Bringing a Dog to Daycare, School, and Nursing Home – A Panel Discussion with Maarja Tali

"I just want to bring joy to others with my dog." This attitude is insufficient for taking your dog to daycare, school, or a nursing home. These visits require significant preparation and analysis to ensure the safety of both the dog and the visitors. How can things go wrong, and how can we avoid that? This is our discussion topic with Maarja Tali.

The discussion series “Dogs in the Cultural Capital” is a part of the European Capital of Culture Tartu 2024 side programme.

We know that dogs have a positive impact on us. Can we then call every dog a therapy dog? Bringing dogs to work is becoming increasingly common, especially in offices. Be they open or closed offices. Sometimes, dogs are also taken to children’s daycare centres, schools, and, in some cases, even hospitals and elderly homes.

What does the word “therapy dog” really mean? What requirements should be met for a dog to make a real positive effect? What do people and dogs need to know and do before engaging in work together—whether it’s introducing dogs to children, using them as a “workforce” in physiotherapy, or bringing joy and variety to nursing homes?

This time, we’ll discuss essential aspects of incorporating dogs into various aspects of life. We’ll start with the more straightforward cases- dogs at work and what should be considered beyond the fact that the dog doesn’t have to be alone at home and the coworkers don’t mind having him/ her around.

We’ll continue discussing bringing dogs to educational and healthcare institutions. What conditions should be met? Why is it essential for an expert (in addition to the dog owner) to assess whether the dog and the owner are ready to operate in such environments without causing mental or physical harm to either the dog or the people involved?

Maarja Tali is a board member and spokesperson for the Estonian Assistance and Therapy Dogs Association. She is also a guest lecturer at Tallinn University, teaching “Introduction to Animal-Assisted Interventions.” Over the years, she has been an advocate in the media, raising awareness about the needs of dogs and responsible dog ownership.

We welcome dog owners, volunteers working with animals, professionals and everybody else interested in the topic!

Location: Hea Koer Training Hall at Ujula 1a, 4th floor.
The number of seats is limited, and pre-registration is required!
The event is in Estonian.

During the year of European Capital of Culture Tartu 2024, Hea Koer and Kristina Mägi will host 7 discussions with exciting guests, exploring various aspects of dog-keeping culture, ranging from the development of dog-keeping culture in recent decades to the mental and physical well-being of people encountering dog pain. Each discussion features a new guest and topic, linking to the preceding Training Skills Workshop. Expect intriguing insights and developments from each conversation.
These events aim to raise awareness of the needs of people and dogs in urban environments and more broadly. The Arts of Survival strives towards a more compassionate and friendly (dog-keeping) culture. We can achieve this goal through knowledge, skills, and a change in mindset.

If you want to grab a bite or need a place to stay, see what the Tartu 2024 hospitality network offers in the area: https://tartu2024.ee/recommendations-tartucity