Therapy dog training & certification
Therapy Dog Training & Certification. $1,200 on-site / $1,900 in-home. AKC CGC foundation, temperament testing, public-access preparation, certification readiness for the national therapy-dog organizations.
Therapy work requires a specific temperament. We are honest up front about whether your dog has it.
Dogs with great temperament looking for a job
Calm, confident, friendly dogs who enjoy attention from strangers and recover quickly from novel situations. Therapy work is volunteer work for the dog — they have to actually want it.
Handlers ready to volunteer in their community
Hospitals, nursing homes, hospice care, schools, libraries, courthouse comfort programs, college finals stress relief. Therapy dog work is rewarding and meaningful — and the dog needs a human partner who shows up.
CGC graduates ready for the next step
AKC Canine Good Citizen is the foundation for almost every therapy-dog certification. If your dog has CGC, this is the natural progression. If not, we can run CGC as part of the program.
Dogs who do NOT belong in therapy work
Reactive dogs, fearful dogs, dogs that startle hard, dogs that resource-guard handlers, dogs uncomfortable with sudden touch or wheelchairs. Therapy work is wrong for these dogs and we will tell you so honestly.
On the consult call we will tell you whether your dog has the temperament for therapy work. If not, we will recommend the right starting point — sometimes that is more obedience foundation, sometimes it is a different career path for the dog. We do not sell programs your dog will fail.
A SERVICE DOG is trained to perform specific tasks that mitigate an individual's disability and is covered under the ADA for public access. A THERAPY DOG provides comfort and emotional support to other people (in hospitals, schools, etc.) — they have NO ADA public-access rights and visit only by invitation. An EMOTIONAL SUPPORT ANIMAL provides comfort by presence to its own handler and requires no training. These are legally and functionally distinct.
We prepare dogs for certification through one of the major national organizations — Alliance of Therapy Dogs, Therapy Dogs International, or Pet Partners. Each has slightly different requirements. We help you pick the right one for your local visit opportunities on the consult call.
Probably backwards. Therapy work requires a dog that is already calm and settled. If your dog is "kind of crazy," start with the Foundational 1-Week Board & Train or private lessons to build the calm baseline first, then come back for therapy training. Pushing a young, high-energy dog into a hospital visit before they have the baseline is a recipe for a stressed dog and a bad visit.
No. Therapy dogs come in every shape and size. Temperament drives the decision, not breed. Some of the most effective therapy dogs we have prepared are mixed-breed, and breed restrictions vary by facility (some hospitals restrict certain breeds; ask your target facility).
Includes the training, temperament evaluation, and preparation for the certification test. Does NOT include the certifying organization's membership/registration fees (typically $30-100) or any vet records, ID badges, or facility-specific liability paperwork.
Typically 6-10 weeks depending on your dog's starting point and your availability. CGC-certified dogs with calm baseline finish faster. The 1-2 week Board & Train track is an option if you want the work compressed.
Temperament, age, where you would want to visit. The first 30-minute call is free.