The Service of a Scottish Terrier
by Beth Firulli
Scotts Chatter January 2024
Monty the Therapy Dog is a handsome, Wheaton colored, Scottish Terrier. Yes, you read that correctly – Scottish Terrier. We all know the jokes about being owned by a Scottish Terrier and of their independent and often stubborn personalities. We also appreciate that there is something very special about the relationship between a Scottie and their human. What we do not often consider is a Scottie having that relationship with others outside of their person/family. I think that is what makes Monty extra special. I also think it takes a special owner to be willing to share that love from their Scottie with others who really need it.
I was first introduced to Monty (Afterglow’s Broomcorn’s Uncle BN RI BCAT THD CGC TKN) about a year ago when Lisa and Geiger Lee of Afterglow Kennels shared a Facebook story about Monty as he started his therapy work in the Lehigh Valley, PA area. I did a little cheer at with the announcement that a Scottish Terrier could work as a therapy dog. Given my job, I regularly observe the many Collies, Golden and Labrador Retriever therapy dogs walking through the halls at Riley Hospital for Children, but I have never encountered any terrier let alone a Scottie walking the hallways. Pet therapy has positive effects on both physical and mental health. For the kids (and adults too), having a pet pay attention to them and giving a snuggle or two can have positive effects such as lowering blood pressure, relieving anxiety and the hormones released trigger a response in the brain making them feel happy and more optimistic which is critical as they undergo serious long term hospital visits. Plus, who does not love those snazzy service vests or in Monty’s case a kilt.
In addition to his career as a therapy dog, Monty is very active in the performance sports like Rally and Fast CAT where he can let his hair down. That is Monty’s “me time” where he gets to do fun things for himself. I think that all dog people understand the emotional support and therapy that our dogs provide for us every day. What we may not fully understand is that you cannot just bring your pet into an environment like a hospital and share that experience with people who need it. There is quite a bit of training that both dog and human need to accomplish to become an official therapy dog and that training comes with many responsibilities for the K9/human therapy team.
Last September, I finally met Monty and his Humans, Tracy and Randy Krapf, at the Wooster College Spirit Day event that celebrated Archie the very tall and bipedal Scottish Terrier mascot of the college. While chatting under the big Scottie tent, Tracy’s love of Monty and their shared therapy work came through in our conversations. In the months since, I have found myself wondering about what it would take to make such a serious commitment both in time and emotion, so I reached out to Tracy asking if she would be willing to share her story. She quickly responded to all of my questions. What a story of healing for both herself and others she shared. The email interview goes as follows:
Beth: Do you come from a counseling background or what sparked your desire to train and have a therapy dog?
Tracy: I do not come from a counseling background. Your question is complicated to answer and I can offer more in depth if you would like but the short story is… I had a Westie with a wonderful personality. The boarding kennel offered a training course on therapy dogs and I took the Westie to the class as I wanted to share his personality with everyone. In my own journey, I have a daughter that has struggled with mental health issues since she was in her early teens. As she got older, we ran into more and more trouble with her including, suicidal ideation, reckless behaviors and drug and alcohol abuse. With all the obligations I had because of my daughter’s mental health issues, I never had the Westie tested for the therapy dog certification, but he completed the classes. My daughter eventually went into a rehab facility and the parent therapy we received was so liberating. We learned to take care of ourselves and set healthy boundaries. We learned to follow our own paths and passions. I’ve loved Scottie’s since I was a child. We got Monty in December of 2021 as part of my healing. I knew I wanted to try training for therapy dog again, but it was too early to tell if Monty’s personality was a fit. I joined a local dog training club because the kennel where I originally trained, no longer offered therapy dog training, so I decided to try on my own. The training club though only offered AKC STAR Puppy classes, obedience, and rally classes. Monty and I loved the classes so much, I took as many as I could with many different trainers.
Beth: Monty is not your first or only dog. Is Monty the only dog that you have done therapy work with? What about his personality has made him so successful as a therapy dog?
Tracy: As I said, Monty was not my first dog to train as therapy dog. My Westie, Louie, was one of the best dogs I ever had the pleasure of working with. I got Monty when Louie was 11 years old. Louie was a vital part of Monty’s training; he was the best doggie mentor to Monty and they were inseparable. Louie passed in 2022, unfortunately, but I still see him in Monty’s mannerisms. Monty, like Louie, is a gentleman. He has a fun personality that just makes you smile. Monty is very calm, even as a puppy he was calm and confident. I knew very early in our training he would be a great therapy dog and he definitely has exceeded my expectations with it! Because of his calmness, the hospital we volunteer at has specifically requested Monty on several occasions to visit patients.
Beth: Can you give us an idea of the training that goes into getting therapy dog certifications? I am assuming that there are different levels and certifications. Can you explain some of the differences?
Tracy: For training, I started with an AKC STAR Puppy class. It teaches puppies basics like sit, stay, and down. The course was a one-hour session over 7 weeks with lots of homework training to do on our own. After that, we continued with obedience classes that were geared towards showing but the basic lessons can be applied in everyday applications. It teaches dogs to watch their owner, execute commands like sit, stay and down but it also builds your confidence to work as a team. When I felt Monty had a good basic obedience knowledge, I had him tested for the AKC Canine Good Citizen test. Canine Good Citizen (CGC) is a 10-skill test that teaches good manners to dogs and responsible dog ownership to their owners. Once certified, dogs earn their CGC title. Monty received his CGC before he turned one year old.
I also enrolled Monty in a class designed to help with distractions. Dogs were asked to follow basic obedience commands while walking closely past other dogs and handlers. Or sitting quietly while handlers had a conversation. We also trained around equipment like baby carriages, wheel chairs, crutches, canes and even desk chairs. You don’t realize, especially for small dogs, the need to desensitize them to large objects moving around them. They need to learn that you as a handler will not put them in a harmful situation.
We continued to work on basic obedience and distractions until at one year and five months old Monty tested to become a therapy dog. Testing is done by contacting one of the national organizations like Alliance of Therapy Dogs or Therapy Dogs International. Monty was tested and certified by Alliance of Therapy Dogs. Testing requires three or more supervised/observation visits to see how you and your dog work as a team and if the dog really has the right temperament to be a therapy dog. There is a written questionnaire handlers complete showing that they understand the rules of being a therapy dog team and that the proper equipment is used (no training collars, 3-foot leash). The AKC program recognizes AKC dogs and their owners who have given their time and helped people by volunteering as a therapy dog and owner team. Monty currently has his THD title (see below). He is 25 visits away from earning the next level THDA.
In addition to the therapy dog titles, different organizations require the handler to have criminal background checks and/or child services background checks. Some hospitals require volunteers to go through an interview process and additional observations if entering children’s units.
Therapy Dog Titles
- AKC Therapy Dog Novice (THDN)
Must have completed 10 visits. - AKC Therapy Dog (THD)
Must have completed 50 visits. - AKC Therapy Dog Advanced (THDA)
Must have completed 100 visits. - AKC Therapy Dog Excellent (THDX)
Must have completed 200 visits. - AKC Therapy Dog Distinguished (THDD)
Must have completed 400 visits
Beth: What is your favorite part of doing therapy work? Do you have a favorite assignment?
Tracy: My favorite part about doing therapy dog work, is seeing the smiles Monty brings. I also love being an ambassador of the Scottish Terrier breed. Many people in our area have never seen a Scottie in person and Monty is Wheaton color, which makes him even more rare. I love educating people about Scottish Terriers and bragging about all of Monty’s accomplishments. Our favorite assignment is “Read to Dogs” program at the local schools and libraries. Monty loves children and helping special needs children with their reading confidence is so rewarding. We have had children change character names in books to “Monty” while they read and others curl up next to Monty and his little head turns like he listens to every last word. It’s the most endearing thing ever.
Beth: What are your goals for you and Monty?
Tracy: Currently, we are working towards Monty’s THDA, Therapy Dog Advanced, title which is 100 visits. Our next goal will be testing at our local airport for their C.O.P.E. Program (Canines Offering Passengers Encouragement). Monty needs to be a therapy dog for one year to qualify, February will be his one-year mark as a therapy dog.
The primary function of the C.O.P.E. program is to give the opportunity for therapy dogs and their handlers to provide and overall enhanced customer experience, providing stress relief and comfort to passengers.
Beth: I know that you participate in several additional performance and companion sports with Monty. Can you give us an overview on all of the different events he is participating in? Is there a particular one that is his favorite?
Tracy: In addition to therapy dog, Monty shows in Obedience trials, Rally trials, and Fast CAT events. Monty has earned his Beginner Novice title in Obedience which tests his ability to heal on leash, a controlled recall, figure 8 healing, and his ability to stay as I walk around the ring without him. Obedience requires Monty to receive one command and execute it. He is currently practicing to move up which will have him performing healing off leash. In Rally, Monty has earned his Rally Intermediate title. Rally is my favorite because it’s like performing a dance. Handler and dog complete a course of rally signs with commands like 360 degree turns, pivots, and even jumps. The course is timed and scored based on how the dog performs. In Rally, you are allowed to communicate verbally with your dog the whole performance. We are currently training for Rally Advanced which will also take us off leash. Off leash is a lot of work, but we are doing well in training. Monty’s favorite sport is Fast CAT (Coursing Ability Test). Fast CAT is a 100-yard dash. The dog chases a “lure” and results are timed and converted into an MPH speed. For the AKC, Fast CAT scores the average of the dog’s top 3 speeds. Scores are listed by breed. For 2023 Monty finished #7 for all Scottish Terriers with an average speed of 17.07MPH. Monty currently has his BCAT title and will be earning his DCAT this spring.
Beth: What would you look for in a dog’s personality that would make it compatible with being a therapy dog? What is a big no?
Tracy: Therapy dogs should be well mannered around people as well as other dogs. They should show interest in meeting new people, be calm, friendly and not disruptive like barking or growling. I also feel like the dog should have patience for things out of the norm. Many times, we encounter wheelchairs, hospital equipment, kids dropping things, loud noises etc. If a dog is scared, it could result in less than favorable behaviors. Dogs should know you as the handler will not put them in a harmful situation. There is a lot of trust needed to be a therapy dog team.
As far as a no, I would say, if a dog is reactive to other dogs, like if they lunge, or growl/bark at other dogs or people, they would not make a good therapy dog. Also, dogs that scare easily would not make good therapy dogs. Their reaction could be dangerous to clients.
Beth: While everyone thinks of therapy work as being very positive and uplifting – there have to be days that are particularly hard. Can you share a bit about the highs and lows?
“Me Time” for Monty. Running Fast CAT
Tracy: Therapy Dog work is very uplifting. The accomplishment and pride I have when we walk into a room and people exclaim “Monty’s here!” And the joy brought to clients is so fulfilling; however, yes there has been difficult situations we’ve encountered. Working in the hospital, we see many hardships and sadness. I’ve noticed drops in energy with Monty, so I know he feels it too. The Fast CAT events we do with Monty is for fun and nurturing his mental health too. I try to space his visits out so he gets equal amounts of fun with the difficult cases. Fun would be working with children in the Read to Dogs program. It’s something Monty loves doing. Working at the hospital is more draining on Monty. We work the first and third Thursday of the month in the hospital’s behavioral health department and every other Friday in the main hospital. Limiting his visits in the hospital and also mixing up things like visiting the cancer infusion center and then going to the pharmacy for treats, helps keep him balanced when there are difficult situations.
Beth: How many hours a week do you spend visiting and working?
Tracy: Currently, we work every other Friday for 1 to 2 hours at our local hospital. We also visit the mental health unit for 1.5 hours twice a month. In addition, we have a 1-hour monthly visit to a retirement community as well as other one-off assignments such as college visits, read to dogs’ program and rehab facilities. The nice thing is we can pick and choose how much we want to volunteer. I try to keep him active and have at least one visit a week. The holidays and winter illnesses sometimes limit us. Currently, behavioral health is not allowing visitors so we haven’t been doing our twice a month visits.
Beth: What is your advice to anyone thinking about getting into therapy work with their dog?
Tracy: My advice for someone wanting to be a therapy dog team is pay attention to your dog’s needs. Some dogs respond better to children and some are better suited for adults. Schedule visits where you know your dog will excel. Also, keep training and working with your dog. It strengthens your bond.
Beth: Is there anything else that you would like to share?
Tracy: Monty has exceeded my expectations as a therapy dog. I noticed times at the hospital we would be walking down a hallway and he would stop and pull me towards someone he thought needed him. He has an uncanny ability to seek out those people. I often times let him lead me in the hospital. It is amazing to watch him at work.
On behalf of everyone, I would like to thank Tracy for sharing so much of her great experiences with Monty both in service and sport. Tracy and Monty are members of the Lehigh Valley Therapy Dogs (http://www.LVTherapyDogs.org). Tracy would also like to give credit to Tall Tails Training in Slatington, PA and Allentown Dog Training Club in Macungie, PA.