Your Questions Answered: Training a Therapy Dog

Therapy dogs are trained to provide affection, comfort, and support to people in need. You can often find a therapy dog in hospitals, retirement homes, nursing homes, schools, and other areas where comfort might be needed.

Therapy dogs are there to provide relief in a situation where people may feel anxiety. If you’ve got a well-behaved dog that loves to be around people, you might be considering having it trained as a therapy dog.

Therapy Dog or Service Dog?

Therapy dogs are entirely different than service dogs— and it’s important to keep the two separate. Service dogs have been trained to perform specific tasks to assist people with disabilities. These dogs are also protected by the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), giving them public access rights. Service dogs can go to places such as grocery stores and cannot be denied entry.

Therapy dogs do not fall under ADA protection. While they may be trained and certified by reputable organizations, they are not trained to perform a potentially lifesaving task. Therapy dogs may be granted a courtesy invitation at the discretion of the establishment.

Would My Dog Make a Good Therapy Dog?

Short answer: maybe.

Your dog may be full of unconditional love, but that doesn’t always mean they’re the right fit. Typically, therapy dogs have to have reached adulthood; most accredited programs won’t certify puppies. Additionally, some programs request your dog passes the AKC Canine Good Citizen (CGC) test for obedience. Other programs may require other tests in place of the CGC.

Most likely, if your dog can’t respond to the “leave it” command quickly it will not succeed.

In addition to basic obedience, your dog must also have a naturally social temperament, be fairly calm, and have the desire to do the job. Like their human counterparts, not all dogs are suited for all jobs.

If you’re interested in starting the process, we recommend a basic obedience course. Reach out to our team today to learn what our obedience courses entail!

Would I be a Therapy Dog Good Handler?

What surprises many prospective therapy dog owners is the need for them to also be well suited for the work. A therapy dog and its handler are a team, both need to be in the right headspace to be an effective therapy team.

Your dog won’t be the only one connecting with people. Sometimes, the dog handler is the only non-medical person a patient sees all day. That means you might be the only “normal” conversation this person has had in a while.

How Do I Get My Dog Certified as a Therapy Dog?

If you’ve already had a CGC certification (also available through Sit Means Sit), it’s time to get your pet certified!

In general, most programs will look at the following:

• How your dog reacts around other dogs– sometimes, therapy dogs must be in spaces with other dogs. If your dog is reactive to other dogs, it’s likely not going to be a good fit.
• How your dog reacts to strangers touching them– therapy dogs come into contact with a lot of strangers on the job— especially strangers who want to touch them. That’s what they’re there for, right?
• How your dog tolerates strange noises– you don’t want to have a skittish dog that runs every time a door closes or someone sneezes too loud.
• How well your dog listens to you– a dog who listens will help keep everyone safe.

If your dog passes the certification course, you’ll need to work to continue to maintain that certification. In order to maintain your certification, your dog will need to be current on all vaccinations required by local laws and have a negative fecal test every 12 months.

You will also need to either invest in good grooming tools for the DIY route or find a groomer you trust, as therapy dogs should always be clean and well-groomed.

How Much Does it Cost to Train a Therapy Dog?

The cost will vary from location-to-location, program-to-program, and depend on a wide variety of variables. There’s no set cost.

Therapy Dog Certification

The Sit Means Sit “Go Team” therapy dog training program allows you to have a certified therapy dog that’s able to visit hospitals, nursing homes, assisted living centers, and more. We also offer Canine Good Citizen evaluations, as well!

For more information, check out all our dog training in Southwest Florida!