To Hug or Not To Hug, That is the (Speech Therapy Dog) Question
Bodhi looked at the boy that was petting him, leaning in and tentatively putting a paw on his chest. As my client responded by leaning his head gently against Bodhi’s, the pup placed his other paw on the boy’s shoulder, in essence giving him a much-needed hug on this emotionally difficult day.
The girl reached out and grabbed Delta around the neck, pulling her in roughly in and shrieking with excitement. Delta pulled back, ears flat against her head and the whites of her eyes showing. I immediately redirected the girl to pet Delta’s back instead while praising my therapy dog and offering a treat from my treat pouch for having safely tolerated an uncomfortable situation.
So what’s the difference between these two hug scenarios?
Consent is the biggest factor, but also the actual physical components of the hug. Yet social media posts abound of cute photos of kids hugging therapy dogs, sometimes physically lifting them off the ground in their enthusiasm.
While it’s easy to anthropomorphize our speech therapy dogs and assume they welcome hugs because we do, the reality is that dogs communicate and experience the sensory world differently than humans.
So how can we incorporate a speech therapy dog safely into a session while:
· respecting their welfare,
· keeping the situation safe for all involved, and
· providing for the sensory and emotional needs of our clients?
Let’s explore good therapy dog etiquette to improve our animal-assisted interventions:
Speech therapy dog Delta receives a respectful hug. Her body language is relaxed (ears up, not leaning away), the child is approaching from the side instead of at her face, and his arms are only loosely entwined. These two also have a long relationship of mutually respectful and enjoyable interactions over years of animal-assisted speech therapy.
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What is good etiquette from a therapy dog’s viewpoint
Being “bilingual” in human and dog body language and staying vigilant for the communication both parties is giving us is vital for any professional interested in safely and effectively incorporating a therapy dog.
In my opinion it is undeniably an advanced skill and one you must hone over time as you come to recognize subtle and nuanced indicators that either your dog or the client are tolerating but not welcoming a situation.
Dogs communicate stress and enjoyment differently due to both breed and individual differences. My favorite resource for learning about dog body language is The Language of Dogs. The books Overcoming Fear of Dogs and Dogs In Schools also include great resources on the subject. Find these and more on the Animal-Assisted Therapy Books and DVDs page.
I particularly love the concept of a “stress ladder”—a therapy dog many exhibit subtle signs of discomfort (e.g., looking away, lifting a paw, yawning, licking lips) that if not responded to escalate to shying away or “aggressive” behavior.
Remember that while we humans assign a negative connotation to “aggression”, for behavioral purposes it is simply a dog’s way of communicating it needs more space.
Catching these subtle behaviors takes skill, especially for a professional focusing on a human client at the same time. One exercise I found particularly helpful was to watch video clips of various breeds of dogs exhibiting these signals, then go to my vet, the dog park, and/or an obedience class to practice observing.
While it is impossible to eliminate stress for a speech therapy dog due to the nature of the contexts we work in, minimizing it as much as possible will not only keep interactions safe, but also help your dog’s career longevity by reducing the likelihood of burn-out.
Here speech therapy dog Delta is showing mild signs of stress (ears pulled back, leaning away slightly). This hug, though well-intentioned and clearly enjoyed by the client, was redirected to long, slow pets down Delta’s back that both parties could mutually enjoy.
Teaching therapy dog etiquette to clients with special needs
An added challenge to many animal-assisted interventionists is that we often work with clients who exhibit difficulty with impulse control, display sensory-seeking behaviors, or have limited receptive language or working memory abilities.
Keeping animal-assisted speech therapy safe therefore means:
· increased vigilance—monitoring all interactions and not leaving your therapy dog alone where it could be approached by a client or their family members, and
· using physical barriers when this is not possible—crate, a separate office with a closed door, baby gates, etc..
It will also be necessary to explicitly teach the preferred interactions by:
· using stuffed animals to demonstrate where your therapy dog likes to be petted (I like this weighted stuffed dog as it doubles to support sensory regulation while kids are doing seated work),
· using set phrases as reminders (e.g., I say, “shoulders to tail” repeatedly when working with young or new clients to keep them from patting my dog’s head), and
· redirecting hugs and kisses to gentle ones on the therapy dog’s back or petting instead (depending on what you know about your individual therapy dog’s preferences)
For an example and more information, click here.
Modeling the desired therapy dog etiquette is also important. While I wouldn’t hesitate to hug or kiss my dogs at home or during a break, I want to avoid doing so around a client who might copy this behavior. (Yes, this can be difficult to remember!)
As an animal-assisted interventionist, learning as much as we can about dog behavior and teaching our clients respectful dog etiquette is a vital part of our job to keep all parties safe, calm, and ready to tackle new challenges.
If you’re wanting to learn more about how to partner with a speech therapy dog, check out Paws for Progress: Integrating Animal-Assisted Interventions Into Your Speech-Language Pathology Practice from ASHA Press!
And check out the new online course, Talk to the Paw: Foundations for Therapy Animal Inclusion in a Professional Setting. Over 7 hours of content with more than 70 vide clips from actual animal-assisted therapy sessions to illustrate the the what, why, and how of therapy animal partnership!
May your days be filled with puppy wiggles and children’s giggles,
Sharlet
