FIELDS AFIELD
Naturally, the first subject of our conversation was what breed of dog each of us was training. When the question was posed to me, I answered "a Field Spaniel puppy." As we had been introduced only by first names, unbeknownst to me, a very famous dog trainer and author of several popular books on training was one of my fellow passengers. After I gave my answer, the famous trainer responded with a statement something like, "Oh, the Field Spaniel is a rare breed. Rare breeds have very tiny gene pools, which makes for shyness. Your puppy will never have a stable enough temperament to be a good therapy dog."
A few minutes later, I learned that this speaker was none other than one of my idols, Carol Lea Benjamin! I felt crushed, defeated, worried, yet determined to prove her wrong-and I have-not only with that puppy, but subsequently with several other Field Spaniels.
Now hear this, famous dog trainer, (and everybody else, too), with confidence derived from hands-on experience, I hereby assert that Field Spaniels are wonderful therapy dogs! Their natural reserve with strangers is their greatest asset for the work. Dogs who jump up and act effusively friendly or overly submissive with strangers are far more difficult to train and may even be dangerous in therapy situations.
The other aspect of the breed that is extremely helpful for this work is the non-dog aggressive behavior exhibited by Fields with correct temperaments. The Field Spaniel mixes wonderfully with other canines, and is therefore an excellent breed for group visitations, which is the way many pet therapy programs are conducted.
I also believe that Field Spaniels are highly sensitive and attuned to human emotions. For example, one of my dogs, placed on a down-stay while acting as the only dog in a group psychotherapy session, will, at exactly the right moment, break his down-stay to go to the person in the room most in need of his presence. You cannot train a dog to exhibit this behavior. This intuitive sensitivity is just there or it isn't, and without it, you can never have a true therapy dog. Any well-trained, friendly dog with a good temperament is a welcome visitor at an institution. This is a social dog. A true therapy dog can reach people on a much deeper emotional level.
I have found the only serious drawback to doing traditional pet therapy work with Fields is their size. They aren't big enough to be reached easily for petting by a wheelchair-bound client, and they are too large and heavy to make good lap dogs for anyone except their owners.
The size problem has solutions. My nursing home work experience has taught me that the best way to make a Field Spaniel wheelchair-accessible for petting is to have an extra straight-backed chair available, and the dog can then sit right next to a wheelchair-bound person. If there is no extra chair, the alternative is to sit the dog by the side or front of the client and then place the dog's front feet up on the wheelchair or its arm. This doesn't work quite as well as the extra chair and can be very hard on the handler's lower back, (depending, of course, on the age of the handler). It can also be a strain on an older dog or the dog who is not orthopedically sound.
Not all pet therapies involve working with the wheelchair-bound. As most of us Field Spaniel owners know, Fields are great in bed! They are dedicated cuddlers. One of my dogs was so gentle, he would delicately position himself and curl up next to a client in a hospital bed who might have been hooked up to all kinds of machinery and tubing, without disturbing any of the apparatus. Placed on a stay command, he would remain immobile next to the person for an unlimited amount of time. This dog loved his work and expected to be invited into bed with everyone he met!
What I have discussed so far are the typical situations we associate with pet therapy work. There are, however, many other kinds of opportunities.
There are no magic solutions to any of these problems. Hard work and frequent proofing of your dog are your only routes to success.
My first two Fields grew up in midtown Manhattan, an ideal proofing environment for creating well-trained dogs. Most of their training practice took place early mornings in a public park. In addition to putting them through a standard obedience routine, I would bring any noisy objects that fit in my coat pockets out on our walk with us. Early morning commuters waiting at a nearby bus stop would be both amused and horrified to watch as I put the dogs on sit and down-stays while clanging a saucepan against its lid, lunged, hollered, waved my arms or threw a noisy key ring near them. We would also do heeling patterns around small stacks of dog biscuits, proofing the "leave it" command, and working to overcome the strong dictates of nose and stomach. Occasionally we had volunteer assistance in the form of strange unleashed, uncontrolled canines, who ran over to check out the Fields or steal our training stash. The winos and miscellaneous weirdos routinely found in the park also served in an unofficial volunteer proofing capacity. All of these real life distractions were very helpful for fine-tuning our training! As their training progressed, it was not unusual for me to eat a meal sitting up in bed sandwiched between these two Fields, both on rock-solid down-stays. This is what I mean by proofing!
If you are lucky enough to find a serious training program in your area, you may develop a good sense of suitable therapy situations early on, since good training programs use volunteers of all ages who role play during training class, and you may be able to learn how you and your dog respond to different stimuli. However, if you live out in the "boonies" as I do now, you'll have to train your dog in basic obedience, search out opportunities and fly by the seat of your pants! Some kennel clubs or other dog-related organizations in your area may have active pet therapy visitation programs. These are options worth exploring once your dog is well-trained. One of my dogs was permitted to do his initial training with the Guiding Eyes for the Blind puppy class. I was surprised and delighted that this organization allowed us to join their training program after I explained our goal and the absence of any suitable training programs in the area. This work was done in a local shopping mall, and it always amused the onlookers to see the "alien" Field Spaniel in his red harness at the end of a long line of Labrador Retrievers dressed in their blue and yellow Guiding Eyes coats.
It is also vital that you find a supportive environment where the work you and your dog will do is valued and taken seriously. I'm not talking about gratitude, since most institutions are pleased to have volunteers. At its best, pet therapy is intense, disciplined, demanding work that can produce amazing results not otherwise attainable. There are people of all ages out there who are reachable only through an animal, or who are comforted only by contact with an animal. After communicating with several facilities, "auditioning" some of them and working long term with one, I now refuse to deal with institutions who merely tolerate our presence, but fail to provide a supportive environment. By this I mean actively working with us to help me understand the clients' needs, providing me with feedback, including criticism, protecting us from violence, and if needed, offering the services of a staff member to assist us with our job.
My first regular therapy assignment was visiting a daycare program for emotionally disturbed preschoolers. The dog and I participated in regular classroom activities, besides providing the attention of individual visits with each child. As a side benefit, we helped to work some terrified toddlers through their fear of dogs. The dog also sat on a table and was groomed by the children as part of teaching them about personal hygiene.
Many therapy dogs work with autistic, retarded and other special needs children and adults. Some dogs visit prisoners. One of the dogs I bred works in family court, providing an avenue of communication for children who will not directly answer questions posed by adults. A Field with a well-developed retrieving instinct can be a great physical therapist and playmate on land or water for a client needing this type of activity.
If you are interested in working your Field out there in the real world, I would advise you to sample a variety of different situations until you learn what best suits both you and your dog. The three Fields I have worked with most intensively are each at their best in very different settings with very different populations.
Overall, I have found the toughest problem to be the nose. This is not a surprise, since it is a breed characteristic which is highly prized in our sporting dogs. The other difficult problem I have confronted with some Fields I've trained is sound sensitivity. Some Fields will also display a reluctance to walk on unfamiliar surfaces, especially a slippery floor. Another issue which applies equally to almost every breed is the food distraction.
The use of "working clothes," the red nylon harness, which is the official identification of a Certified Therapy Dog, is helpful as a training tool. Used properly, which is for wearing only during training sessions or actual visits, your dog will learn that certain behavior is expected of him when he is attired in his harness, just as our show dogs come to know the meaning of their show leads. Like a Guide Dog, he must learn not to eliminate, sniff or eat, except on command, when he is "dressed" for work.
Determination plus distraction training--exposing your dog to many different places, strangers, noises, smells, walking surfaces, food temptations and human activities--while working basic obedience-is how you and your Field will overcome obstacles. When you do, the added benefit is that you will have a much better behaved, truly unflappable companion for all your endeavors, including breakfast in bed!
