Therapy dog?

[Anonymous]

What service will this dog provide?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:my husband was on a plane recently and someone was flying with a therapy Pug. I love pugs and think they have awesome little personalities but I can't imagine what therapy they provide. He had the little vest on and everything. My husband said he shit in the cabin twice though so I don't know how much proper "therapy" training he has had. So yes, people do get small dogs but really OP, don't abuse the system that makes it possible for people with really serious needs to bring their therapy dogs with them. we make a donation to an organization taht trains therapy dogs for returning vets with major PTSD, as in they can't leave their house without a panic attack. the dogs are even trained to sense anxiety building in their owners and will either press against them or even lay on them to calm them down. its truly amazing what therapy dogs can do. But if you are stressed because of your job (and yoru job isn't in a war zone) then you don't need a dog. You need to fix your life.

+1

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Anyone have a therapy dog for stress? I want a little dog (think: purse dog) that I can bring to work. Anyone get an accommodation at work? What kind of doc provided the necessary paperwork for HR?

Have you tried a stress buster app or a biofeedback device like the stress eraser? these can be effective in helping you manage the symptoms of stress and improve your ability to avoid getting too stressed...

[Anonymous]

I suspect this is trolling. Rings too many bells.

[Anonymous]

Not trolling. Not stressed or depressed either. Perhaps I should have titled the thread, "Has anyone succeeded in getting approval to bring a dog to work?" I've been in a few offices recently (including one on the Hill) where they had a dog (and in one office the receptionist said the dog is there to help everyone's stress level...she said the dog makes everyone happy). That's all. Well, that coupled with the fact that I know folks who succeeded in getting some pretty random (and awesome) accommodations in and around dcumland, so I figured it was worth a shot posting here.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Not trolling. Not stressed or depressed either. Perhaps I should have titled the thread, "Has anyone succeeded in getting approval to bring a dog to work?" I've been in a few offices recently (including one on the Hill) where they had a dog (and in one office the receptionist said the dog is there to help everyone's stress level...she said the dog makes everyone happy). That's all. Well, that coupled with the fact that I know folks who succeeded in getting some pretty random (and awesome) accommodations in and around dcumland, so I figured it was worth a shot posting here.

So you just want to bring your dog to work? Maybe get a job at Petsmart or something?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Not trolling. Not stressed or depressed either. Perhaps I should have titled the thread, "Has anyone succeeded in getting approval to bring a dog to work?" I've been in a few offices recently (including one on the Hill) where they had a dog (and in one office the receptionist said the dog is there to help everyone's stress level...she said the dog makes everyone happy). That's all. Well, that coupled with the fact that I know folks who succeeded in getting some pretty random (and awesome) accommodations in and around dcumland, so I figured it was worth a shot posting here.

Talk to HR or your boss and just say what you've seen, review/print out a couple of articles showing how dogs decrease stress in the work place and improve morale and productivity, and then see what happens. You know your office environment better than us and will know if something like this would fly. Are they pretty flexible with accommodating people with other things? Do you have a lot of clients coming to the office? Etc.

But yeah, back off the idea of a "therapy dog" with this situation because as you can see, most people won't take you seriously and will probably think you're an asshole.

[Anonymous]

...unless I have a note from my doctor saying that I need a dog for medical reasons (which apparently has been done by some folks). It's not that different from a person who got a nearly thousand dollar ergonomic chair because her back hurt during her third trimester (and of course she got to keep the chair after she returned from leave). Or the person who got an office with a window (when she was in a cubicle) because she needed natural light. Accommodations can be made for almost anything depending on the situation, supervisor and documentation. I know someone who had her doc write a note saying she had to wear flip flops for a medical reason (and truth is she just wanted to wear flip flops to work when it's warm).

[Anonymous]

OP, you're going to make a lot of enemies in your office if you pursue this. That's only going to add more stress. Do you really want to piss off your co-workers and colleagues?

Find other ways to get through your day.

[Anonymous]

OP,

Pets, especially dogs can have a positive effect on mood, lower blood pressure. Having a dog at the office to help with morale isn't necessarily the same thing as having a therapy dog. Therapy dogs are expensive and are rigorously trained like a seeing eye dog. My understanding is therapy dogs belong to a person rather than an organization. My guess is the dog you saw at the office actually belongs to someone who's a big boss made the decision to bring in their dog b/c they don't want to pay a dog walker.

There are definitely uses for them that are stress-related like the PP mentions for PTSD or severe anxiety. And I think most people could do with a "puppy break" during the day. But I'd focus on more practical and probably easier ways to improve morale around your office. Organize a happy hour, do a pot luck lunch, etc.

[Anonymous]

I am a govt contractor - I see a fed worker with a golden retiever once and a while in my building. Someone said it's a seizure sensing dog. I've never asked because it's none of my business. When she's in our computer lab for user testing she never talks to the dog. It stays at her heel, sits when she stops waking, and curls up under her chair when she's working. It doesn't bother anyone, but this woman doesn't make a big deal about it either.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:...unless I have a note from my doctor saying that I need a dog for medical reasons (which apparently has been done by some folks). It's not that different from a person who got a nearly thousand dollar ergonomic chair because her back hurt during her third trimester (and of course she got to keep the chair after she returned from leave). Or the person who got an office with a window (when she was in a cubicle) because she needed natural light. Accommodations can be made for almost anything depending on the situation, supervisor and documentation. I know someone who had her doc write a note saying she had to wear flip flops for a medical reason (and truth is she just wanted to wear flip flops to work when it's warm).

Yes, but all of these could be considered reasonable accommodations under the ADA. The ADA is pretty clear on service animals: they have to provide a service. Which is why I asked you earlier what service you anticipate your dog providing. "Puppy break" is not a service.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I am a govt contractor - I see a fed worker with a golden retiever once and a while in my building. Someone said it's a seizure sensing dog. I've never asked because it's none of my business. When she's in our computer lab for user testing she never talks to the dog. It stays at her heel, sits when she stops waking, and curls up under her chair when she's working. It doesn't bother anyone, but this woman doesn't make a big deal about it either.

There is a woman with a dog like this in our building, too (although I thought it was a poodle). We all received an official notice about the dog and its function. It's incredibly well-behaved, like a seeing-eye dog.

And I agree with the people who advise the OP not to abuse the therapy dog idea. There are people for whom this a legitimate need, and abusing it is a jerk move.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I am a govt contractor - I see a fed worker with a golden retiever once and a while in my building. Someone said it's a seizure sensing dog. I've never asked because it's none of my business. When she's in our computer lab for user testing she never talks to the dog. It stays at her heel, sits when she stops waking, and curls up under her chair when she's working. It doesn't bother anyone, but this woman doesn't make a big deal about it either.

There is a woman with a dog like this in our building, too (although I thought it was a poodle). We all received an official notice about the dog and its function. It's incredibly well-behaved, like a seeing-eye dog.

And I agree with the people who advise the OP not to abuse the therapy dog idea. There are people for whom this a legitimate need, and abusing it is a jerk move.

I have a service animal because I am entirely deaf on my left and have 30% of my hearing on my right. He knows which side to walk on and responds to the sounds I don't hear or can't place. While she's a great animal, when I go to work, she goes to work. We don't play once her vest is on. There's a big difference in using an animal like that and you bringing a toy breed to work to keep you company. Also, as a dog lover I would still hate your animal. Small, yappy, and peeing everywhere is not going to work in an office.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The wait for an accredited, certified service dog is up to five years. Frankly, I can't imagine an accredited foundation prioritizing your need. BTW, they cost up to $10,000.

There is no such thing as an "accredited, certified" service dog. There is no accrediting agency. ADA says any dog trained to perform a task to mitigate a disability is a service animal. You can train it yourself, purchase it trained, or do a combination of both.

OP, what you describe (a dog for you to pet to mitigate your stress levels) is not a service animal. If you have severe stress causing panic attacks, the dog can be trained to lead you out of stressful situations, to corner you and keep people from touching you, to provide tactile stimulation to redirect your thoughts, etc--but simply a calming presence does not make your dog a service animal.