase and give a nip and the the other dog would get mad and a fight would occur. Nobody would ever get hurt thankfully. It was rare that it would happen as I took them there for 9 years, mostly on the weekend without problem. We had a lot of fun and people loved the Basenjis! Ringo, the red/wht was a very entertaining clown when we'd go down to the beach.
  • luzmery928L

    Dog escape

    Basenji Talk
    4
    0 Votes
    4 Posts
    1k Views
    luzmery928L
    Who let the fox in..hahaha