Dude is good therapy

From a size point of view – averaging 70kg – a Saint Bernard might not seem the most obvious choice for a therapy dog. Surely some people are a bit intimidated by such big dogs? Effie Gray, the owner of Dude the therapy dog, feels Saint Bernards’ laid-back temperament makes them the perfect breed for this sensitive work.

Effie bought Dude when he was a three-week-old puppy; he is five now. “I’ve had dogs my whole life and always had it in the back of my mind that I wanted to volunteer taking a dog as a therapy dog into hospitals,” she says. That thought came to fruition with Dude, who has worked with Effie in hospitals, universities, and corporate spaces. Effie and Dude now work together full time at Racing Hearts in Moorooduc.

Racing Hearts specialises in equine therapy. Effie has been working with horses since she was 16, and quickly became aware of the importance of counselling in the stressful and injury-prone horse racing industry. Effie became more interested in counselling after she completed training to become a therapy dog handler with Dude and went on to undertake formal studies in counselling and animal-assisted therapies.

Dude has been trained to work in a Halti harness. “When the Halti goes on he knows it’s work time and his behaviour is perfect. When the Halti comes off he knows he can have fun so he will run around and lean into people. Big dog owners know they’re leaners, so he’ll lean against you. Some people enjoy that, so if it’s within the person’s boundaries and they’re comfortable with it, he’s allowed to lean.”

A work day for Dude includes grooming activities with clients. “Animal grooming really regulates people’s emotions. We’re aware of how Dude is feeling throughout the interaction. The activity is working on people’s awareness, to notice if they’re feeling comfortable or uncomfortable and notice their boundaries.”

When Dude and Effie aren’t working, the beach is Dude’s favourite place. “He dives into the water and submerges himself until only his head is above water. He’d stay there for ever. Everyone walks past laughing, seeing his head sticking out of the water. He loves swimming. I used to live on a property that had a dam. If ever Dude went missing, I’d find him swimming laps.”

Wondering when Dude gets to retire? “Whenever he tells me he’s had enough; hopefully a few more years yet. Whenever he loses interest or maybe his mobility isn’t as good as it was, then that would be time to slow down.”