Therapy Basenjis

Basenji Talk
Log in to reply
  • nobarkusN

    This is pretty cool, I just got this from my breeder friend Susan (Apu Basenjis) in NY. Below is her message and see attached pics. These are 2 of her 9 Basenjis.

    **These are iPhone photos taken at the Hudson Valley Senior Residence. Scarlet & Fern are now licensed Therapy Dog International therapy dogs. They are with Henriette, a favorite of mine, who is 97. They're supervising the nail polish clinic.

    Shortly afterwards, Fernie stole a stuffie from the Bingo prizes, and was told she could keep it.

    Later on, in the hallway, the woman who is sitting behind Henriette stopped and asked me if the girls liked coming there.

    Answering her own question, "Of course they do, they get all the attention."

    Adding, "now you get the inmates's version. Life here is dull, the same day to day, and your visits with the dogs brighten our lives, especially the dogs, more than you can ever know."
    **
    attachment_t_6087_0_henriette.s-f.1a.jpg
    attachment_t_6087_1_henriette.s-f.2a.jpg

    Buddy, Paolo and Dan

    0
  • imbjI

    :) That's so cool and precious!

    When the time comes when I have to live in senior housing, I would hope there would be basenjis who would come visit (and often)! :D

    0
  • BasenjimammaB
    Houston

    wow, that warmed my heart so much. What a special treat for the elderly as well as for Scarlet and Fern.

    Basenjimamma

    Petra and Pippin

    with Otis in my heart…

    0
  • S

    I think everyone needs animals in their lives to make things easier.
    I am delighted our beloved dogs can do this.

    Sharron Hurlbut

    BRAT, basenji rescue

    Evergreen basenji club

    Seattle Purebred Dog Rescue

    0
  • agilebasenjiA

    my boys love going! diggie and i are going to the alzheimer's facility thursday. recently when we went we were told we could NOT take pics because the the new privacy laws.

    0
  • BasenjiByTheBayB

    Great photos, and great for the pups and the old folks.

    We chatted with a blind woman on BART a few weeks ago. She had a beautiful guide dog with her and after she got off my husband said: "Can you imagine a basenji as a guide dog? Only if you wanted to go wherever they wanted to take you. And heaven help you if a squirrel happens by." :p

    So the Therapy Dog title made me smile.

    Catt…with no ordinary dogs!

    0
  • wizardW

    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.

    0
  • nobarkusN

    @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.

    To become a therapy dog you have to get the dog certified. Look on the web as there's programs to do that around your area. There's different levels of certification as well.

    Buddy, Paolo and Dan

    0
  • 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

    Kelli Harmon

    Kiroja Basenjis

    Southgate, MI USA

    0

Suggested Topics

  • P

    Basenji for me or not ?

    Moved Basenji Talk
    7
    0 Votes
    7 Posts
    854 Views
    ZandeZ
    @planetsaver said in Basenji for me or not ?: Will be a problem to leave him alone, let's say 10 days / month an average of 9 hours a day. Also I do not want to have to much trouble with the neighbours, but I understand he can make some noise sometimes, maybe he can be trained to stay alone and not to bark that much. Why would you even think about training a hunting hound to stay home alone ? I would never let my Basenjis alone for more than 4 hours, and even that is very rare. 3 hours is absolute maximum. Like @tanza, I have sold puppies into apartment environments as long as all other boxes ticked positive. Someone there all the time, proper attention to training, not just leaving the dog alone, especially not as a puppy. btw, he won't bark at all. As you would know if you had really researched the breed. He will cry and scream but not bark ! No. At least you are asking questions but I really think you should find another breed.
  • C

    Is she a basenji ?

    Basenji Talk
    50
    4 Votes
    50 Posts
    7k Views
    KembeK
    Looks can be so deceiving- here is an article of a woman who adopted a rescue dog in N.J. Dog looks like a basenji - even her vet thought it might be basenji. She did an Embark DNA test - no basenji. Turned out the dog was a mixture of Mountain Cur, Rat Terrier, Beagle, and Boston Terrier. link text
  • S

    Basenji service and Therapy dogs

    Basenji Talk
    5
    1 Votes
    5 Posts
    5k Views
    S
    Cleopatra is 7 years old now. Her job is to press against me to keep me grounded and get me out of dark areas with people. She'll start licking to help me when I start stimming and get shaky. If the depression is bad she comes and sits near me and cries. Some days I can go without her but others she stays near me and goes where I go.
  • K

    Basenji

    Basenji Talk
    4
    -1 Votes
    4 Posts
    2k Views
    D
    Where I am it costs about $2K+ for a dog from a breeder for just about any breed. Goldens may be less because the litters are so large. That may seem like a lot, but, as Debra mentions, dogs cost money to care for. After vet bills and boarding fees and food, it matters little what the dog cost to acquire. Leaving true puppy mills out of the discussion, given the costs of being a responsible breeder -- testing, vet bills, feeding -- and how much work breeding is, I can't imagine anyone doing it for the money. That leads to two problems for people looking for dogs. One is that since breeding isn't really lucrative, there aren't a ton of breeders, which means the supply of pups is low. Second is that most Basenji breeders want to place their pups in the best possible homes -- remember they aren't doing it for the money -- which means they're looking for people who have had Basenjis before. Something of a Catch-22.
  • S

    Is this a Basenji??

    Basenji Talk
    20
    0 Votes
    20 Posts
    7k Views
    G
    My Basenji Billy is quite undershot; he's a purebred, his bottom jaw just didn't stop growing when it was supposed to. That's okay, I'm a bit of a sucker for a dog with an underbite anyway.:) He was my first rescue Basenji.
  • VanessaV

    "A Tired Basenji Is A Happy Basenji"

    Basenji Talk
    20
    0 Votes
    20 Posts
    11k Views
    WeLuvBasenjisW
    I have found that if I take my B to doggie daycare (even if it's only for half a day), she is ehausted when I bring her home. She will let me do the dishes without any basenji help! She also tends to treat our doggie friends a little nicer when they come around. Having a worn out basenji is deifinitely worth the $15!!