Occasionally the Alliance of Therapy Dogs (ATD) Office sends out a request for therapy dog teams to attend a conference to provide dog therapy for their attendees. Conference work can be an interesting, unique kind of visit, but along with that comes a set of different things to consider:
- Conferences are typically very slow one minute and very busy the next. While attendees are in planned sessions, there usually aren’t too many people wanting to interact with the therapy dogs. But during session breaks, many people want to say “hi” to the therapy dogs and it can be very busy.
- Noise level can vary depending on the size of the crowd. When it’s slow, it’s typically quiet and when it’s busy, it can get very loud. Take into consideration that many conferences utilize both music (over large speakers) and PA systems, which can be quite overwhelming for dogs.
- Conferences can be long days in comparison to the typical therapy dog visit. Do you and your dog have the mental and physical stamina for these types of visits?
- Conferences are usually in large facilities where the human restrooms can be crowded and limited, and the dog potty areas can be a significant distance from the conference. Many facilities have no green space at all, and the therapy dogs must be willing to utilize urban potty areas (i.e. mulch, gravel, concrete, curbs, etc.).
- There is typically a lot more physical “ground” to cover when at a conference. The parking may be a distance away and once you are inside the facility, you may have to go a long way to get to your designated area; or, the conference may want therapy dog teams to walk around the conference to visit with people. Conferences can mean a great deal of walking for both the humans and the dogs.
- Some conference organizers don’t understand much about therapy dogs but are setting the dogs up by request. They may need kind support and gentle education that therapy dogs are wonderful assets to their conference, but they are living, feeling beings with human handlers, both with needs that need to be met.
If you and your dog are a good fit for conferences, enjoy! Conferences come with a different kind of satisfaction for a job well done. It is important that you advocate for your dog in these busy environments. If that means you or your dog may be uncomfortable at conferences and you decide not to attend, that is okay. Each and every therapy dog team and therapy dog visit is set up for success when the team is doing what they excel at, know, and love.
