ABSTRACT
Creating an effective animal-assisted activities (AAA) or animal-assisted therapy (AAT) program for an agency or within a private practice can be a challenging endeavor. However, before one can begin to create a program and use a therapy dog safely and effectively within a therapeutic setting, it is vital that therapists really understand how dogs think and what motivates them. Without this, therapists risk over-or underestimating their canine partner’s ability, thereby creating a potentially dangerous situation for clients. This chapter explores the common myths about dogs and provides basic information that every therapist should know about dogs before entering into a partnership with them as cotherapists.
