Ava Make Up Essentials

What do you have to do to make your dog a therapy dog?

Those dogs that go to visit little sick kids and senior citizens... Also what are some good qualities for one? I've got a very sweet and super soft dog... No kidding, he gets a little excited with new people, but i think that will grow out with help... He's only 1 now so he's got lots of time to learn He's also the star pupil of his intermediate class. We plan on taking him to the advanced class after this if we do make him a therapy dog

Public Comments

1. The Delta Society - www.deltasociety.org - is a nationwide organization dedicated to training dogs as well as other pets in the area of therapy training. You can go to their site and you'll be able to find places in your area that offer therapy training. Your dog will be eligible to be evaluated no sooner than 1 year of age so your pup is automatically eligible to participate as soon as you complete the training modules. Good Luck ;) I'll be training my pup to be a therapy dog too.
2. There are many programs out there. In my area, I contacted the Support Dogs Inc and they have a program called the TOUCH program that teaches dogs to be good visiting companions at hospitals. They are very strict, though. They will include a temperament test and a long training agenda that need to be taken seriously. Then a test at the end. When I took my cocker spaniel through this program several years ago, there were many who made the temperament test, but then as the class sessions went on, many dogs were asked to leave because they found during the classes they would not make good therapy dogs. No sort of aggression or submissiveness is acceptable and it's required that your dog is potty trained 100%. If you think your dog would be good at this...and it sounds like he has what it takes so far....go for it. It is a very rewarding experience and you and your dog can enjoy it together.
3. HI, the previous answer talked about Delta, which is extremely tough to pass. Another alternative is Therapy Dogs International. My dog is certified thru TDI. They have groups all over the US/Canada/EU You need to have excellent obedience, so keep up the training classes. The dog must be at least 1 yr old to be tested. They require a Canine Good Citizen certification thru AKC, and then the ability to work around major distractions like wheelchairs, walkers, crazy old ladies with umbrellas. Potty training must be 100%. Temperment is the key. Absolutely no agression, people or dog. A dog that fails at 1 yr may pass with flying colors at 2 yr ( a little maturity goes a long way) Not all dogs like all ages. Some are better with kids, some hate the smell of hospitals - Find out what's best for your furkid. Therapy Dog work is a blast and extremely rewarding. Good Luck!
4. Contact Delta or TDI to find out which group is active in your area. Also, you should take the CGC (canine good citizen) test given by the AKC, because therapy tests build on the skills you need to pass the CGC. Actually, the first part of the delta test is EXACTLY the same as a CGC test. So taking the CGC will prepare you and point you in the right direction. Generally you want a dog who follows all the normal commands, does not get scared or aggressive around new people and places, and likes being handled and interracting with new people in an appropriate way (no jumping up on the elderly!). Your dog has to be comfortable with medical equipment, walkers, wheel chairs, crutches. Most important thing though is that your dog follows your commands and the two of you work as a team.
5. First you have to teach your dog all of the basics like sit and stay and lay and get down and things like that. Then you have to join an organization that does the therapy things. Then you have to pass a test and that tells you whether you have a therapy dog or not a therapy dog.
6. Everyone has given you tons of great information so I don't have much I can add. The couple of things I can tell you is to see what organizations are available in your area. Contact the hospitals in your area and ask them who they use for therapy dog work. That's a good starting point. Then you can see what their requirements are. It all starts wth a CGC (Canine Good Citizen) Certification and goes from there. Then I'd look into what interests YOU the most and see if it meshes with your dog. For instance, you may want to work with kids. If that's the case, then you can see how your dog reacts with kids. Maybe he does well with them. Then you could work on hospital work. But maybe he's afraid of machines.... That's ok though, there's other things he can do. He could become a reading therapy dog! You and he could go to schools and kids practice reading out loud to your dog! I have a friend that does this with her Great Dane! He's quite the hit at the various elementary schools. I wish you the best of luck! It's a really is a wonderful gift to people! So many people NEED animals to help them when they are ill or just in general. What you going to do is so rewarding!