What is a Pet Therapy Dog?
A therapy dog is trained to provide emotional support and comfort to people in need, often visiting hospitals, hospices, nursing homes, grief camps, cancer camps, orphans and schools. They are comfortable in a variety of settings and with a variety of people. Therapy dogs come in all sizes and breeds. These dogs must be friendly with strangers, able to handle high levels of distraction, and understand personal boundaries.
A therapy dog begins as a loved and well-cared for pet that finds it has a calling in life to help others. These special canines are trained to give affection and comfort to anyone in need.
At Training Your Best Friend, we prepare your dog during training to become a certified therapy dog. We work with Love- On -A Leash Pet Therapy organization that provide the certification, support and insurance.
Our Therapy Dog training class prepares your companion by practicing behaviors, handling & socialization skills needed for evaluation by a national registry of therapy dogs, The goal of this class is to prepare for volunteering at local facilities & individuals requesting therapy dog teams. During class, dogs practice skills & gain experience in a variety of settings including medical centered facilities as well as variety of settings.
Requirements
First – the dog must be social and exhibit a calm temperament. Dogs used in pet therapy must possess basic obedience skills. The dog must be trained to accept different types of petting and handling and be comfortable with people in wheelchairs, crutches and hospital beds.
- Dogs must be one year of age or older.
- Successful completion of AKC Canine Good Citizen test.
- Dogs must have Rabies, Parvo, Distemper vaccination.
- Dogs must successful complete our 7-week therapy training class.
Class Schedule to be Announced
Cost: $245.00
