When dogs become therapists

Putting them to work

In early 2023, PFH initiated a national series of therapy dog public welfare activities that included four main tracks: a therapy dog evaluation conference, a therapy dog knowledge seminar, social welfare services and volunteer training.

"Unlike other working dogs, most therapy dogs come from ordinary pet-owning households and only work when called upon to provide physical, psychological or emotional support for people in need," Wu Qi said. "To become a certified therapy dog, the animal must undergo rigorous training, guidance and evaluation, after which a PFH professional qualification certificate is issued."

He said the general assessment of dogs includes four categories, even though internationally there are typically just three: obedience, socialization and desensitization.

Obedience tests the dog's ability to follow basic commands — for example, sit, lie down, wait and refuse food.

Socialization assesses the dog's adaptability to different people and environments. Trainers look for behaviors such as aggression or fear.

Desensitization evaluates how the dog reacts to physical touch, audible screams, exaggerated movements or dropped items to ensure that it will not exhibit erratic behavior when startled, such as going on the attack or experiencing extreme fear.

"We have added interactivity to our assessments in China to help the dogs integrate better into fields such as eldercare and physical rehabilitation. In those cases, therapy dogs can engage in interactions with individuals very effectively," Wu said. Such interactivity poses a higher level of difficulty for the dogs, he said.

"In August in 2023, our standards were officially released at the 25th Pet Fair Asia, which was held in Shanghai. Some of our assessment criteria surpassed those in Europe and America," Wu said. "After becoming an intern, a dog must participate in five public welfare service activities to qualify for full certification."

Therapy dogs are not selected based on breed but on temperament, Wu said. They need to be gentle and enjoy interacting with people.

Xiao Ai, the owner of a 4-year-old female border collie, had been looking forward eagerly to participating in more practical activities after her dog, Oneseven, passed the PFH test on Dec 7.

During the two-hour assessment at the Shenzhen World Convention and Exhibition Center in Guangdong province, only two dogs, Oneseven and another dog, ultimately received certifications and became interns.

As volunteers and pet owners, people also need to undergo rigorous training, Xiao said. "Our main role is to work in conjunction with professional therapists to help our dogs quickly establish connections with the individuals who need assistance."

So far, around 300 therapy dogs have been certified by PFH in China, and some 6,000 volunteers are participating across the country.