Product Description

As more and more people adjust to the physical and emotional challenges of today's chaotic world, therapy dogs are proving their worth in diverse settings. No one knows this better than Kris Butler. Her workshops integrate the science of human health and education with the magic of hands-on interactions with appropriate dogs to teach health care providers, educators, volunteers, assessors, and dog trainers across the United States the most effective and ethical ways to include dogs in settings that enhance human healing, learning and self-awareness.

At last she's written a book in which she explores the complex professional and ethical issues that surround the environments in which therapy dogs work and volunteer. Therapy Dogs Today: Their Gifts, Our Obligation is an important book for anyone who handles, assesses, or trains visiting therapy dogs and it is essential for professional people who oversee therapy dog programs or include their own dogs in the their workplaces. The book includes a foreword by Maureen Fredrickson.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #88534 in Books
• Published on: 2004-03-20
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 88 pages

About the Author
Kris Butler is a nationally recognized trainer, instructor, and authority on animal-enhanced programs. Since 1979, her professional vision has focused on working with dogs to improve the quality of people's lives. She's developed goal-directed programs for therapists and special education teachers from throughout the United States, and she has worked professionally with her own dogs in therapeutic and educational environments. In 1995, Ms. Butler and her golden retriever, Partner, received Delta Society's prestigious Therapy Dog of the Year award. She served as an adjunct instructor for University of Denver from 2006 - 2008, assisting in development and instruction of Animals and Human Health, an online graduate professional development program.

Customer Reviews

Therapy Must Have Book
One of the best Therapy Dog books I have read! Kris Butler shares her wealth of experiences so we all can contribute, learn, and benefit from her knowledge.

The book covers everything from the dogs, patients, health care professionals to the organizations we work with. It also covers therapy certification organizations.

Being a small therapy dog owner and reading about their special needs and outlook of the world, really acknowledged their "special gifts and our obligation" to them as therapy dogs.

I would recommend this book to anyone considering therapy dog work or an experienced therapy dog team.

Healing dogs, and heeling dogs.....
Kris Butler's new book should be required reading for everyone who has an interest in Animal-Assisted therapy, everyone who does AAT and everyone who benefits from AAT. And that's everyone!

Butler has clearly and thoughtfully identified the sites and systems for the therapy work we do with our dogs. Even more, she has anticipated and addressed each potential obstacle, concern or problem, providing therapy dog owners and program administrators with a positive and pro-active way to establish, deliver and assess therapy dog services across a range of institutional settings.

Dogs need training to do therapy work, and people and communities need training to understand the role of dogs in our lives, and how those roles (and our expectations) change across social settings, and across generations. This book discusses heeling dogs as healing dogs, and a bit about how to do both.

Kris Butler is wise to the ways of dogs and people, and she is deeply committed to contribution dogs make to the quality of our lives. As a dog trainer, community educator, and advisory board member for 'Paws Up' certified therapy dogs, I recommend this book without reservation to anyone who is already working in animal-assisted therapy, and anyone who ever thought their dog might bring some joy and comfort to kids or elders.

Therapy dog "must own" book!
This lady has managed to put together, in concise and interesting form, the practical "whys and where-fors" of being a certified therapy dog team in many different venues. This book is an absolute wealth of information, covering every aspect on the subject of therapy dogs. It should be on every animal professional's (as well as HUMAN health worker's!) shelf as a sourcebook. A publication such as this has been desperately needed for years. "Appaws" to you, Kris Butler! (-: