Therapy Dog
What is a Therapy Dog?
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
Engagement
Engagement is the foundation of our training. You always want you and your dog to have the best relationship and it starts with engagement. The dog is focused on you and not what’s around you so that when you give commands the dog will respond in a proper way.
Basic Obedience
Basic obedience is what everyone should do with their dog when they get them. After you have good communication and engagement with your dog they need to learn boundaries, impulse control, and good manners. If you don’t teach them, how are they supposed to know how to act properly.
Socialization with Dogs and People
Socializing your dog doesn’t mean that they have to play with other dogs and people. But being a therapy dog after your engagement, and your basic obedience, they need to learn to act properly in public around other people and other dogs. The whole point of a therapy dog is bringing them to places outside of the home so other people can feel supported by the therapy animal. Places include schools, hospitals, VA homes, nursing homes, and more.
Socialization with Places
There are several places that you can bring your dog to get them socialized outside of the home even before they pass their therapy test. Lowes, Home Depot, Michael’s, and TJ Maxx are places that allow you to bring your dog in as long as they act appropriately, always without aggression. That’s how you start socializing your dog with people and places outside of the home.
Canine Good Citizen
Even though it’s not required to have an AKC certification we feel here at Pet Peeves Dog Training, the more training you get the better … why not!! We will go through the AKC Canine Good Citizen, AKC Canine Good Citizen Community & AKC Canine Good Citizen Urban to make sure that your dog will have all the appropriate training that it needs to become a therapy dog.
Time Frame
Training for Therapy Dog takes patience and time. We feel approximately six months does the trick. We can teach you everything that you need to know and practice during that six month. As we help and guide you through the program.