Teaming with Your Therapy Dog

Book excerpt: 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.