by Rowena Mills
Photos courtesy of Warren Pagel, M.D.
Warren Pagel, M.D., had a rather late start as a dog owner. Although he grew up on a grain farm 35 miles from Fargo, North Dakota, his family did not have farm dogs. He was in his junior year of high school (where his class had 17 people) before a dog joined the family.
“After I left home to go to college, I never could have dogs during my college or professional education,” Pagel recalls. “After I moved to Tulsa in 1978 and started in the professional practice of anesthesiology at St. John Medical Center, I purchased my first dog. In the early 1980s, I raised and showed exotic domestic cats for a couple of years but then realized I was more of a dog person. I sold my cats and purchased my second dog.”
Discovering Therapy Work
Pagel started to train his dogs at Tulsa Dog Training Club in 2007.
“I learned about therapy dogs and immediately realized that was something I wanted to do. My first therapy dogs were registered and certified in 2008. My true passion is for therapy dog work.”
Pagel is involved with two therapy groups in Tulsa. Karing K9s is a local chapter of the Alliance of Therapy Dogs, based in Cheyenne, Wyoming. Paw Pals is certified by the American Kennel Club and associated with Tulsa Dog Training Club. Several other therapy dog groups are in Tulsa. Some are associated with a national organization and others are not, Pagel says.
“We visit nursing homes, assisted-living centers, retirement centers, memory care units, adult day cares, hospitals, elementary schools, high schools, colleges, and hospice facilities, and we do special requests,” Pagel says. He is one of two co-coordinators for Paw Pals and is coordinator at Clarehouse hospice facility.
Nationwide, therapy visits ceased for 20 months during the COVID-19 pandemic. Since visits have resumed, therapy groups have lost some of their previous venues, volunteers, and dogs, Pagel says.
“Tulsa definitely needs more therapy dog teams,” Pagel says. “Karing K9s and Paw Pals can’t keep up with requests for visits. To do therapy work, a dog must be certified or registered through any of several national therapy dog organizations. This involves advanced obedience training, a practical exam when a dog is tested to ensure it has the correct temperament to make a good therapy dog, and then supervised visits that are observed. Both the handler and the dog are evaluated by a registered or certified therapy dog handler or observer. If these are all accomplished successfully, the dog and handler can become a therapy dog team.”
Pagel says training a therapy dog generally involves basic and advanced obedience training.
“The dog must be an obedient dog and always be well mannered and under the control of the handler. Many dogs do not have the personality or temperament to be a therapy dog. A dog that likes to bark, especially indoors, would not make a good therapy dog.”
Living with Therapy Dogs
Pagel recalls, “My first two therapy dogs were a sister and brother, Sadie and Murphy. They were the greatest therapy dogs, but unfortunately, they both passed away in 2016. I also acquired a miniature poodle, Onyx, and he became my third therapy dog in 2009. Onyx was a great little therapy dog until he passed away in 2024. My current two therapy dogs are a sister and brother, Cassidy and Truman. They were born in 2016 and became therapy dogs in 2017. I purchased them when they were eight weeks old. When they were 12 weeks old, they were enrolled in Tulsa Dog Training Club’s puppy classes. They then moved on to beginner’s obedience classes and then advanced obedience classes.”
Cassidy and Truman have very quiet, laid-back personalities, Pagel says.
“Their personalities are perfect for being therapy dogs. Both Cassidy and Truman have made hundreds of therapy visits through Paw Pals and Karing K9s. For most of our visits, we go on group visits when two or more handlers visit the patients, residents, or students at the same time. However, for years, I have taken Cassidy or Truman on solo visits when it is just one of my dogs and myself.”
Pagel is excited that he is training two new pups to be therapy dogs — Willow and Lincoln, another sister and brother with different personalities.
“When Onyx passed away last year, I knew it was time to get my next generation of therapy dogs. It takes months and months of training to become a therapy dog. Different organizations have different requirements. And a dog cannot become a certified or registered therapy dog until it is at least 12 months old.”
Pagel takes Willow and Lincoln to weekly classes at Tulsa Dog Training Club with additional training in between.
“They are taking beginner’s obedience classes for ten weeks. Next, they will take Novice 1 obedience class — another ten weeks. Then to become a therapy dog with Paw Pals, Willow and Lincoln will also have to pass the AKC’s Canine Good Citizen exam. Karing K9s has a similar exam required by the Alliance of Therapy Dogs. After completing all training requirements, examinations, and supervised visits, they will then become certified and registered therapy dogs. Being therapy dogs is my goal for Willow and Lincoln.”
Spreading Cheer
The people the therapy teams visit are excited by the occasions, Pagel says.
“For many of the people we visit in retirement centers, assisted-living centers, and nursing homes, daily routine is a problem. Today is the same as tomorrow and the next day. Bringing a dog to visit helps break up the routine. Our visits are something they look forward to each week or each month. I sense that the dogs know they are doing something right or good during their visit. And I see my dogs bringing sunshine into people’s lives.”
Pagel says, “I retired in 2018, and now I have more time to devote to my dogs and therapy visits.”
His medical experience helps give Pagel some insight into working with therapy clients.
“For many of the people we visit, therapy dog visits can improve their mental health and brighten their day and their outlook on life,” he says. “Quite often, I see them come out of their shell when the dogs are with them. And petting or touching a therapy dog may relieve tension and even reduce blood pressure. For many people we visit, the dog seems to relieve loneliness or sadness. We dog handlers see so many positive benefits during each of our visits.”
Repeat visits to the same places allow therapy teams to become friends with people, form personal connections, and spread a little cheer and thoughtfulness.
“After years of doing therapy visits, one thing I realized is that elderly people do not have their pictures taken very often, if ever,” says Pagel. “This is especially true in nursing homes, memory units, and assisted-living centers. Many people have told me they have not had their pictures taken in years. Therefore, I recently started to take individual pictures of some of those I visit with my therapy dogs. I then have an enlargement made of the best pose, place the photo in a display folder, and give it to the person on our next visit. The brightness in their eyes when receiving their pictures is heartwarming.”
Devoting Time and Energy
For people who are interested in becoming involved in therapy visits, Pagel says, “I recommend that they ask themselves some basic questions. Is my dog the type that would make a good therapy dog? Just because a dog seems to like people does not mean it would automatically be a good therapy dog. Would my dog like or tolerate hourlong visits with multiple people touching and petting it? Do I want to devote the time and energy into training my dog and then give up personal time to do frequent therapy dog visits (not just a visit every few months)? If a dog owner would then want to pursue therapy dog work, I would recommend enrolling in basic obedience classes to start training one’s dog to be an obedient dog and hopefully a therapy dog someday.”
In addition to training his canines to be therapy dogs, Pagel trained in obedience and rally disciplines and participated with Onyx in American Kennel Club and United Kennel Club competitions throughout the United States.
“We won hundreds of first-place ribbons, championships, and other awards and honors,” Pagel says. “However, making people happy and putting smiles on their faces are more important in the overall scope of life than winning ribbons.”
And the recipients of those therapy dog visits agree.
