Our goal is to help therapy dogs become confident, well-mannered, and emotionally balanced partners who bring comfort to the people who need it most. Therapy dogs visit hospitals, schools, senior facilities, and community programs every day, offering warmth, connection, and reassurance—often in challenging or stressful environments. Because of this, it’s essential that therapy dogs receive thoughtful, positive, and consistent training.
Across the world, healthcare professionals recognize the powerful impact of human-animal interaction. Therapy dogs have been shown to reduce stress, lower blood pressure, ease anxiety, and elevate mood. They can help individuals work through emotional, developmental, and communication challenges and bring meaningful support to people of all ages. Therapy dogs come in all breeds and sizes, but the most important quality is temperament. A great therapy dog is friendly, patient, gentle, confident, and comfortable around new people, environments, and unpredictable situations.
Visiting with a therapy dog is an uplifting experience—for those receiving support and for the handler as well. Watching someone smile, relax, or open up simply because a dog is present is deeply rewarding. These small moments of connection show just how powerful a calm, well-trained therapy dog can be. Their ability to provide companionship, comfort, and emotional relief is a reminder of how much good a single dog can do in the lives of others.
If you want your pet dog to participate in therapy visits at hospitals, nursing homes, schools, libraries, or community programs, our Therapy Dog Training Course is designed for you. We offer private, personalized training that prepares your dog to be calm, confident, gentle, and welcoming in a wide range of environments.
With more than 30 years of combined experience in professional dog training and animal-assisted support work, our team has developed a structured program that helps you and your dog build the skills needed for successful therapy visits. We focus on manners, emotional steadiness, and the friendly, people-oriented temperament required for therapy dog work.
The primary role of a therapy dog is to provide comfort, emotional support, and positive interaction to people they meet. Therapy dogs visit hospitals, nursing homes, schools, libraries, rehabilitation centers, and community programs. During visits, they may sit beside someone for petting, rest their head on a lap, provide gentle pressure, or simply offer a warm, calming presence. Many therapy dogs also enjoy performing simple tricks or participating in structured activities that bring joy to the individuals they meet.
To prepare for this work, therapy dogs must be friendly, patient, and comfortable with unfamiliar people touching or approaching them. They may be lifted onto a bed, invited onto a chair, or asked to navigate different surfaces and environments. Because they encounter diverse situations—including medical equipment, wheelchairs, walkers, loud noises, and unexpected movements—therapy dogs need steady, confident behavior and excellent manners.
Our program begins with your dog passing the American Kennel Club Canine Good Citizen (CGC) test as the first step. From there, we add training requirements tailored to the specific environments where your dog will visit. These may include exposure to unusual sounds, handling by different types of people, and practice staying calm around mobility devices and medical equipment. This ensures your dog is truly prepared for safe, meaningful therapy interactions.
Please note: Therapy dogs are not the same as service dogs. Therapy dogs provide emotional comfort to others during visits, but they do not perform disability-related tasks for a handler. They are not granted public access rights under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). Only service dogs trained to perform specific tasks for an individual with a disability have protection under the ADA.