Am I Ready to Add a Speech Therapy Dog?

When I started providing animal-assisted speech therapy, I was realizing a long-held dream but also starting a new learning journey.  Without a lot of resources on the topic that related to our field, I jumped in and figured it out as I went.  Now nearly five years later, with a book about speech therapy dogs under my belt, I’m ready to share the lessons I’ve learned with other SLPs who are also considering this challenge.  Here are some thoughts for an SLP or related professional to consider about their own skills and resources before adding a therapy dog.  (For more about important characteristics of the actual therapy dog, check out the post “Why Not All Good Dogs Make Good Therapy Dogs”). 

Speech therapy dog Delta has stolen my seat while I work on an articulation target with a young client.

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Do I feel confident in my skills as a speech therapist?

While there’s no hard and fast rule for how much experience you need before adding animal assisted interventions, I will attest that adding a therapy dog means dividing your attention while simultaneously increasing the speed at which you need to notice and respond to potentially challenging situations. 

If a child is starting to lose their temper or get distracted you must be able to immediately pivot to keep all interactions with the therapy dog safe and as calm as possible, while meeting your ethical obligation to keep sessions goal-oriented. 

If you are still learning to personalize activities to maximize their therapeutic value, support attention and behavior, and prioritize targets, adding to your own cognitive load with the complications of another live body is probably asking too much of yourself. 

All SLPs have times when we don’t feel like as much of an “expert” as we would like when kids with new and harder challenges arrive on our caseload, but having a firm grasp of the basics is definitely an important foundation.

Click for a video clip showing the challenges of dividing your attention to maintain both a speech therapy dog’s cooperation and a child’s engagement while a therapy dog is actively participating in a session.

Do I understand basic dog psychology and behavior?

Important for both the welfare of the therapy dog and the safety of the client, having a better-than-average understanding of dogs is vital.  Like any other clinical skill, there is always more to learn and different speech therapy dogs will communicate differently. 

Because they live amongst us as companions it is tempting to assign human emotions and motivations to a dog’s behavior, but in doing so we risk missing a therapy dog’s true communication. 

We need to know if a therapy dog is feeling fatigued, anxious, or territorial so we can adjust the situation before they either burn out or lash out.   

My favorite resource about reading dog body language is the DVD The Language of Dogs because it showcases many clips of each behavior being demonstrated by dogs of a variety of breeds in order to become attuned to variations your own dog might present.

Do I have the resources to care for a speech therapy dog?

This includes both time and money. 

Adding a therapy dog means frequent breaks for the bathroom and play that can eat up time you might otherwise spend writing data, returning calls and emails, planning sessions, or completing paperwork. 

Depending on your therapy dog, it might also entail time before work brushing, bathing, or exercising so the dog is presented at his or her best.  Cleaning up loose dog hair means more frequent vacuuming and sweeping.  (Trust me, even a shorthaired dog sheds constantly!) 

While these extra tasks may only take a few minutes each, it adds up over the course of a work day so you must find time elsewhere in your schedule if you hope to stay caught up. To find my favorite tools like the Furminator brush and a carpet sweeper that help minimize time spent cleaning up after your speech therapy dog, see Therapy Dog Supplies.

Financially, keeping a therapy dog healthy and happy over the long-term can become a financial burden. 

If you already chose to keep a canine companion for personal reasons, these may largely be costs you intend to cover anyway, but training classes, extra treats, vigilant vet care, and continuing education in animal assisted interventions adds up. 

While a speech therapy dog may help you attract and maintain clients, it’s unlikely the value they add to your services could be justified based on finances alone. 

I find I average $50 a month on treats to use within animal assisted activities alone.  I’ve used the services of an animal behaviorist at several hundred dollars a session to help problem-solve challenges.  And keeping my older therapy dog comfortable since his retirement has entailed extensive veterinary costs.

For me it is all worth it for the joy these animals bring to my work and home life, but it is nonetheless a very serious consideration as a speech therapy dog can potentially be a 15+ year commitment.

Animal-assisted speech therapy is rewarding but also has extra time requirements and expenses.

Therapy dogs can definitely brighten the lives of both SLPs and their clients, but deciding if one is right for you warrants serious consideration. 

To learn more, follow me on Instagram @Speech_Dogs and stay tuned to find out how to get a copy of Paws for Progress: Integrating Animal-Assisted Interventions Into Your Speech-Language Pathology Practice, coming from ASHA Press in fall 2024.

I’d love to hear what your questions and concerns are regarding adding a therapy dog into your practice for future topics.  Please click on the contact link to get in touch!

May your days be filled with puppy wiggles and children’s giggles,

Sharlet