THERAPY DOG TRAINING
A Therapy Dog is a dog who accompanies their owner to volunteer in a variety of settings such as schools, assisted living facilities, hospitals, hospices, group homes, libraries, college campuses, airports, rehabilitation centers or disaster areas. Therapy dogs are trained to provide psychological or physiological therapy like affection, support and comfort to individuals other than their owners.
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A good candidate for therapy work would be a dog that has a stable temperament, is friendly, has good public manners, is neutral around other animals, enjoys interacting with people and has an easy-going personality. The dog should be able to adjust to loud and sudden sounds, as well as fast movements. The dog should not be frightened by people using mobility devices such as canes, walkers, wheelchairs, crutches, scooters, or unusual styles of walking or moving.
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Therapy dogs do not have public access rights to housing, travel, or entry into businesses that do not allow pet dogs. Therapy dogs undergo several tests to ensure they are a good candidate for therapy work. Their training differs from that of service dogs, who are trained to focus on a single person. Therapy dogs interact with many people in different environments for short periods of time.
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These are a few organizations that you can get your dog certified as a Therapy Dog if they meet all of the requirements.
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The amount of time put into training each dog is different and many factors affect that timeline. These factors can include the age of the dog, their biddability, manners they need to have proofed in multiple environments, amount of time spent practicing, etc.
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It is unethical and illegal to attempt to pass off a therapy dog as a service dog.
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If you currently have a dog and you would like to see if they are suitable for therapy work, we are happy to evaluate them to see if they are able to pass our Evaluation and therapy dog testing criteria. There is a fee for the Evaluation and that does go towards the cost of a Package or Program of your choosing if they successfully pass. We want to ensure that your dog will be able to go out and enjoy the volunteer work with people. Please note that no training is conducted during this Evaluation.
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Therapy Dog Evaluation
Investment - $100
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Evaluation Locations
Evaluations will take place at your choice of the following:
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Scottsdale Fashion Square
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Chandler Fashion Center
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Arrowhead Towne Center
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We offer payment plans for everyone, as well as discounts for
BIPOC, new puppy adopters, teachers, first responders, active military and veterans.
All training programs are non-refundable once started. Discounts are only applicable to in-person training sessions.