Building a Calmer Therapy Dog Team

Therapy dogs and their handlers need to stay calm. But staying calm isn’t easy—it takes practice. Kilyn, who spoke on Episode 81 of Therapy Dog Talk, takes her dog Bubbles for a walk before therapy visits. The walk helps Bubbles stay calm. Let’s talk about why calmness is important and how you can help your dog team stay calm.

Why is Calmness Important?

Being calm helps you and your dog to work better together. When you’re able to stay calm, you can focus on your work and understand the people you help. You can also communicate better with your dog. Your dog also needs to be able to stay calm. They meet many different people and experience a lot of things. Staying calm helps them do their job better. In Episode 69 of Therapy Dog Talk, Brian talked about how his dog Magnus intuitively knew how to comfort a patient, laying next to her and allowing her to pet him until her breathing slowed down and she felt at ease. Dogs that are calm can also understand cues better, making them more effective in their roles. So, how can you and your dog stay calm?

Building Your Calmness

Building your calmness requires self-awareness, patience, and practice. Here’s one technique you can use to build calmness in yourself:

1. Try PMR: Progressive Muscle Relaxation (PMR) is one way to stay calm. To do PMR, find a quiet place and breathe deeply. Tense your muscles for 5 seconds, then relax. If you practice regularly, you’ll be more relaxed when you work with your dog.
2. Include your dog: If your dog likes being close to you, do PMR together. This can help both of you stay calm.

Tamara from Episode 76 of Therapy Dog Talk shared that once she decided to stop putting the pressure on her dog Ginger and herself, they both calmed down.

Helping Your Dog Stay Calm

Building calmness in your dog involves patience, practice, and reward. Here’s a fun activity to help:

1. Do a figure of eight: With your dog on a leash, walk in a figure of eight. Start at their pace and then slowly change it. Reward your dog calmly periodically during this exercise. This activity can teach them that life has different speeds and can improve their focus.
2. Change things up: Practice the figure of eight in different places and at different speeds. Try changing directions, too.

Lindsay from Episode 46 of Therapy Dog Talk brought her dog Tucker’s bones in the morning to calm him down. You can find similar ways to help your dog stay calm.