(Lisa is a Certified Pet Dog Trainer and Canine Behavior Consultant. She owns Northern Tails Dog Training, where she teaches people how to train their own dogs. Lisa also developed and oversees the training program for FIDO, a prison dog training program at Geiger Corrections Center in Spokane, WA).

Animal-assisted therapy programs are becoming more widespread as experience continually proves a myriad of benefits for the humans involved in these programs. A variety of animals are used in animal-assisted therapy programs developed to serve a variety of clients. Dog training and wildlife rehabilitation programs can even be found in correctional facilities. Equine-assisted therapy is becoming more common in residential schools for adolescents and young adults. And shelter dogs are part of a program called SHIP (Strategic Humane Interventions Program) whose target population is inner-city families exposed to family or community violence.

Animal-assisted therapy programs offer opportunities to consider the plight of other living beings, their needs for safety and competent care. Many people too injured and/or hardened to human concerns to respond well to human intervention will often connect with animals on a deeper level.

As Director of Training for FIDO (Federal Inmate Dog Opportunities), a prison dog training program at Geiger Corrections Center in Spokane, WA, every day I witness the miracles born from relationships between shelter dogs and a group of incarcerated women. All though a very different population, the same potential exists for troubled teens.

In the FIDO program, shelter dogs are placed with female Federal Inmates housed at Geiger for six to eight weeks of training. The dogs are carefully screened by professional dog trainers before entering the program and are taught basic manners, including house training, crate training, loose leash walking, sit/ down/ stand, stay, leave-it, wait at the door and a various assortment of tricks. Dogs are available for adoption upon completion of the program.

Using Positive Reinforcement to Shape Behavior

FIDO focuses on positive reinforcement training techniques - specifically clicker training, which is a form of operant conditioning in which the dog learner earns rewards by offering behaviors. Karen Pryor, author of Clicker Training for Dogs, Sunshine Books, 1999, says, "When positive reinforcement alone is used for teaching and learning, the global behavior of the learner changes. A punished or correction-trained animal learns to give the minimum necessary in order to stay out of trouble. The learners are 'good soldiers': They do what they're told and never volunteer. Under this regimen, even if obedient, learners remain far more interested in their own doings and private life than whatever you or any voice of authority might want. They are therefore not only vulnerable to distractions, they are hoping for distractions. Furthermore, when pushed too hard or punished too much, these learners get mad or quit. This is just the suite of behaviors we see in most household dogs, in many employees-and in kids in schools."

In Clicker training, the trainer uses an acoustic event marker, called a clicker, and an accompanying treat to flag noteworthy behavior. Clicker training relies exclusively on this pairing of an acoustic marker with a positive reinforcer to pinpoint and build repertoires of positive behavior. Training is done quietly, without touching the dog.

Positive reinforcers are anything found to be appreciated by the learner. For dogs, we use a wide variety of food treats, toys, praise, belly rubs, ear scratches, access to a playgroup, walking through a door to go outside. Reinforcers for the inmate handlers include chocolate, used liberally during teaching sessions to acknowledge effort, participation and praise in front of the group for jobs well done. "FIDO Bucks," earned for meeting specific goals, can be used to purchase personal training supplies, such as leather leashes and books/ videos.

Teaching Empathy and Patience

"The rudimentary skill needed for empathy is the ability to read the emotions in the faces of others. Animals can become excellent teachers for people needing to learn this skill. They express their feelings through explicit and predictable body language: wagging tail, bared teeth, alert ears." (Lynn Loar, PhD, LCSW and Libby Colman, PhD, Teaching Empathy: Animal Assisted Therapy Programs for Children and Families Exposed to Violence, a Latham Foundation Publication, 2004)

Inmate handlers are taught how to recognize what the dogs are feeling by observing body language. The emotional state of the dog impacts learning and stress, in particular, inhibits cognitive function. The more in tune the handler is with their dog's internal emotional states, the more swift the transfer of training to the canine. Inmate trainers are heavily rewarded for recognizing stress in their dogs and adjusting their interactions with the dogs accordingly. The rewards come from the professional trainers in the form of recognition and, perhaps more poignantly, from the dogs themselves. The communication between the dog and handler flows more smoothly, the dog becomes more trusting and the bond is deepened.

"Being a part of this ( FIDO) program is a 24-hour commitment. My partner and I have to shape and mold our dog. This is teaching me patience and understanding, which is going to be a big part of my recovery. This program is also proving to me that I am good at something. I am not worthless. I am growing within myself because of FIDO. My family is seeing the change in me as well." (Inmate Trainer, 2007)

Teaching Goal-Setting and Self-Esteem

The inmate handlers obtain skills for teaching both dogs and humans. They learn how to apply the laws of learning to both animals and people. They also learn how to set goals for themselves, set boundaries for their dogs and work together as a team.

"Some of us come from harder lifestyles. But, these animals bring out the gentler more compassionate sides of us. With the FIDO program I have discovered a new confidence. Just like us, these amazing dogs are capable of becoming part of a wonderful family. I believe in them. And somehow, you can tell, I think they too believe in us. With each new dog I see a chance for success, not only in their ability to learn, but also in my ability to train and understand. We too are growing in patience, love and determination. We have new goals, new mindsets." (Inmate Trainer, 2007)

Developing Programs that Work

"Successful animal assisted therapy programs require more than just bringing animals and people together. All successful programs meet a few basic criteria: the structure ensures safety for all participants; the content promotes growth in the essential therapeutic components; and the program is measured to determine whether the goals have been met." (Lynn Loar, PhD, LCSW and Libby Colman, PhD, Teaching Empathy: Animal Assisted Therapy Programs for Children and Families Exposed to Violence, a Latham Foundation Publication, 2004)

We all struggle, but teens are vulnerable to the challenges of making good decisions and finding purpose. Not every one of them will be able to master the wisdom, behavior and practice of dog training, but the principles to which they are exposed can be scaffolding for the rest of their lives.