Does anyone volunteer with Pets as Therapy?

[ItWillWash]

I'm thinking about applying with my daughter's Chihuahua. She's incredibly needy and I want to utilize her neediness for good.

However, I'm not sure about her fitting the requirement for being "sociable". She's friendly, she's not anxious but she is shy. In a room of strangers, she will seek out someone she knows rather than fuss over strangers. Once she gets to know you she's happy to be picked up and cuddled. And by happy, I mean she demands it. My daughter has spoiled her rotten. She's not a dog. She's not even a proper Chihuahua. She can't/won't sleep unless she's being held or cuddled up in your bed with you.

She's happy for strangers to fuss her when she's being held by someone she knows and she can easily be won over with treats.

Does anyone have experience volunteering with them? Does my Chi sound like a good fit or not?

We did with our old greyhound when he was younger. He "specialised" in visiting children's wards because he was so utterly unflappable and very physically affectionate. This was years ago but they have to pass a series of temperament tests. They do want cuddly dogs but it's more than that, they have to be basically bomb proof temperament-wise - he had to prove he can stand and lie quietly, be calm and unexcited by new people and situations, take a treat without snatching or nipping, respond well to sudden loud sounds or abrupt movement, not react to being put in situations that can be uncomfortable for dogs (for instance having his ears handled, his lips and mouth touched and handled, being hugged or pulled around his neck and shoulders, having his tail held and touched, having his legs and paws handled, having a toy taken from him unexpectedly). Absolutely any propensity for nipping or food or toy guarding, it'll be a no. Greyhounds generally make good candidates because they're so unfathomably chill.

The process may have changed in the intervening years but I imagine they still very much look for the sort of dog who would stand and watch a nuclear apocalypse with a vacant expression on their face.

He got a smart little yellow vest to wear and I got an incredible lurid yellow sweater that I still love. He retired from it a few years ago so he could enjoy his old age in peace - our younger dog is too unpredictable and bouncy to do it but I do miss it, it was so rewarding!

Thank you @BreviloquentBastard, for all that info. I'm going to sign us up. She pretty much ticks all the boxes you mentioned. As I said
she's not really a dog or a chihuahua. She's more like a teeny greyhound or a particularly placid cat than a typical Chi.

I think she must have been busy being hugged by someone when the Chihuahuas were being given their trademark spunk and tenacity.

I am. I have two labs and the least outwardly “friendly” one of the two is the PAT dog - because he is so, so calm and gentle. He is “sociable” in that he is content wherever he is and enjoys being stroked etc but not in terms of seeking out attention from strangers (he will seek out a biscuit though 😂) I know my other one wouldn’t pass the tests so I’ve never even attempted it - she’s too waggy and attention seeking 🤦🏼‍♀️ its brilliant, I love taking him on visits ❤️