Puppy Love and Selecting a New Speech Therapy Dog: Zephyr’s Story
Ok, the ears got me.
I’d been “casually” perusing PetFinder, telling myself I was “just looking”, when I first saw Zephyr. I’d set filters based on age and the breeds I was most interested in (more on that in a bit) and he was listed as a Labrador/Pitbull mix, though the Labrador part seems dubious. His pictures were just too cute. And unlike most of the other puppies I’d looked at, his description seemed to fit my wish list as well. The wish list I’d made a few months back after losing sweet Johnny Utah while telling myself it would still be another year or two down the road before I used it.
What can I say, I’m a planner.
There was one big problem though—he was half a country away. I showed the listing to my husband, who was semi-receptive to the idea while also reminding me we were in no hurry. Besides, we had agreed that we needed to be able to meet any future family members in person.
So it was decided. Zephyr was not our future dog. Except…
A couple weeks later he was still available and shipped up to the Pacific Northwest for foster care. Now just a two-hour drive away it was suddenly very possible to meet him. And even more importantly, his description had been updated to include this:
“I also love meeting new people—I went on a little town adventure and charmed everyone I met. If something startles me, I’m quick to refocus and check in with my human.”
Sounds a lot like someone describing an affiliative nature and resiliency. Two key traits of a potential speech therapy dog.
Long story short, Zephyr is now our new baby.
While it will be a year or more until I know for sure if he will be just a companion dog for my family or also a new animal-assisted speech therapy partner, let’s take a look at what factors I considered when adding my latest family member…
Potential future speech therapy dog Zephyr and those ears that first grabbed my attention.
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My History with Speech Therapy Dog Selection
I’ve experienced both good and challenging outcomes when picking a therapy dog hopeful in the past.
My first speech therapy dog, Delta, was adopted with very little insight into what I would need. However, by dumb luck and lots of stubborn persistence we’ve now successfully worked together for six years.
While she and I bonded instantly, I quickly found she had a lot of anxiety and phobias in public settings. Working with our trainer we came to suspect a lot of harsh training methods and/or abuse in her past, as if she felt at all unsure of my expectation or perceived an oncoming correction she would shut down. Early on she literally went catatonic from fear a few times while out training in public.
Even with positive reinforcement I had to keep it low-key; “parties” of loud excitement to reward a big effort startled her. For many months quiet praise and simple treats were all she could handle while learning, but she was brilliant and could learn just about any specific skill with just a few well-time reinforcements.
Gradually she emerged from her shell and after about a year was confident enough to try coming to the office. While hesitant even today around adult men, she loves women and children and thrives at work. (She also now loves “parties” as a reward, joining in with leaps and tail wags.)
Johnny Utah and Sky, my two Brittany Spaniel partners both obtained from breeders, had very little socialization as puppies as they were never intended to do therapy dog work. Their inherent temperaments though, coming from a very people-oriented “soft” breed (i.e., willing nature and easy to train), made the transition to work relatively quick and easy. The challenges of a higher-energy level aside, they both have brought a lot of joy to my work. (See also What My Ever-Wiggling Brittany Taught Me About Animal-Assisted Speech Therapy for Johnny Utah’s story.)
Bodhi was my first attempt to make an educated guess about therapy dog selection. I got some things very right. He was able to learn many specific skills and remain highly focused very easily. He loved kids, the more rambunctious the better. And he is quite possibly the most eye-catching dog on the planet.
But I also got some things very wrong.
As he matured, Bodhi’s genetics worked against us. As a Catahoula, his breed is known for being great family dogs but not outgoing with strangers. I knew this in advance, but in my hubris I believed massive amounts of socialization would overcome this tendency. We worked diligently and for a couple years he seemed to be doing great, but with maturation he gradually started to avoid new people and then started to act fearful and reactive. Though he never had a traumatic experience to explain this change and we went back to obedience classes and socialization outings, even consulting a behaviorist, it was to no avail.
My dreams of Bodhi continuing as a speech therapy dog were dashed, but through the experience I realized just how much I still had to learn.
Argh, some lessons can be brutal! (He’s still the smartest and most handsome boy on the planet though. See more of his story in Bodhi’s Transformation from Speech Therapy Dog to Life-Changing Service Dog )
Working with Delta and Bodhi (along with my two spaniels) has taught me how special a partner for animal-assisted speech therapy truly has to be!
What I Wanted for My Next Speech Therapy Dog Candidate
So this time around (number five in case you weren’t counting), how was I going to select the perfect speech therapy dog candidate?
First of all, I’ve accepted that “perfect” is unrealistic. No single dog can fulfill to the highest degree every trait we would find helpful in a co-therapist. Instead, I would focus on what characteristics are most likely to make a dog thrive in an animal-assisted speech therapy setting.
Between attending trainings put on by Association of Animal-Assisted Intervention Professionals, listening to the Therapy Dogs Australia podcast, and consulting with “Dr. Dog Lady” and AAAIP Executive Director Dr. Taylor Chastain Griffin for ideas, I was able to write up a job description to provide breeders and/or rescues. After some basic biographical information about my family and background with dog ownership, here is what I said:
“I am ready to start searching for my next therapy dog. However, I am committed to providing a forever home to any dog in my care even if ultimately therapy work is not the ideal fit.
“Being a therapy dog in a professional office is a bit different than volunteer situations, as the dog is at work 7-9 hours a day, off-leash, and interacting with children with disabilities who may have difficulties with impulse control and following directions. I have many safeguards in place to keep my dogs safe, but this type of therapy work definitely requires a very special temperament.
“The dog I am looking for to be my next partner:
Is a puppy or young adult
Has easily manageable grooming needs
Loves to be part of a crowd of humans and if taken out in public would be pulling on the leash to interact with everyone he meets, yet…
Is confident enough to stay outside a baby gate or on a bed alone for short periods if necessary (i.e., outgoing but not clingy)
Shows a lot of personality
Will try to get away from an uncomfortable situation rather than standing his ground (i.e., highly unlikely to bite)
Is resilient and if startled bounces back quickly
Is in good general health (no epilepsy, heart conditions, etc. that could be worsened by stress); however, I’m happy to consider a dog with a physical disability or difference that can be medically managed and wouldn’t be negatively impacted by working
Does not need to be well-trained, as I’m ready to put in the work and have an experienced trainer I’ve worked with extensively with my past therapy dogs (typically I train and bond with a dog for 6 months to a year before slowly introducing them to the work environment)
Can be any energy level except perhaps super-high. Moderate to high energy is just fine, though a calm dog would be welcome as well as long as he is outgoing.
“I am especially interested in dogs that have Labrador, Great Dane, English Setter, or German Shorthair Pointer in their background though I am willing to consider other breeds and mixes as well.”
(Note: these breeds and the non-italicized bullet point were based on my personal preferences. Your desired breeds and qualities list may look very different based on your home and family life, client population, and aesthetic preferences. That’s okay. For an idea of the wide variety of breeds working as therapy dogs, check out the Therapy Dog Talk podcast.
Also, one of my dogs can be reactive around adult dogs, so I wanted to focus on finding a puppy in hopes he would integrate more smoothly into our canine family. Otherwise, an adult dog whose temperament is clearer and more stable would have also been ideal.)
While I thought my ideal puppy would be a harlequin Great Dane mix puppy with one blue eye, the universe had different plans for me! Zephyr’s temperament drew me to exploring the possibility of adopting him as a potential speech therapy dog.
The italicized bullet points were specifically focused on characteristics likely to result in a well-adjusted therapy dog who can thrive working in a professional setting.
I also included a link to my YouTube channel so anyone unfamiliar with the work a professional therapy dog performs could get an idea of the actual demands of an animal-assisted speech therapy setting. I’ve heard rumors that not all rescues will adopt to people planning on therapy dog work due to a misconception that it is inhumane. (See also: Balancing Valid Welfare Concerns with Potential Positives for a Career Speech Therapy Dog)
Another tip I learned from talking with Dr. Chastain Griffin is that if a purebred dog interests you, it’s not unheard of for breeders to have puppies returned to them. Being a little older, these pups’ temperaments may be more clearly developed and thus could make a great addition to your family.
Since some of the breeds I was interested in are hunting dogs, I could definitely see this as a possible route to take as a puppy could be returned for lacking hunting instincts but still be a very sociable dog. If you know a reputable breeder you click with and are willing to wait for your ideal candidate, this could be a great option to explore.
She also suggested offering to foster dogs for a rescue organization as a way of getting to see if you will click with a particular dog. If not, you’re doing a great service in helping that dog find his forever home. But if you do, a “foster fail” in this sense is actually a pretty wonderful thing.
Experienced speech therapy dog Delta getting to know her new little brother.
Why I Chose Zephyr
In addition to the written descriptions of Zephyr’s affiliative nature and resilience, his rescue organization coordinator was willing to openly discuss by phone his therapy dog candidacy based on both the job description I provided and her own personal experience.
Having looked at way too many puppy postings, I had noticed some rescues basically describe every dog they have in the same rosy language, clearly prioritizing a quick sell over thoroughly considering the match. In Zephyr’s case, his sister was described as shy and needing a quieter home, as opposed to his more confident and outgoing nature with other dogs as well as both adults and kids.
The coordinator was also very open that he had experienced a minor health issue that had been resolved. It could have easily been omitted but the fact that it was disclosed made me feel more comfortable that I was getting this pup’s true backstory.
I also felt better learning that this litter of puppies had been born in the care of the rescue, so they had a lot of information about mama dog’s temperament (also very outgoing and thriving in a foster setting with a four-year-old child) and the pups had been handled by knowledgeable staff from day one.
Zephyr’s foster mom went above and beyond posting nearly daily photos and videos, so before meeting him in person I already had a pretty good sense of personality and responses to his environment.
(My favorite were simple clips of him learning to sit to take a treat politely and walking on a leash. Seeing how he held foster mom’s gaze and offered behaviors as he tried to figure out the expectation of these tasks felt a lot like how my current therapy dog partners look to me for guidance.)
Zephyr already shows an incredibly calm and confident temperament, here relaxing at the vet’s office with me while awaiting a shot. These traits were some of what I was looking for in a candidate to potentially help me provide animal-assisted speech therapy.
Challenges with a Rescued Speech Therapy Dog Candidate
The biggest challenge with going through a rescue organization is that Zephyr’s genetics are largely unknown. While we have a good idea of his mom’s health status and breed (she looks like she’s at least mostly pitbull), his dad’s genetics, temperament, and health are completely unknown. The puppies in his litter have very different looks in some aspects, though it’s possible they have different sires as female dogs can mate with multiple males.
A photo scanning app gave very different results depending on what photos I uploaded, and even greater differences between puppies. And some of the results were for very rare breeds that seemed unlikely to be wandering the streets impregnating strays (how often do you see a Slovakian Wirehaired Pointer in the U.S.?)
Another down side was that Zephyr was already neutered at just three months of age. While I would have preferred to follow my own vet’s recommendations to wait until 9-15 months (or later for a few specific breeds), this decision was not in my hands.
(As a plus, this decision was not in my hands—I don’t have to worry about paralysis by analysis in choosing when to neuter and if someone expresses a strong opinion about this matter I can just shrug and say, “It was done before I even met him.”)
While Zephyr is exceptionally people-oriented and has been handled extensively by his wonderful foster family, his genetics (which are largely unknown) will also play an impact in his eventual development.
Embracing a Mindset of “What Will Be Will Be”
For now, I’m head over heels in love and just enjoying getting to know my new little baby. We’re doing puppy socialization outings and attending basic obedience classes, exploring a variety of settings, and awaiting DNA test results to help me know what potential breed-specific traits to watch for as he continues to develop. I’m also binge-watching Puppy Culture: The Powerful First 12 Weeks That Can Shape Your Puppy's Future and learning so much about developing a puppy’s mind and my bond with him.
While I’d love to work with him in a professional role at some point it the future, I’m trying to be content in first and foremost being Zephyr’s mom.
Of course, I will keep you updated through future blog posts and on Instagram @Speech_Dogs.
If you’d like to explore more of the world of animal-assisted speech therapy, check out the book Paws for Progress: Integrating Animal-Assisted Interventions Into Your Speech-Language Pathology Practice (ASHA Press, 2024) and the online course Talk to the Paw: Foundations for Therapy Animal Inclusion in a Professional Setting.
May your day be filled with puppy wiggles and children’s giggles,
Sharlet
Watch here or follow on Instagram @Speech_Dogs for updates when Zephyr’s DNA results come back!
