Therapy Dog Names

Studies show that pets can be extremely beneficial for emotional stability and healing. There are some people who love animals but are unable to properly care for them due to mental, physical, financial, or psychological barriers. There are places where it's simply not feasible for family pets to wander the halls, such as crowded schools, hospitals, and the majority of workplaces, and this is where the job of a therapy dog fits into the picture. Unlike service dogs, therapy dogs are not trained to perform specific tasks for a disabled person, but they do require enough training to be calm and well-behaved in crowded, confusing, and emotional situations. They also do not focus their time and attention on just one person when they are working. Instead, they are brought to facilities like hospitals, schools, nursing homes, and other places where people tend to be in need of some comfort.

Even the FBI, an arm of the law known more for their efficiency and determination than their warmth,  has recognized the positive effects that our canine companions can have on our outlook and have employed their first therapy dog, Dolce, to help provide a calming influence for victims of crime and their families. Rachel Pierce, a child psychologist with the FBI, developed crippling rheumatoid arthritis which sometimes made regular daily chores excruciating. Instead of giving in to the pain, Rachel acquired Dolce in 2004 from a local shelter with the intent to train him as a service dog; he learned to help with laundry, turn lights on and off, and pick things up off of the ground. While Dolce made an excellent service dog for Rachel, she could see from his interactions with the people around her that he had much more love to give, and she began training him to be a therapy dog as well. It took several years of training for Dolce to learn all he needed to know, under the supervision of an organization known as Pet Partners. He passed the certification test to prove that he was properly trained to demonstrate rigorous behavior standards, both civilian and military, and now he and Rachel work together to help the FBI by calming victims and witnesses, allowing for less chaotic interactions as well as helping those who have experienced trauma to relax somewhat, hopefully making it easier give a clear, more fact-based account of emotionally charged situations, including situations involving kidnapping, violent burglaries, and child pornography.