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If you’ve ever felt a little bit down and found that being around your dog helped you, you already understand the benefits of a therapy dog. Therapy dogs can provide relief from anxiety, help individuals cope while grieving, and offer comfort to people in hospitals, nursing homes, living facilities, and other situations. Therapy dog teams can deliver inspiration to people at some of their worst and most lonely moments.
Training your puppy or adult dog as a therapy dog is a fantastic way to give back to your community and help others. Not only is it a way to bond with your dog, but it can have incredible benefits for all involved.
However, it’s essential first to understand what therapy dogs are and how to train a therapy dog.
Therapy dogs provide comfort for people going through physical and/or emotional difficulties. It is essential to distinguish that therapy dogs are not service dogs and are not emotional support animals.
Service dogs receive full public access per the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and provide a specific service(s) for a person. This can be everything from guide dogs (for vision-impaired people) to diabetic alert dogs to seizure alert dogs. Emotional support animals do not require special training or certifications but do require a prescription from a qualified mental health professional.
Therapy dogs are allowed in places where all dogs are allowed, and specifically, allow therapy dogs. They do not have special rights like service dogs.
Additionally, therapy dogs are typically trained by their owners, and the two are part of a “therapy team.” Once trained and certified, the therapy team can visit elderly living facilities, people in hospitals, juvenile detention centers, medical facilities, and other organizations.
Canine therapy benefits for humans are significant and may include lowering blood pressure and heart rate, reducing anxiety, and increasing endorphins and oxytocin. You may not know that there have also been studies showing that therapy dogs benefit from their “work,” as endorphins and oxytocin are higher in therapy dogs than average household pets.
But not just any dog can be a therapy dog, and you can’t just take your dog to visit people in hospitals. Therapy dogs do need certification from, and registration in, a reputable national therapy dog organization.
Therapy dogs come in all sizes and breeds; temperament is what matters. A certified therapy dog is friendly, patient, confident, and comfortable in all situations. They must be able to be petted, cuddled, and handled by unfamiliar people.
Some of the essential skills and characteristics of your dog’s attitude include:
While it may be common to assume all therapy dogs are Golden Retrievers, it’s just as possible and likely to see therapy dogs that are pitbull breeds.
Smaller dogs can be great for sitting in laps, but larger dogs are tall enough to reach hospital beds. So, again, breed and size don’t matter at all.
It’s certainly never too late to become a therapy dog, but it is best to start training as early as possible. Proper and early socialization is key to a calm, cool, and collected adult dog. Have your puppy spend time around people of all different genders, body types, ages, personalities, and people who dress differently (hats are a common problem), people with facial hair, and people with various voices.
General training, especially positive reinforcement training, is invaluable and necessary. While not mandatory, you’d be pretty lucky to have a dog that knows cues with no training. Therapy dogs in training should generally be:
Remember that having a successful therapy dog is a long game. It’s not as simple as deciding you want to teach them a trick, following a training schedule to teach said trick, and then in a couple of weeks, you’ve achieved your desired result.
Learning to train a therapy dog requires a lot of work from both the dog and the handler. Make sure to trust the process, be patient, and know the commitment to training can be very rewarding.
It may be worth it to consider working with a certified trainer to train your therapy dog using formal training. Working with a trainer allows the owner to have a clear path to success and to understand how the dog’s body language and behavior.
There are no state or federal rules or standards for therapy dog training. Training requirements for certified therapy dogs will differ based on the registering organization.
While not always required, a good stepping stone is to take an obedience course called the Canine Good Citizen (CGC) program, followed by the CGC test. This test, recognized by the American Kennel Club (AKC), is comprised of ten skill assessments, including sitting politely for petting, coming when called, and accepting a friendly stranger. A passing grade on the CGC test earns the dog the CGC title.
Again this isn’t necessary, but if your dog can’t successfully complete these skills, they likely aren’t an excellent candidate or fit for therapy work. Additionally, completing the CGC test successfully may help get certain breeds of dogs approved in homes that typically have breed restrictions.
A basic outline of getting your therapy dog certified looks like this:
Obtaining a therapy dog certification will depend on the therapy dog organization. In general, a therapy dog in training (and its owner) will:
There is so much misinformation out there, we want to make sure we only provide the highest quality information to our community. We have all of our articles reviewed by qualified, positive-only trainers. The trainers that review our content are reviewed by other trainers to ensure that we have the best quality filters on our content.
This is the trainer that reviewed this article:
Hallie Wells
Owner-Lumos Dog Training, Atlanta, GA
Certified Professional Professional Dog Trainer (CPDT-KA)
Fear Free Certified Professional (FFCP)
Applied Animal Behavior Analysts (UW-AABA)
Does your dog ever growl when you walk by their food dish? Maybe they get possessive of treats, carrying them far away and giving you side-eye when you start to approach — or snarling at your other pets or children if they get too close.
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Ah, poop. We humans think it’s disgusting… but many of our dogs seem to love the stuff. If you’re wondering why your canine companion tries to eat feces (either their own or that of other animals) you’re not alone!
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You’ve been told your dog needs regular exercise. There’s a reason “walking the dog” is a classic daily activity: Frequent excursions give your pup a chance to experience the world, maintain a healthy weight, and — most importantly — spend time with you! Consistent physical activity can also improve their strength, muscle tone, coordination, and mental ability over time.
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Many dogs have gotten a bad reputation over the years for being "dangerous breeds." Rottweilers are among them. Like pit bulls and other large, blocky-headed types of dogs, these powerful and beautiful animals are often assumed to be aggressive.
Your dog is reactive. They’ll see another dog, person, or other stimulus in the environment (like a car or bike) while out on a walk and suddenly go crazy at the end of their leash. The barking, lunging, and growling feels embarrassing for you — and it’s clear that your pup isn’t having a great time either.
Does your dog display reactivity to other pets or people? Maybe they’re a new rescue pup and are still settling into your home. Or they were sick growing up, so you missed their critical socialization period. Possibly they’ve had a bad experience after being raised as a normal puppy.
Do you have a reactive dog or suspect you may have one? You’re not alone!
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From 2009 to 2020, there was a 40 percent increase in the development of public dog parks. Designated spots for canine exercise have become commonplace in every major city in North America — many pet owners won’t even consider renting an apartment that doesn’t have its own fenced-in pet area for their canine companions.
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Ellen is the host of Country Pasture Getaway, one of Sniffspot's most popular sniff spots. She has taken the time to write up the lessons she has learned about how to be a great sniff spot host.
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Fran is the host of Ranch Setting, one of Sniffspot's most popular spots. She has taken the time to write up the lessons she has learned about how to be a great Sniffspot host.
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Looking for the perfect place to play with your dog? We’ve got you covered! It’s hard to narrow down, but we’ve put together some of the best off-leash dog parks throughout the country so you can plan your next adventure — along with a checklist of what to bring, what to know beforehand, and some frequently asked questions.
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Looking for the perfect place to play with your dog? We’ve got you covered!
Looking for the perfect place to play with your dog in Portland? We’ve got you covered! Take a look at the best local dog parks and plan for your next adventure in the City of Roses.
Discover the German Shepherd Dog, a breed celebrated for its intelligence, loyalty, and versatility. Known for its impressive size and smooth, graceful movements, German Shepherds excel in various roles, including as guide, therapy, bomb detection, and police dogs, while being a devoted family companion.
Discover the Labrador Retriever, a breed celebrated for its playful nature, affectionate temperament, and trainability. Labradors are known for their friendly demeanor and adaptability, making them perfect family companions and versatile working dogs. As one of the most popular types of retrievers, Labs are ideal companions for various lifestyles and are recognized by the American Kennel Club (AKC) as an excellent breed for families.
Discover the Golden Retriever, a popular breed celebrated for its affectionate, playful, and trainable nature. Considered a large dog, Golden Retrievers were originally bred in Scotland for hunting and retrieving game beginning in the 1860s. Today, they're recognized by the Kennel Club and the American Kennel Club (AKC) as one of the most beloved companion dog breeds.
Discover the American Staffordshire Terrier, a distinct breed celebrated for its playful, friendly, and loyal nature. Often confused with the Staffordshire Bull Terrier, a separate breed of British origin, the American Staffordshire Terrier (AmStaff) is considered a medium-sized dog. While both breeds share some similarities, the AmStaff is generally larger and has been developed as a distinct breed in the United States.
Discover the Australian Shepherd, an AKC breed celebrated for its trainable, playful, and affectionate nature. Despite its name, the Australian Shepherd is actually a native breed to the United States, originally developed to breed on farms and ranches. Considered a medium dog, Australian Shepherds were bred for herding beginning in the 1950s. As one of the high-energy breeds, Aussies are known for their boundless energy and need for regular exercise, including aerobic exercise.