Sweet Puppy Being Trained as Therapy Dog at Pediatric Dentistry of Brandon

At Pediatric Dentistry of Brandon, a new member of the dental staff is putting a smile on the faces of our patients. Flossy is a Cavachon puppy, who is now 4 months old. Through canine behavioral training, she will become a dental therapy dog, and learn how to be optimally social, obedient, and to cuddle with children while we are doing their exams, cleaning teeth, and performing restorative and orthodontic procedures. The goal is to give our patients even more pleasure when they visit.

“July 16 was Flossy’s first day of training, and Andy Stein from Canine Behavioral Specialists took her to visit a few small public places and the mall to work on socialization,” said Kerry Torres, wife of Pediatric Dentist Jorge Torres, and Office Manager of the practice. “Mondays and Thursdays are Flossy’s training days, and Stein will take her through her therapy dog training for a 4- to 5-month course and certify she is ready to seek out laps to visit and children to comfort. Because our office is large, there is plenty of space for a dog to make her way around without interfering with our daily activities. We’re keeping everyone posted about Flossy’s training and her assimilation into our office on our Facebook page. The entire care team thinks she’s just the sweetest puppy every!”

According to the ADA Center for Professional Success, a National Institutes for Health study has found that being in the presence of a companion animal is associated with improvements in mental, social and physiologic health status. Because of their ability to reduce anxiety and stress, along with comforting people, therapy dogs are used in various health care settings such as hospitals, nursing homes and dental practices.