More than Comfort: A Day in the Life of a Facility Dog at Arkansas Children's Hospital

It’s a Thursday morning in February, and Snickers, the Arkansas Children’s Hospital (ACH) facility dog, is involved in the treatment of her second scheduled patient of the day, a 10-year-old girl being treated in the pediatric intensive care unit (PICU) for injuries sustained during a severe car accident. Snickers, a golden retriever, lies next to the girl in her hospital bed. Monitors beep continuously. Nurses and a physical therapist move and adjust the girl while explaining the treatment to both patient and mother. The girl moans. Gentle, guided movements are necessary to promote healing, but they cause some discomfort. Throughout all this activity and noise, Snickers remains calm, a comforting presence for the little girl. This will likely be among the first of many interactions with this patient. The intent is for Snickers to be a consistent part of the patient’s treatment as she recovers from surgeries and receives physical and occupational therapy.

How does a facility dog help pediatric patients and staff?

Offering comfort to patients is only one of Snickers’ many roles as a facility dog. Like the nurses, physical and occupational therapists, and physicians she works alongside, Snickers received specialized training to work in a pediatric hospital. Her job is to improve patient outcomes and help patients heal faster and safely. Sometimes Snickers actively participates in treatment, as she did earlier in the morning with a boy receiving occupational therapy. The boy’s treatment includes developing his fine motor skills, like those needed to write with a pencil or eat with a fork. Together, Snickers and the boy played a game similar to pick-up sticks. Playing against a lovable dog is more interesting than playing against a human. Later in the session, Snickers picks up large, wooden puzzle pieces and gives them to the boy. Putting a puzzle together is another part of the treatment plan for developing the same muscles. Doing a puzzle with a dog makes it a special, fun event. Snickers provides extra motivation and inspiration to patients.

Snickers can also support patients during unfamiliar procedures by acting as a model. For example, when a young patient was nervous about having the electroencephalogram (EEG) leads placed on their head, Snickers allowed the patient to place pretend leads (stickers) on her furry head to demonstrate the experience.

For very young patients who are just learning to grasp and feel, Snickers can offer “a novel source of stimulation,” her handler said.

Child life specialist Amy Palmer is Snickers' primary handler. Amy said Snickers recognizes over 40 cues, or commands. Snickers understands the difference between cues, such as when to use moderate pressure to open a door or push a stroller, and when to gently place her nose in an anesthesia mask during a demonstration. Responding to cues is something any service dog can do, whether they’re a seeing-eye dog or a companion animal for a veteran dealing with PTSD. Amy says, Snickers’ personality is what makes her a great facility dog for ACH.

“She’s silly. She’s funny. She’s great with kids. All those things led her trainers to believe she’d be a great facility dog, particularly in a pediatric setting,” Amy said. “She loves new people. In a room full of people she already knows, she will always go to the person she doesn’t know. She wants to meet everyone and be their best friend.”

If you meet Snickers in the halls of ACH, you might think she’s an older dog. She’s calm and patient while awaiting cues from Amy or her secondary handler, Haley Reeves, also a child life specialist. The calm demeanor is just one facet of Snickers’ personality. At a little over 2 ½ years old, Snickers is barely out of her puppy stage. In addition to working with Amy, Snickers also lives with her. At home, Snickers is as playful and rambunctious as any young dog, Amy said.

Like her human colleagues, Snickers has a uniform she wears at work and a regular schedule. Putting on her blue vest is a strong signal for Snickers to be calm. She also wears a thin head harness instead of having a leash attached to a collar around her neck.

“It’s not a muzzle,” Amy pointed out. “She wears the head harness, so we can gently redirect her attention if she’s getting into something she shouldn’t be getting into. And it’s a reminder that she needs to stay calm.”

Snickers works roughly 40 hours a week. Instead of a regular paycheck, Snickers earns kibble after responding to cues. Amy said food is a great motivator for most golden retrievers, Snickers included. Sometimes Snickers anticipates cues, hoping to get a snack by shaking hands with a nurse, or allowing herself to be petted without being prompted.

Amy said ACH staff and team members also benefit from a full-time facility dog.

“Those who are on the front lines with patients experience lots of trauma, sadness and stress. As much as Snickers is a comfort to patients, she can also provide comfort to staff.”

A typical day for Snickers includes scheduled interactions with patients, such as the patient in the PICU and spontaneous interactions with patients in Camp Wannaplay, the Teen Room or the halls of ACH. In just her first few months on the job, Snickers has brought joy to the hospital. With specialized training as a puzzle maker, game player, role model, practice doll or comforter, Snickers and her handlers champion children every day.