Therapy Dog Preparation Program

Description

Is your goal to have your dog become a therapy dog? This specially designed 8-lesson course prepares you and your dog for their therapy dog testing and certification. This course is designed to prepare you for the testing and does not constitute as a formal certification.

A therapy dog is a pet that accompanies their owner into specific settings for the benefit of the residents or clients in the setting and/or as part of a therapeutic intervention. Studies have shown that interacting with therapy dogs as part of an animal-assisted intervention approach yields both physical and psychological benefits to humans and the dog.

• Eight (8) private, 1-hour lessons 
• Waterproof, e-Collar with 1/2 mile range with two-year warranty and training leash 
• Minimum Dog Age: 1 year old

Course Outline:

 – Week 1:  E-collar introduction with Come, Sit, Break and Off (including relevant distractions)
 – Week 2:  Place (including relevant distractions)
 – Week 3:  Heel (including relevant distractions)
 – Week 4:  Down (including relevant distractions)
 – Week 5:  Food Refusal (neither from people nor off the floor)
 – Week 6:  Public field trip (in location with similar traffic, floor textures, and noises for therapy work goal)
 – Week 7:  Recap and Canine Good Citizen (CGC) practice
–  Week 8:  CGC Evaluation

Minimum Program Standards:

 – Dog will be exposed to noises (loud children, beeping machinery, etc).
 – Dog will be exposed to moving objects (wheelchair, walker, etc)
 – Dog will be exposed to groups of people
 – Dog will be exposed to other dogs (not interacting, but ignoring in close proximity)
 – Dog will be exposed to being touched all over without reaction

Client Requirements:

 – Client will be required to have a specific facility goal and to have reached out to that facility prior to starting the program with any specific requirements from that facility.  This will help to ensure the therapy dog team is properly trained for the type of therapy work they are pursuing and allow the trainer to customize the program and distractions to help meet those requirements.  (i.e. working with children, working with senior citizens, working in hospitals or rehabilitation facilities, etc).