Activities For A Therapy Dog

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Introduction

We know you love your precious therapy dog to pieces, and we’re so thankful you’ve taken the time to get them certified. We hope they’re out in the world doing some good for others. There are so many things to do with your therapy pup; it’s actually overwhelming (in the best of ways). We’ve selected some of our favorite activities to share here at Wag! We hope some of these will appeal to you and your doggo. If you’re already participating in a similar activity, carry on!

University's Therapy Dog Event

Popular
0 Votes
Any Day
Free
Normal
3 hrs
Items needed
Harness and leash
Doggie waste bags
Activity description
It’s actually pretty amazing how many universities around the country participate in therapy dog events. They often hold these in order to spread therapy dog awareness, to entice others to get their pet certified, and to help their students and faculty de-stress around finals time. You can even find booths set up on game days around college towns, as families and friends tailgate and visit. These events are a great way to make new puppy pals and hang out with some folks who just need a little love and comfort. Dogs are so awesome. They turn our gray skies blue in a matter of seconds.
Step
1
Reach out to your local university
Look up the telephone numbers or email addresses for some of your local or nearby university staff. They’ll be able to put you in touch with the correct department that is either hosting a therapy dog event or able to consider such an idea. Many universities already have programs in place, so don’t feel weird for asking about this!
Step
2
Sign up and have fun
If they're hosting an event, let them know you’d like to join. There may be some paperwork to complete and references required, but for the most part, if you have a certified therapy dog, you’ll be well on your way. It’s a great way to interact with exhausted college students who just need to cuddle a puppy. A lot of times universities will make these events free to the public as well.
Step
3
If they're not participating, pitch the idea
If you’re put in touch with the correct department and discover that they are not participating in these cool types of events, then make a suggestion. You can find plenty of examples online by doing a quick search of therapy dog events. Florida State, Michigan State, and the University of Texas (just to name a few) all hold these therapy dog de-stressing events on campus.
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Kids' Reading Activity

Popular
0 Votes
Any Day
Free
Normal
3 hrs
Items needed
Harness and leash
Doggie waste bags
Activity description
Volunteer to help a child improve their reading skills while they also make a new furry friend. Nothing makes a kid more interested in a book than having a unique, loving audience to witness them in action. How adorable to cuddle up with a doggo and practice their letters and words. You’ll probably hear parents tell you, “This is great! The only problem is, I can’t get him to read without the dog!” You might recommend that the family get a dog of their own, especially if the child completes a certain amount of reading. Or stuffed animal dogs are also a neat way to relive the experience at home if a pooch is not present.
Step
1
Reach out to your local library
Make a phone call or reach out to your local or nearby library via email. Ask to see if they host any therapy dog reading sessions, in which kids come in and are partnered with a dog to read to. Therapy dogs are so chill, and they don’t mind hanging out near a child who needs to practice her reading for a little while. How precious!
Step
2
Get involved and make a difference
Tell the library to sign you up! Usually, local libraries are looking for volunteers to help out, especially with summer programs. So, if there’s a reading day you and your pooch can join, how cool would that be? You could really help a child gain some confidence. A dog will never laugh when you don’t know a word. They’re always happy and encouraging.
Step
3
Suggest an event
If there’s no such event at your library, suggest that this kind of thing take place (and soon). You might even be the person to take the lead on this activity. It doesn’t take much to advertise and get kids excited about this. Post a flyer with dogs on it, and they will come. And probably a lot of therapy dogs and their owners will be interested in helping as well.
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Spokesdog for Therapy Dogs

Popular
0 Votes
Any Day
Moderate
Hard
3 - 6 hrs
Items needed
Harness and leash
Doggie waste bags
Platform and freebies
Activity description
Therapy dogs are such a wonderful, positive, and essential force in the world, so why not spread the word? Reach out to your community with your dog in tow. Put a smile on your face and let all that happy tail-wagging make a statement about the importance of therapy dogs and their power for good. Who knows? You and your kindred spirit might inspire another pup and their owner to become therapy partners. They can then begin visiting hospitals, nursing homes, libraries, and even schools. Dogs are man’s (and woman’s) best friends, after all. They can be a huge part of healing and education!
Step
1
Set a schedule
Study your community’s schedule, and choose some events you think you and your doggo could attend. Then call ahead and make sure it’s all right if you set up a therapy dog center, booth, or tent with your pooch. Most of the time, they’re going to say yes, especially if the community event is held outdoors. Festivals, rodeos, holiday light trails, and school field days are contenders for sure!
Step
2
Plan your setup and platform
The Wag! ice cream cart has been traveling around NYC lately, handing out ice cream to pups in all the summer heat. It’s been a lot of fun, and they’re raising awareness about the importance of pet health and exercise. A great way to spread your good news about therapy dogs is to have a little niche and easy-to-remember message.
Step
3
Make or order some freebies or s(Wag!)
You could hand out bags, stickers, candy, balloons, homemade treats, dog tags, sunglasses, and tons of other s(Wag!). Let visitors pet your dog and other therapy dogs you might invite, and talk to them about the work that therapy pups are doing these days. You might raise money for a certain therapy dog project as well. Get people interested!
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More Fun Ideas...

Deliver Goodies Around the Holidays

Around holidays or birthdays, make up some human gift baskets and doggie goodie bags, and go visit your friends with dogs of their own. It will make their day to see you and receive the human and dog treats!

Participate in a Dog Walk

Sign up, get your goody bag, and dress for the event. A lot of times, dog walks have a fundraising or awareness behind them, and they even have themes like “carnival,” “luau,” or “safari.” Remember: dressing up as a human and doggo duo is kind of essential.

Conclusion

Whether your dog is visiting an assisted living home or participating in a classroom activity about pets, therapy dogs are usually on the move, and they absolutely "dig" the attention and love they receive. Best of all, they’re giving so much love naturally because it’s just who they are. Therapy dogs are the real MVPs out there. They let us all know that anything is “paws-sible!”