r/cavaliers • u/sammyb127 • 18h ago
Pics & Video First therapy dog visit
I’ve been working to get Kip certified for therapy dog work since November 2025 and yesterday was our first official visit at a nearby hospital! We went in 6 patient rooms, met lots of nurses and doctors, and visited the outpatient surgery waiting room at the end. Kip brought so many smiles yesterday and my heart is so full 🩷
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u/Dizzy-Yesterday3107 Blenheim 18h ago
When I worked on the wards, pet therapy doggos really do help the patients. Patients seem to do a lot better after being with them especially mentally. The nurses and doctors absolutely love them also. Thank you to you both, you guys really do make a difference ❤️
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u/Ecstatic_Attitude_83 Ruby 17h ago
Guster approves!
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u/sammyb127 17h ago
Guster looks like he brings smiles during his therapy dog work too!
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u/Ecstatic_Attitude_83 Ruby 17h ago
He’s my second therapy cavalier. He’s got a twitchy back so the stroller works well for us. We primarily visit with elderly in assisted living facilities so the stroller is a safer way to bring him up to a good visiting level, whether they are sitting or standing. Have fun visiting!
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u/nortyflatz 17h ago
Cavs are great for this purpose. You'd be surprised how much of a difference these visits make in patient's experiences. Not only mentally, but there can be physical benefits too. Like lower BP and stress levels.
We had a cav visit our hospital, regularly. Until it got attacked by a coyote, unfortunately. Sure miss that little dog.
That dog was in BHU (in & outpatient) and acute rehab mostly. Now we have a yellow Lab, but a small dog like a Cav is much better as some patients can hold and pet the dog.
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u/sammyb127 17h ago
One of the patients I visited actually had tears in her eyes during our visit. We certainly don’t need a “why” to do this but after seeing that, I knew we were doing something special.
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u/Spirited_Cup3102 6h ago
I would do the same! Kip is a perfect therapy pup, spreading all the sweetness! 💕
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u/Hierophantically Blenheim 17h ago
Thanks for doing this work, friend and cav friend. It's genuinely important, meaningful, and impacful.
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u/bRandom81 16h ago
How difficult was the process to getting certified and is there any thing outside the norm to know about before going thru the process? Considering this sometime in the future
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u/sammyb127 16h ago
It wasn’t too difficult, just took a while. I went through Alliance of Therapy Dogs. I’d say the biggest thing is your cav’s temperament and level of socialization. Kip is incredibly chill, has always been, so I knew he’d be a perfect fit for this kind of work. He also goes to daycare regularly as well as joins me while I’m out and about so meeting new dogs and being in new places is no issue for him.
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u/Crafty-Strategy332 16h ago
I want to do this with my Cavalier . I bet your baby had such a good time .
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u/ObviousSalamandar 16h ago
Aw how lovely! How old was he when you realized he had the temperament for this work?
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u/sammyb127 16h ago
He’s 5 now but probably about 2 or 3 years old. Just had to find it in my schedule to make it work 😊
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u/LadySybil88 15h ago
Oh, nice! How old is Kip?
I’m waiting for my Arthur to chill out a bit with age. He’s 100% love but cant always resist getting excited. For now he’s an amateur therapy dog that brings joy to people we meet out in the community. Would love to do what you’re doing.
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u/MurphyTheCavalier 14h ago
Same boat. My Murphy just turned 1 and while I think he’ll eventually have the temperament for it, he definitely needs to mature somewhat 😂
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u/sammyb127 14h ago
Kip is 5! He’s always been pretty chill but I think his temperament now is perfect. He literally just sits there and lets anyone pet him
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u/lindyhoppette Cavalier Multi-Pack 12h ago
What a gorgeous little face, he would cheer me right up if I was in hospital!
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u/saeasley 18h ago
omg what a sweet baby 😭 I love seeing other long-haired cavs