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By Sherry Davis
Saturday, May 12 2012 12:00 PM
Congratulations! You and your dog passed the testing requirements to become a therapy dog team, and then you carefully filled out your paperwork and mailed it along with your membership dues.
You wait patiently until the big day arrives and finally, an envelope comes confirming that your dog is officially a therapy dog and you can start doing visits.
But where do you go to share your dog's gift of bringing comfort and companionship with others?
Many new members have places they want to visit earmarked even before they have their dogs tested, or have preferences about the kind of facilities they want to visit. But often, new members are unsure how to get started.
Most evaluators will be a good source for recommending facilities that are looking for teams or those that already have a pet therapy program in place, so it's simply a matter of contacting the volunteer coordinator, providing your dog's credentials and filling out their required health, safety and protocol forms.
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You've decided your dog would make a good therapy dog, but you don't have the slightest clue how to get started? You're not alone.
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I received an email this week that addresses a very common problem for dog owners.
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Don't get me wrong: I love my veterinarians, their staff and the way they treat my dogs.
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During a lifetime spent training dogs and their people to live more harmoniously, I have found one of the biggest barriers to successful communication can be the failure of an owner to correctly interpret the motivation behind their dog's behavior.
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Several people have asked me what I thought about a recent Richard Beene column that referred to a website naming the smartest breeds of dogs.
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It seems that for as long as I can remember, dog owners have been fascinated with calculating their dog's age in years compared to its human equivalent.
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Spring is only a few weeks away, which for many signals the return to weekends spent doing yard work and making trips to garden supply stores to purchase plants.
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As pet lovers we are incapable of apathy when we hear the stories of people in our community committing vile acts involving animals.
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Late last year I had the pleasure of working with Suzanne and her cocker spaniel named Joe. She recently asked a question I believe will be of general interest to others, so I will answer it here.
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Oh no! My next-door neighbors are moving. I went out the front door this morning and was shocked by the sight of a "For Rent" sign stuck in the middle of their front lawn.
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People frequently ask me why the name of my company is CSI 4 K9s.
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We live in a incredible time.
Bakersfield athlete killed in bicycle race
Armed man shot and killed by police in northwest Bakersfield apartment
