Dog About Town
Oliver, the therapy dog, brings comfort to Cowetans
Written by JENNIFER LONDON • Photos courtesy of David and Pamela Thomas
Newnan residents Pamela and David Thomas were looking for a way to give back to the community and stay active after retirement. He was a professional photographer for more than 30 years, and she’d worked as a teacher and banker.
David started researching and learned about therapy dogs.
“A lot of people get a dog first, a family pet,” he says. “We went the other way. We did all kinds of research first – finding out about training and what an appropriate dog would be for doing that type of thing.”
With a large amount of time, energy and money going into the dog’s lessons, it doesn’t always work out, but as David explains, “You have one heck of a dog that’s been trained to make a great family dog.”
But, thankfully, doggie training for their pup worked out alright.
Oliver, the Thomases’ 5-year-old golden retriever therapy dog, hails from Ireland, “from Waterford, where they make the crystal,” according to David. The pup and his littermates were born in February 2019.
The important part of training a therapy dog is to socialize them from a young age, so working with a breeder who understood what they were trying to accomplish with Oliver was crucial to the dog’s development, according to the Thomases. As soon as their pup arrived from Ireland, breeders worked on socializing him. About a month later, when the Thomas family took him home, he began puppy training. In eight to 10 months, they began off-lead training with Oliver.
The determined canine went through about 200 different scenarios in the process of training, from being around children and people of all ethnicities, hearing jewelry clinking, approaching wheelchairs, being near elevators and other animals, and hearing sirens. The inclusive checklist even included “meeting a goat,” which was checked off when Oliver visited one at Serenbe.
Training for therapy dogs can take anywhere from six months to a year while service dog training typically takes up to two years. Oliver is well beyond therapy dog training and currently holds five major certifications: Therapy Dog, Service Dog, First Responder Certified Therapy Dog, Reading Education Assistance Dog (READ) and HOPE Animal-Assisted Crisis Response.
The pup and his owners are on call 24-7 for disaster relief. Oliver and David visited 1,060 elementary school students with therapy dog teams of HOPE after a tornado hit Griffin last year. After a crisis, the Red Cross, FEMA or another government organization contacts HOPE and then dispatches dog handling teams to affected areas.
“We have noticed that Oliver will go towards the people, the staff, that really need him the most.
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“HOPE is well above a normal therapy dog’s expectation and experience,” David says.
On Tuesdays, Oliver visits Piedmont Newnan Hospital's staff on all eight floors, alternating different shifts so that everyone can see him. He occasionally visits patients, too, especially if a child is in the ER.
“When you pet a dog, you get oxytocin released in your system, but so do they, so it’s mutually beneficial, and that’s why they like to be petted,” says David.
At the beginning of his career, Oliver often visited libraries via his READ certification. Though not currently doing this due to his busy schedule, he’s gone to libraries where children read to him, helping those who get a little nervous reading in front of other people by practicing with Oliver.
Sometimes people think Oliver is tired when he lays down, but his owners say he’s just calm.
“People are not used to having such a calm dog and they wonder if there’s something wrong,” says David. “Well, no, he’s just exceptionally well-trained and well-behaved. He’s so disciplined, which we love for people to see when we're out in public. We want people to see how well behaved a dog should be, but they ask the question, ‘Does he ever have fun?’ Yeah! Just take that vest off. When the vest is on, he knows he’s a working dog.”
To unwind and play after working hours, Oliver accompanies his family to the water plant to run and play. He loves zoomies, running and sliding on the grass, and enjoys being outdoors, especially in cooler weather. On his time off, the pup enjoys vacations to the beach and taking bike rides in the cart behind his owners' bike.
When trained, most dogs are either toy-motivated or food-motivated, according to David, who says Oliver is food-motivated.
“So, if we want to train him quickly, we’ll give him high value treats; for example, for him it’s small pieces of chicken or cheese,” says David. (Oliver is not opposed to any cheeses, though perhaps Irish Cheddar should be in the Waterford native’s future.)
Oliver, whose complete name is Oliver Golden Therapy Dog, is quite comfortable with his Coweta County fame.
“He is very used to having his picture taken and he knows when a camera comes out, it’s a photo op,” says David.
The cool-as-a-cucumber canine works with Pathways adults in group circles, and clients who pet Oliver often open up in ways they may not with people, according to his owners.
“He offers a safe place and also happens to be extra fluffy, gentle and sweet,” says David. “We have noticed that Oliver will go towards the people, the staff, that really need him the most.”
“He can pick up on their stress,” Pamela adds.
Oliver’s busy schedule also includes working with Encompass Health Physical Therapy patients and staff, and once a month, he visits Wellstar West Georgia, in LaGrange, for staff visits. Coweta County Fire Stations get visits and snacks every Sunday after the Thomases attend church. Oliver and the Thomases also visit local dispatchers at local 911 centers.
At nursing homes, residents cherish the time they spend with Oliver.
“Some residents will recall dogs of their past while petting him,” says Pamela. “One resident sent Oliver home with a big kiss with red lipstick on his face.”
The therapy dog and his proud owners also visit the YMCA, Amazon distribution center, and, on occasion, Oliver ventures to juvenile court to sit with kids while they meet with a judge.
“We’re so fortunate that we’re able to take him to help other people, but we have a therapy dog 24-7,” says David. “How good is that?”
How do his owners summarize Oliver, the golden retriever who gives the term “therapy dog” a great reputation in Coweta County?
Say the Thomases: “Oliver loves wearing hats, Crocs and fun shirts. He makes people smile everywhere he goes, and when he’s upside down, he looks like he’s smiling. Hopefully, everyone gets to meet him when he’s out and about. Until then, follow him on social media at Oliver Golden Therapy Dog.” NCM