Therapy Dogs

What is a Therapy Dog?

A Therapy Dog is a working dog trained to comfort the sick and infirm in hospitals, nursing homes, treatment centers, private residences, etc. They are also used in programs that help children with speech and/or learning disabilities. Therapy Dogs are invited by businesses to work in their facilities on a case-by-case basis. Handlers do not have any legal right to have a Therapy Dog with them in public places, or in housing or employment situations - they must always be invited. For more information about working dogs, see my blog post, "Service Dog, Therapy Dog, or Emotional Support Animal."

If you're interested in training your dog as a Therapy Dog, We'd be happy to help! First, you'll want to determine whether or not your dog is a good candidate for therapy work. Here are a few examples of qualities, behaviors, and traits necessary for a Therapy dog:

Accepts hugs and/or kisses around the head and neck
Comfortable with people approaching quickly/suddenly, looming over, etc.
Comfortable with prolonged eye-contact
Comfortable with people of all ages, gender, ethnicity, and disability
Comfortable with feet, ears, and tail being touched, handled, tugged on or pulled
Comfortable around medical equipment and mobility devices
Recovers quickly from sudden unexpected movements, noises, etc.
Recovers quickly from getting stepped on or bumped into
Obeys all basic obedience commands in public, such as Sit, Down, Stay, Leave it, Leash manners, etc.
And More

If you're not sure whether your dog is a good candidate, We'd be happy to provide a Temperament Test.

Therapy Dog Prep Program

Everything you need to get your dog prepped and ready to become a successful Therapy Dog, tailored to your needs. We'll help you polish the needed obedience skills, such as Sit, Down, Stay, Leave it, and greeting a stranger (among other things). We will also help with the necessary socialization skills and desensitization to handling. This program includes a Temperament Test and evaluation of the dog and 4 in-home personalized training sessions lasting approximately 60 minutes each. Additional sessions are available as needed.

We typically assist people to prep and test though Utah Pet Partners. If your goal is to certify through Intermountain Therapy Animals, or Rocky Mountain Therapy Dogs we can help you gain the necessary skills and prepare you to test through them as well.

Be aware that if you are a professional wanting to train your dog to assist you with clients at your place of work, the large, reputable therapy dog organizations will not certify or cover you for this. These organizations are volunteer based and will only certify and cover those who are going places to volunteer with their dogs as therapy dogs. In this case you will need to reach out to your liability insurance provider to see about getting your dog covered there. We can then tailor our program for the needs that will be most realistic for your place of work, including different grounding/calming based behaviors, trick training to help clients feel more calm comfortable, and willing to open up (this is especially helpful if you work with children), and more! We are also happy to do sessions at your place of work since that is where the dog will be working at as well.

Click here to learn more about pricing. A travel fee may apply.

Please note that we do not employ the use of e-collars, prong collars, or choke chains. The use of any of these devices will likely result in the failure or loss of certification from most Therapy Dog organizations.