Samson, therapy dog

Samson is a part-time therapy dog known for his gentle, good-natured, and social demeanor. He has completed Advanced Training, Recall Training, Introduction to K9 Nose Work and Odor, Reliable Recall, and a relationship-centered program called Connection, Cooperation, and Control (Level 1) - all studied under the expert instruction of Ashley Clark (You and Your Dog Training & Services). Samson loves learning new things and takes pride in showing off the cues he knows, especially when there's a tasty treat involved! 

In therapy sessions, Samson is a calm, grounding presence. He’s a great listener and is often happy to offer or receive connection, whether that’s through a walk on a nice day, accepting gentle pets, or simply napping nearby. His client-centered approach helps create a sense of comfort, regulation, and safety. 

Samson wants everyone to know about some differences between therapy animals (like himself), assistance animals, and emotional support animals. Therapy animals are unlike assistance and emotional support animals, in that their primary role is to benefit many people, they can be approached in public places with consent, and they cannot live in housing with a "no pets" policy. They have been evaluated to be tolerant of a wide variety of environments (like assistance animals and unlike emotional support animals) and do not have special rights of access in public places such as stores, restaurants, and airplanes (like emotional support animals, unlike assistance animals). 

Something Samson also really wants people to understand is that he is a living creature, like us, subject to likes, dislikes, and off-days. Therefore, there may be times where he chooses not to engage in the session, and we have the opportunity to respect his boundaries so that he continues to feel safe, valued, and have agency over his choice to engage (or not) in his sometimes challenging work. On those days, you may have to just settle for his handler, Anna!