How to Train Your Dog to Become a Therapy Dog
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Introduction
Many people use therapy dogs for many different situations. People who have therapy dogs may need their therapy dog to help with conditions such as autism, social therapy, or anxiety. Some dogs are trained to be therapy dogs so they can assist with the elderly. Moreover, many dogs are trained to be the best companion they can be for members of our service and civil workers who often suffer from conditions such as PTSD. Therapy dogs provide comfort and affection to their owners, and some therapy dogs go to places such as group homes to provide the people who live there the same comfort and affection. Studies show therapy dogs are beneficial in opening hearts and minds of people around the world. Children with autism who struggle socially seem to connect with therapy dogs when they do not have an emotional connection with people.
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Defining Tasks
Because therapy dogs work in various settings, whether with their owner or in groups of people such as in nursing homes, group home facilities, hospitals, schools, libraries, police stations, and other facilities where they will come in contact with various people, you will want to spend time training your therapy dog. Work with his abilities to be around different personalities and recognize how to handle different situations, emotions, and feelings of the people he is helping. Training a therapy dog begins with socializing your dog as a puppy. He is going to need to know how to adapt to different environments and different people. If you would like to register your dog as a therapy dog, he will need to be registered through a national therapy dog organization once he is trained. Because therapy dogs and service dogs are completely different, your therapy dog does not need to be registered. This is especially true if you plan to use your therapy dog within your own home. However, if you plan to take your therapy dog into hospitals, nursing homes, group homes, or civil worker station such as police and fire, you may want to have your dog officially trained and registered through the Therapy Dogs International or the AKC Star Puppy Program.
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Getting Started
To get your puppy started on becoming a therapy dog, you are going to need a good collar or harness to keep him under control as well as an appropriate leash for his weight and size. Your dog should know basic commands such as ‘sit’, ‘watch me’, ‘leave it’, ‘down’, ‘heel’, and ‘come’, as well as leash manners before beginning therapy training. Be prepared with lots of patience and have fun. Socializing your dog to new environments and you people will be your first step in any method you use, so be sure to have access to areas your dog may work once he is a therapy dog. And finally, be sure to carry around lots of little rewards for good behavior as you are training your dog.
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The Empathy Method
Most Recommended
4 Votes
Most Recommended
4 Votes
Teach love
Because therapy dogs are inherently empathetic, the first thing you need to teach your dog is to love anyone and everyone. To do this, you need to socialize your puppy from an early age. After his first vaccines are complete, get him out socially wherever you can take him and introduce him to the people of his world.
Socialize
Take your dog places. Take your dog to pet stores so he can interact with people and other animals. Take your dog to dog parks so he understands his world around him as it relates to animals off leash. Take your dog to other retailers and restaurants that will allow dogs.
Touching
From an early age, touch your dog as often as you can. Lift his ears, put your fingers in his ears and his mouth, wipe his eyes for him, clean his nose, rub his belly, and touch his paws. Allow other people to do the same. This will get your dog used to touching from strangers as he begins his therapy dog journey.
Basic obedience training
Teach your dog basic obedience skills such as sit, stay, down, watch me, leave it, come, and heel, as well as basic leash manners.
Introduce your dog to situations
Allow your dog to be around multiple people in a calm environment. Allow each person to treat your dog a little bit differently. One person may want to read to your dog. One person may want your dog to lay calmly next to them while they simply pet your pup. Another person may need your dog to snuggle. Be sure to introduce your dog to various situations so he is equipped for any emotional support he may need to provide.
The Personal Therapy Method
Effective
2 Votes
Effective
2 Votes
Start with empathy
If you are training a therapy dog to work within your own home with yourself or a family member, starting with a puppy or an older dog, teach your dog empathy first.
Basic commands
Have the person within your family who would like the dog to be their therapy dog teach your dog basic commands. This will build the bond between those two, making their bond stronger than any other bond within your household. This may mean getting your child involved in training your dog rather than yourself.
Conversation
Dogs want to please their owners. Sit with your dog quietly with some treats and read him a book or just talk to him calmly.
Sleeping arrangements
Within your household, have your therapy dog in training sleep with the family member you are training your dog to help. Your dog does not have to be in the same bed, but ensure your dog understands this family member’s space is also your dog's space.
Recognizing needs
As your family member goes through emotional turmoil or the highs and lows of whatever condition they battle, put your dog with them during those times. Over time, your dog will begin to recognize the signs and his personal owner’s needs.
Practice and repeat
Continue to build a bond with your new therapy dog and his one particular owner within your family by increasing the time they spent together. Have that particular family member offer him meals and treats, give him training, and spend quality one-on-one time together. And when your family member is struggling emotionally, always have his dog by his side so your dog begins to understand this is his job and this is his person.
The Citizenry Method
Least Recommended
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Least Recommended
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Basic commands
Before getting your dog out into the world, teach him basic commands such as ‘sit’, ‘stay’, ‘down’, ‘come’, ‘heel’, and leash manners.
Jobs
Take your dog to various sites within your community and allow him to interact with the people who work there.
Ask for involvement
As you are introducing your dog to various jobs within your community, ask the people who work at those places to become involved in therapy training for your dog. To do this, they need to ask your dog to do basic commands and reward your dog for being obedient. Have them spend time with your pup working and cuddling and being calm.
Repeat
Continue to get your dog involved with strangers, but increase the situations where your dog will be working as a therapy dog. For instance, if you have taken your dog to your office to get used to people, you may want to begin to take your dog to a nursing home, which is more like the environment where he may be working.
Community involvement
Ask community officials such as police officers, firefighters, schools, or your local City Hall to get involved in training your therapy dog. They can take your dog places where he will be exposed to people who need help, or you can leave your dog at their stations and office to help with their stressful work as well.
Written by Amy Caldwell
Veterinary reviewed by:
Published: 10/27/2017, edited: 01/08/2021
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Training Questions and Answers
Luna
Australian Shepherd
3 Years
Question
0 found this helpful
0 found this helpful
My aussie Luna is pretty well-behaved, knows tons of commands and has done lots of puppy classes, but she struggles with other dogs, especially smaller ones. Is there any hope for us to become a therapy team if she has a hard time working next to small dogs?
Jan. 29, 2022
Luna's Owner
Caitlin Crittenden - Dog Trainer
1128 Dog owners recommended
Hello Maisie, That really just depends on how much progress she can make around other dogs. She will need to become 100% reliable around other dogs before therapy work will ever be an option. There are often other dogs in a therapy work environment and not being reliable around other dogs will put those she is supposed to be helping in possible danger, or at least add more stress for them. I would start by joining a G.R.O.W..L. class for her, which is a class for dog reactive/aggressive dogs. Often the level of training you need is most effective and quicker when you are in an environment where you can control the variables better, have access to consistent other dogs, and utilize a lot of structure to keep pup in a working mindset, that's more dependent on your instruction and feedback and less on pup making her own bad choices out of her current highly aroused state when around other dogs. You want the mind to be calm, respectful toward you, and not so flooded with stress hormones while around other dogs that she can't learn. Doing a lot of structured obedience practice, interrupting any initial fixation on other dogs, easing into dog interactions gradually with appropriate space and repetition at first, and rewarding not only non-aggressive responses but more specifically, calm, relaxed body language - and thereby a calm mindset, are all a part of addressing dog aggression. Check out Thomas Davis on youtube. Best of luck training, Caitlin Crittenden
Jan. 31, 2022
Soloman
Sheepadoodle
3 Months
Question
0 found this helpful
0 found this helpful
Does my dog need some kind of certificate in order for him to accompany me to work? I am a therapist and want him to comfort me and my clients.
Aug. 19, 2020
Soloman's Owner
Darlene Stott - Dog Trainer and Groomer
102 Dog owners recommended
Hello, I am not certain of the requirements in allowing a dog to accompany you to your office, but I think that you should be able to find out the information you need from the AKC website here: https://www.akc.org/products-services/training-programs/akc-therapy-dog-program/. I believe that certification (or training in general for this type of work) can take up to two years. A dog is assessed for calmness in all situations, obedience, and comfort around loud noises or sudden movements, etc. All the best to you and Soloman as you train for this wonderful endeavor!
Aug. 25, 2020