Therapy Dogs
What is a therapy dog?
A therapy dog works with a handler to provide comfort and joy to those in clinics, hospitals, Story Dogs' reading with children program, schools, aged care facilities, family law courts, and so on. They even have one that goes to the paramedic stations!
I can assist in the training of your dog for entry into a therapy dog program. These one-on-one consultations will be geared towards the specific requirements and standards of training expected of a therapy dog. I can then point you in the direction of organisations that do provide a Certificate assessment if you need "formal' recognition from your place of employment.
There is no formal qualification or certification for a therapy dog and as this industry is unregulated, it is essential that you find a trainer and organisation that marries up to your ethical standards. Therapy dogs, can and do, provide so much support to the people where they are working. There is no age or breed restrictions; the dogs just need to meet the required standard of training and behavioural temperament assessment criteria. It can be very taxing on these dogs so it is imperative that we are sure that they can cope with the pressures that this working role demands. Not every dog can be a therapy dog!
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