Teaming With Your Therapy Dog

This book reminds all handlers who work on teaming with their dogs that they must focus on their behavior, not just the animal’s. It provides general principles of teamwork that they can apply in their own way to work with their therapy dog. As the author writes, “The book explores a way of being conscious of what you do with and to your therapy dog to support him in his work. It describes functional principles of behavior you can learn and use immediately, independently or together as a package.” Using an exciting new methodology, the author outlines several steps for teaming with your dog: Speak conversationally, stay in touch with your dog, keep your eyes on your dog, maintain close proximity to your dog, and (most importantly) be fully present.

Ann R. Howie began integrating animals into her counseling practice in 1987 and has worked with animals in (human) health care ever since. She has both state and national credentials as a clinical social worker (counselor). She founded and coordinated a hospital animal-assisted activities and therapy program from 1990 to 1997, was Pet Partners’ (formerly Delta Society’s) national director of Animal-Assisted Therapy Services from 1995 to 2000, and is an Eden Associate. She is an adjunct faculty member in the Graduate School of Social Work at the University of Denver and has also been an adjunct professor in the Masters in Counseling Psychology Program at St. Martin’s University in Olympia, Washington.