Therapy dogs comfort individuals who need emotional support in settings like hospitals, schools, nursing homes, and rehabilitation centers. Unlike a service dog and an emotional support animal, who assist one particular individual, a therapy dog works with multiple people.
Due to the nature of their work, therapy dogs must undergo extensive training and possess certain traits, such as a naturally sociable and calm temperament. If you think that your dog would be a good therapy dog, keep reading to learn all about therapy dog training and what steps are involved in the process.
What Is the Legal Definition of a Therapy Dog?
Therapy dogs are legally defined as dogs that provide emotional comfort and companionship to people in structured settings. They are commonly involved in volunteer programs and organized visits where they interact with individuals who may benefit from a loving, cheerful animal’s presence.
Therapy dogs most commonly visit places like hospitals, schools, nursing homes, hospice centers, and disaster areas to bring a positive change. These dogs are supervised by a handler — typically someone who usually owns them. Unlike assistance animals for people with disabilities, therapy dogs don’t have any legal protections. They don’t have the public access rights of service dogs or the housing rights of emotional support dogs, for example.
We go into more detail about the differences between therapy dogs, emotional support dogs, and service dogs below.
Therapy Dogs vs. Emotional Support Dogs
Therapy dogs and emotional support dogs are often confused, as both have therapeutic benefits. However, an emotional support dog provides comfort to a specific individual with a qualifying mental disability. They don’t have any training requirements and require documentation from a qualified mental health professional, known as an emotional support animal (ESA) letter.
Therapy dogs, on the other hand, work with many different people. The purpose of these dogs is broader, and they are often required to visit an array of public spaces. That’s why they have strict training requirements before they can be employed as part of an organization. As mentioned, therapy dogs don’t have any legal protections, whereas emotional support animals have protections under the Fair Housing Act (FHA).
Therapy Dogs vs. Service Dogs
Therapy dogs and service dogs have a clear distinction. Even though both must be well-trained, service dog training is directly related to a handler’s disability. Therapy dogs, on the contrary, only need to be well-behaved in public, especially when handled and touched. Overall, the training of service dogs is more specialized and task-focused, while therapy dog training emphasizes a calm temperament and obedience around strangers.
Another difference is that, just like emotional support animals, service dogs have legal protections. The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) allows service dogs to accompany their handlers in public, which also goes beyond the housing protections of emotional support animals.
How to Start Therapy Dog Training
If you plan on starting therapy dog training, here’s a quick overview of the typical process.
1. Determine if Your Dog Is Suitable for Therapy Dog Work
Therapy dog training starts with evaluating your dog’s temperament. A therapy dog should be calm, friendly, confident, and comfortable around strangers. They shouldn’t be aggressive or overly fearful in new environments.
For this reason, dog breeds that are inherently wary of strangers or reserved often don’t make good therapy dogs. Naturally sociable and affectionate dog breeds tend to be the best therapy dogs.
2. Obedience Training
Above all, your dog must have strong obedience. They need to master basic commands like “sit,” “stay,” and “recall.” They should walk calmly on a leash without pulling and frequently check in with you in unexpected situations. These skills are critical considering that therapy dogs must remain controlled in busy and distracting environments, especially when interacting with people who need emotional support.
Practice basic commands and introduce distractions gradually to build consistency. The goal with obedience training for therapy dog work isn’t having a dog that executes commands flawlessly at home, but one that does it in unfamiliar, often unpredictable environments. Prioritize training commands in the presence of distractions, and you will have a dog that listens to you reliably, no matter what’s happening around.
3. Socialization
Socialization is just as critical as training with therapy dogs, if not more. Therapy dogs need to greet people politely without showing any signs of aggression or stress. A therapy dog candidate barking excessively, exhibiting mouthiness, or pushing into people will immediately get disqualified from therapy work.
Always expose your dog to unfamiliar environments in a controlled manner, particularly places that can simulate real-life scenarios. If you intend to work with children in hospitals, for instance, train your dog near playgrounds and appropriate medical settings to give your dog a similar exposure beforehand.
4. Calm Greetings and Handling Tolerance
Therapy dogs must remain calm at all times and shouldn’t get overly excited just because of meeting new people. That’s why practicing having your dog sit or stand calmly while people approach, pet them, and speak to them is a critical part of therapy dog training. Since you can’t do this on your own, having a family member or a friend that your dog doesn’t interact with often is going to be extremely helpful for this part of therapy dog training.
Given that there isn’t just one way to pet a dog, and a therapy dog meets countless people throughout their career, your dog should be comfortable with being petted in different ways. They should be comfortable with gentle touching around the head, ears, paws, back, and tail, and remain calm if someone moves awkwardly, speaks loudly, or makes sudden movements.
What Comes After Therapy Dog Training
After completing therapy dog training, you typically will need to arrange for an evaluation with a reputable therapy dog organization. A therapy dog assessment is designed to determine whether your dog has the temperament and behavior required for therapy work.
One of the most notable organizations in the therapy dog space is the Therapy Dogs International, which has a standard procedure in place for registering therapy dogs. Since many organizations operate similarly, using their testing procedure as a training framework can lead to results. This can be a great way to start therapy dog training, as you will have a tangible list of things to pass before your dog can be recognized as a therapy dog.
Therapy Dogs International’s testing requirements include recall from 20 feet, meeting another dog without aggression or over-excitement, and staying calm near children playing. You can train and test your dog for these before participating in the evaluation. Upon successful completion, you can have your dog registered as a therapy dog with Therapy Dogs International or another therapy dog organization that operates in your area.