So you have decided to get certified in canine rehabilitation, but you don’t have much experience handling animals besides your own or those from family and friends – what can you do?

Every undergraduate student planning on continuing his/her education in a healthcare field that requires a graduate degree has to complete so many hours of observation/shadowing/volunteer before applying to  a program. This is done in order to provide some proof that he/she has spent some time learning what the profession really entails and getting “his/her feet wet” per say. This is not required if you are planning on getting certified in canine rehab, but for those who don’t have much experience handling animals (this is for you PTs!) it is highly recommended.

Odds are that if you have decided to pursue this field you have an animal yourself, or at least access to a few through family and friends. I would highly recommend spending some time with them practicing some hands-on anatomy, palpation, PROM, etc (just like you did with your closest friends in PT school). However, even if you have access to animals for that, I would still highly encourage that EVERYONE spend some time handling different sizes and types of dogs, especially if you don’t feel comfortable with some specific breeds. A great way to do so is to volunteer at your local shelter/rescue –  full disclosure, volunteering at a shelter (especially the county/city shelter) can be very emotionally draining and stressful due to the different issues you can encounter, therefore only do so if you are ready to deal with that. If there is a local rescue close to you that can be less stressful and usually more personal, thus allowing you to spend more time with the animals and make some human friends along the way as well.

In addition, just like shadowing/observing other professionals in undergrad helped you learn more about the field, spending some time at a canine rehab facility can be extremely helpful and can already get you started on the field by networking! This is in a way still a very small field, so networking can take you a long way.

It is also important to learn how to read the body language signs that dogs give to you. Dogs are really good about giving you plenty of body signs to alert you of a variety of different things that they are going through, and learning how to read those signs can literally save you from getting bitten by a patient! A great resource is Canine Body Language: A Photographic Guide, which has great pictures exemplifying each behavior. Take that book with you to the dog park and pay attention to their behavior, it is really fascinating an honestly a recommended reading for any dog enthusiast. Also, if you are shadowing a veterinary practitioner pay attention and ask questions about the way they handle the animals, because there are certainly a variety of steps to help prevent major issues.

Finally, here is a short list of some other highly recommended books if you are interested. This is not by any means a comprehensive list but a couple of other books I read before starting my journey in canine rehabilitation and still find myself looking through them every so often.

Canine Sports Medicine and Rehabilitation

Color Atlas of Veterinary Anatomy

~TheK9PT