This month Boudicca (Boo) my Yorkshire Terrier and I will be embarking on a new adventure together. We are going to attend a Therapy Dog training class with the wonderful Sally Sizer at Dog Gone Smart. This six-part course will develop our potential to become a therapy animal team.

One of the organizations that support animal assisted therapy is the non-profit Pet Partners® group.  This organization helps to bring positive animal interactions to folks from all walks of life to improve their health and well-being.

Per their website, “The Pet Partners teams interact with a wide variety of clients including veterans with PTSD, seniors living with Alzheimer’s, students with literacy challenges, patients in recovery, people with intellectual disabilities and those approaching end of life. The impact of these interactions is felt one million times a year.”

It’s going to be a big learning curve for a small Yorkie and her owner! Boo will learn how to approach patients using wheelchairs, walkers, and canes. She will experience introductions to strangers in a variety of situations. I will find out how to support the best interaction between Boo and her new friends.

We may find out during the course that we are not cut out for this type of work. We will never know unless we try! We aim to work hard and hopefully we will develop the skills needed to become a valuable asset to our community.

I will record our progress through the course and the various examinations here on my blog.  I hope that you will join us on our journey into the rewarding world of animal assisted therapy!