Therapy Dog Training
What is a Therapy Dog?
Therapy Dogs (TDs) are dogs who are loved on by many. According to the American Kennel Club's website, their definition is:
"Therapy dogs are dogs who go with their owners to volunteer in settings such as schools, hospitals, and nursing homes.
From working with a child who is learning to read to visiting a senior in assisted living, therapy dogs and their owners work together as a team to improve the lives of other people."
TDs are not Service Dogs. They are not specifically task trained to help an individual mitigate a disability. They do not have access rights protected under ADA Laws; pretending to be a Service Dog team is not only unethical but illegal.
How to Train to a Therapy Dog Team:
Therapy Dogs need to be friendly, calm, forgiving and happy. To accomplish this they require obedience training, which we can do through The Duncan School's Pet Dog Training (you're in the right place!). It's easy to start - click the button below to register today!
Therapy dogs do need to have at least their Canine Good Citizen, which we test for at the end of Level 2 Obedience, and be at least 12 months old before applying for a Therapy Dog Program. The Duncan School works with a couple of Therapy Dog Certifiers through the Alliance of Therapy Dogs. Their services are free as all Therapy Dog work is volunteer based.