Speaker 1 Kevin is very quick to think negative things about people. Even when he talks about his best friend, he always tells you about his faults. And if somebody hasn’t got any faults, he invents them

Presenter

That’s incredible! Freya, can any kind of dog be 

used for therapy?

Freya

No, not all dogs are suitable for the job; it 

depends on their temperament. The ideal 

animal is friendly, comfortable with strangers 

and not easily alarmed. Therapy dogs require a 

lot of training, too. They must be able to sit, 

stay, perform tricks on command, and resist 

distractions such as other dogs or attractive 

smells. We have to make sure we have the right

dogs or the therapy won’t work.

Presenter

Where do the therapy dogs live, Freya? Surely 

not with the patients?

Freya

No, they live with their trainers. Just like the 

doctors and nurses who treat the Alzheimer’s 

patients, the dogs need some time off, so they 

go home at night for a break. Also, they need to

be bathed and looked after properly so that they

don’t pass on any infections to the people 

they’re supposed to be helping. Therapy dogs 

are kept to a very high standard, so that only 

good things come out of the treatment.