Simba the therapy dog

You both work with Simba, a therapy dog. Can you describe what he does at REHAB?

Mike: Simba serves several purposes here at the hospital, part of which is motivational. With our patients who may not want to attend therapy, we use him to interact with the patient. We’ll say, “Why don’t you come out and pet the dog?” When they do that, it encourages them to participate and get out of their room. We’ll say, “Let’s go find Simba!” which gets them up and walking. They’re not thinking of it as exercise, they’re thinking of it as “I’m having fun with the dog!”

We can also use Simba to encourage movement. If someone has a stroke, we encourage them to use their weakened hand more by petting or brushing Simba. It provides tactile input and encourages them to use their hand for physical recovery and movement.

Simba also helps patients gain movement through functional activities. For example, if you have a patient who needs to practice picking something up off the ground, it can get boring or repetitive. With Simba, it’s more interactive to have them pick the ball up from the ground and throw it for him to retrieve.

What kind of training did Simba receive to become a therapy dog?

Dawn: He was trained at Hawaii Canines for Independence on Maui. They were looking for somewhere to place Simba as a therapy dog, and we were looking for a therapy dog for REHAB. The dogs are very well-trained. They are selected from their litter based on temperament, then they go through rigorous training, learning more than 70 commands.

How long does the training last?

Dawn: The dogs do about one to two years of training. Hawaii Canines for Independence does training with the handlers for two weeks so that we can bond with the dog, learn how to say the commands correctly, how to praise him effectively, when to give treats and how to physically care for Simba. There were even written and handling tests and homework! We still have to do daily training with him to keep him learning. We’ve had Simba for four years now. He’s the first dog I’ve ever had, so now I’m spoiled for life because he is so well behaved.