Django - Therapy Dog Extraordinaire
By Claire Smith & Django
Walking into a therapy room to sit with someone you don’t know well and tell them about the ways you are struggling in life can be daunting. Having a furry friend alongside you can make it easier.
Lots of us know that seeing a dog in the street can make us smile, or may even have heard that stroking a cat lowers our blood pressure. But you might not be aware of the impact of pets in therapy.
Django the Leonberger, a large, fluffy, brown dog lying on green grass, surrounded by fallen autumn leaves. The background shows trees with golden foliage and a cloudy sky. Tranquil scene.
Therapy animals
A therapy animal is an animal that has been trained and assessed to take part in a therapeutic experience with a person. The primary goal of this training is for the animal to be calm, comfortable with human contact and not startled by unexpected behaviour.
In theory, any domesticated animal can be a therapy animal, but commonly it will be a dog, horse, cat, or a small pet like a rabbit.
My dog Django has recently started working with me at Phoenix on Fridays, joining me in my client sessions. Django is a two-year-old, male Leonberger. The Leonberger was bred largely for their looks and to be a mild-tempered companion dog. For most sessions, Django will lie sprawled out on the floor, snoozing and occasionally grumbling to himself in Chewbacca-esque noises.
The Leonberger
Django is a fairly uncommon dog. The breed originates from the German town of Leonberg, where the Mayor decided to breed a dog that looks like a lion, the town's symbol. Mixing Newfoundlands and St Bernards together, later adding a Pyrenees Mountain dog for variety, he created the Leonberger. (more info)
Because there aren’t many Leonbergers around the world, the breed has often suffered from a small gene pool, including dramatic low points after the two World Wars, when the numbers dropped into single figures. This has caused health problems in the breed even today because the gene pool is so small. As part of his work as a therapy dog, Django is taken for regular health checks, and we stay in contact with his breeder to hear about any serious medical issues any of his relatives have had. He’s also taken part in a study on heart health to contribute to improving the breed’s health (don’t worry, it consisted of a ten-minute vet check, and he was amply rewarded with treats).
Looking After a Dog with a Job
Django is our family pet first and foremost, and even when he is working, I make sure I am looking after his welfare. This includes simple things like making sure he has water to drink, regular walks, and managing his workload so he isn’t seeing too many clients. I observe how he is doing during sessions to see if he’s showing any signs of stress. I also take him for temperament assessments every other year, where I work with the assessors to check he is still fit to be a therapy dog.
In a therapy session, my role is to make sure both my client and Django are benefiting from being there. If anyone is stressed or uncomfortable, that’s not going to help, and it isn’t therapeutic. It is just as important in life to recognise when someone is feeling uncomfortable and show them they can leave or change the situation, which is something we can actively practice in the session.
For most clients, Django is a welcome addition, providing a friendly face to greet them when they arrive and a bit of relief by giving him a stroke and a fuss. By introducing Django to my work as a therapist, I hope that therapy can feel easier or more inviting to people, helping them take the first step into the therapy room.