Alliance of Therapy Dogs (ATD) has a set of Rules and Regulations that Members are expected to follow on all ATD visits. Every year, our insurance backs our Rules and Regulations and as long as Members follow those, they will be covered on a visit if an accident occurs. One of these rules is our 2-foot Rule which reads: Dogs must always be kept at least 2 feet from other dogs and animals while representing ATD on a visit or event to discourage play, to ensure that dogs have enough personal space for focusing on the person being visited, and to prevent any interaction between dogs that could possibly lead to an injury to a third party, the Handlers or their dogs. This also applies to dogs that live in the same household. If a dog prefers more than 2 feet, the Handler should be sure to provide for the dog’s needs. Insurance is not in effect if your dog is less than 2 feet from another animal, including when posing for photos. Let’s look at why we have this rule and when you need to follow it.
Why do I need to follow the 2-foot Rule?
Safety is our number one priority on ATD visits. We want to keep those you are visiting, your dog and you, safe. It is very easy for someone to get tangled in leashes if you allow your dogs to mingle together on a visit. If you are visiting someone who is not stable on their feet, you can accidentally cause a fall by letting the dogs mingle together. Some of our Handlers have mobility issues and letting your dog cross in front of them as they move can cause an accident with a fellow ATD Member.
ATD wants our therapy dogs to know that when they are on a visit, it is time to focus on the people they are visiting, not other dogs. If we allow playtime to happen on facility property, this can begin to blur the picture for our dogs. Keeping things very clear for our dog helps our dogs have a successful therapy dog visit. If your dog learns that they cannot go say hi to other animals while on a visit, this will cut down on whining, barking, and pulling. If your dog gets into the habit of getting to go say hi to other animals, this can increase those undesirable behaviors. Make visits easier for your dog by sticking to the 2-foot Rule for every visit, every time.
Animals are unpredictable by nature. Ultimately, you don’t know how another dog or animal will react to your dog. For your dog’s safety, it is important to keep at least 2 feet from other animals to prevent potential injury. Even if a dog or animal is normally docile and well-behaved, they may be having a bad day and not feeling the best. The same can be said for your dog. While your dog may normally be friendly with other animals, 1 bad day can result in you having to file an ATD Incident Report Form because your dog injured another animal.
When does the 2-foot Rule apply?
Like all ATD Rules and Regulations, the 2-foot Rule must be followed the entire time you are on facility property. This includes in the parking lot, outside of the building or visiting space, and inside facility buildings. Even if your dog is not actively visiting with people, you are still on an ATD visit on that facility’s property. Just because you are off the clock in the back field of a school does not mean you are no longer on an ATD visit. If the field is part of the school’s property, then you must abide by ATD Rules and Regulations.
The 2-foot Rule also applies to dogs and animals that know each other or live in the same household. Just because 2 dogs live together does not mean they can be together on an ATD visit. When 2 dogs from the same household visit together, they still pose the same risks when it comes to people tripping over dogs or leashes. They can also struggle with staying focused on the people they are visiting or have bad days and take it out on their housemate.
The 2-foot Rule still applies for photos as well. Dogs must be on a leash when posing for photos or videos while on a visit. The Handler may only drop the leash for a photo or video if the dog is not posing with a person or any other animal(s). For group photos, all leashes must be held, and the 2-foot Rule must be observed.
Every year, our Board of Directors go over suggestions from our Members and make changes to our Rules and Regulations they deem necessary to keep our Members and those they visit safe.
ATD is comprised of over 19,000 Members and their dogs that visit in a wide variety of facilities. It is important to remember that our Rules and Regulations need to keep all our teams safe and not every team is the same.
While it may seem unnecessary for your dog to follow some rules, those rules are necessary to keep all our teams safe in a variety of settings. To be covered under ATD insurance, you must comply with ATD Rules and Regulations on every visit. If you have any questions about a situation that has occurred or about a rule in the ATD Member Handbook, the ATD Office is always willing to speak with our Members. You can call the ATD Office at 307-432-0272 or email at office@therapydogs.com.
