Melissa and her Golden Retriever Rainbow share their excitement about becoming a new Dallas Therapy Dog team.
In this 15th episode of Therapy Dog Talk, I meet Melissa and her friendly Golden Retriever, Rainbow, as they tell us about their journey to become a new Dallas Therapy Dog team. We talk about their hopes to volunteer in schools and how important it is to find a good place for both the person and the dog.
Melissa shares the story of Rainbow, a Covid puppy, and how Rainbow’s trainer saw her potential to be a therapy dog early on, leading Melissa to this path. They live in the Dallas-Fort Worth area and are looking into different organizations for therapy work.
During our chat, we discuss therapy dog clothes, like bandanas and vests, and why they are used. Melissa is excited to have a fun activity that lets her share her love for dogs through therapy work.
We also give helpful advice for people who want to be a therapy dog team, saying that it’s important to know your dog well and spend time practicing and training. Melissa thanks the Therapy Dog Talk platform and the community for sharing their experiences.
By the end of this episode, you’ll learn more about becoming a therapy dog team, the happiness that comes from working with therapy dogs, and why it’s important to pick the right volunteer spots for both the person and their furry friend.
In this episode, we discuss …
- Why it matters to volunteer somewhere both the human and the dog feel comfortable.
- What Rainbow will enjoy about being a Therapy Dog and what Melissa looks forward to.
- Rainbow’s love of dock diving and other sports.
Key moments you won’t want to miss:
- [00:31] Melissa talks about her life and how she got Rainbow, a Covid puppy, and their adventure to become a therapy dog team.
- [01:08] Melissa and Rainbow live in Dallas-Fort Worth, Texas, and they discuss different groups for therapy work.
- [01:54] I mention Safe in Austin and animal therapy with various farm animals in a recent Queer Eye episode which also featured equine therapy.
- [03:46] Rainbow’s trainer saw her potential as a therapy dog and helped Melissa learn about it.
- [05:32] Melissa wants to volunteer in schools and other educational places with Rainbow.
- [07:39] Rainbow is excited to meet people as a therapy dog and make a positive difference in their lives.
- [08:20] We talk about therapy dog clothes, like bandanas and vests, and why they’re used.
- [09:00] Melissa is happy to have a fun activity that lets her share her love for dogs through therapy work.
- [09:57] Melissa gives advice for people who want to be a therapy dog team: know your dog well and spend time practicing and training.
- [11:01] Melissa thanks the Therapy Dog Talk Live platform and the community for sharing their experiences.
I hope you enjoy this episode as much as I do. Give it a watch or a listen and then let me know in the community which part you found the most helpful!
Mentioned in this episode:
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Therapy Dog Talk is a podcast where I interview a different team each week via Instagram Live. If you enjoyed this episode please find us over at Apple, Google, or Spotify and give us a follow after you leave a review.
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