Three Steps to Making Your Dog a Therapy Dog
Deliver healing support and joy through your dog’s trained presence and caring visits.
Therapy dogs bring comfort, healing, and companionship to countless individuals in hospitals, schools, nursing homes, and other community settings. If you’re considering training your dog to become a therapy dog, this comprehensive guide walks you through the step-by-step process: understanding what therapy dogs do, preparing your dog with essential training, obtaining proper certification, and fulfilling the ongoing responsibilities therapy dog teams uphold.
What Is a Therapy Dog?
A therapy dog is an exceptionally trained companion animal that provides affection and support to people in a variety of environments, including healthcare facilities, schools, disaster areas, and more. While therapy dogs are not service dogs and do not have the same public access rights, their presence can relieve stress, promote healing, and encourage emotional well-being for those they visit.
The Distinction: Therapy, Service, and Emotional Support Dogs
- Therapy Dogs: Visit facilities to provide comfort to people other than their handler.
- Service Dogs: Specially trained to assist individuals with disabilities and have legal public access rights.
- Emotional Support Animals: Offer comfort to their owner and do not require specialized training or certification.
Therapy dogs must be friendly, patient, confident, gentle, and comfortable being handled in any situation by strangers, including children and seniors.
The Three Steps to Becoming a Therapy Dog
To help your dog succeed as a therapy animal, follow these three key steps:
Step 1: Foundational Training & Socialization
Therapy dog work begins with a solid foundation of obedience training and socialization. Before you pursue any formal certification, ensure your dog has mastered basic manners and can remain well-behaved in a wide array of environments.
- Obedience Training: Teach your dog to walk calmly on a loose leash, sit, stay, lie down, come when called, and leave distractions or items when asked.
- Socialization: Expose your dog regularly to different sights, sounds, surfaces, people of all ages and backgrounds, and other animals.
- Canine Good Citizen (CGC) Certification: Completing the AKC Canine Good Citizen test sets the gold standard for polite dog behavior and is often required or strongly recommended by therapy dog organizations.
| Skill | Description |
|---|---|
| Loose-Leash Walking | Dog walks calmly beside handler, unfazed by distractions. |
| Sit/Stay/Down | Dog responds reliably to fundamental obedience commands. |
| Greeting Strangers | Dog remains calm when meeting new people and isnât startled by touch. |
| Handling & Grooming | Dog allows being petted and handled without discomfort or anxiety. |
| Reaction to Distractions | Dog shows little to no fear or overexcitement in busy, stimulating environments. |
Certification agencies and institutions will want to observe your dogâs consistent ability to behave with courtesy and confidence in a variety of real-world scenarios before approving them for therapy work.
Step 2: Certification through a Recognized Therapy Dog Organization
Once your dog has a strong foundation of training and social etiquette, the next step is to obtain therapy dog certification through an approved national or local organization. The process typically involves:
What others are reading
- Eligibility Check: Most organizations require dogs to be at least one year old and in good health. Some accept both purebred and mixed breed dogs if they display suitable temperament and training.
- Temperament Assessment: Evaluators look for reliability, calmness, tolerance of new sounds and smells, ability to handle medical equipment (wheelchairs, crutches, etc.), and lack of aggression or excessive fear.
- Canine Good Citizen (CGC) or Equivalent: Many organizations require or prefer CGC certification as a prerequisite for therapy dog testing.
- Supervised Visits: Prospective therapy teams may be observed during practice visits in real facility settings to ensure comfort, control, and responsiveness.
- Health Documentation: Dog must have proof of current vaccinations, veterinary health clearance, and parasite prevention.
- Handler Requirements: Many organizations require handlers to pass background checks and demonstrate safe, confident control of their dog at all times.
Upon successful evaluation, the organization will provide you and your dog with official therapy team credentials, such as a photo ID and vest or bandana. Youâll also be briefed on visitation protocols and be eligible to participate in facility visits and community outreach.
Choosing a Therapy Dog Organization
Popular recognized organizations include:
- Pet Partners
- Alliance of Therapy Dogs
- Therapy Dogs International
- Bright & Beautiful Therapy Dogs
- Love On A Leash
Each group may have slightly different requirements and procedures, so research their guidelines and choose a program that aligns with your goals and your dogâs temperament.
AKC Therapy Dog Title
The American Kennel Club (AKC) recognizes therapy dogs with its Therapy Dog⢠titles, which are based on the number of documented visits you and your dog accumulate at service settings:
- AKC Therapy Dog Novice (THDN): 10 visits
- AKC Therapy Dog (THD): 50 visits
- AKC Therapy Dog Advanced (THDA): 100 visits
- AKC Therapy Dog Excellent (THDX): 200 visits
- AKC Therapy Dog Distinguished (THDD): 400 visits
To earn one of these titles, your dog must be registered with the AKC (including mixed breeds through the Canine Partners program), and you must keep accurate records of official visits through approved therapy organizations. The AKC does not train, certify, or register therapy dogs itself but recognizes their contributions through these awards.
Step 3: Commitment, Continuing Education, and Ongoing Visits
Success as a therapy dog team requires an ongoing commitment to your dogâs behavior, health, and engagement in therapeutic work. Responsibilities of certified teams include:
- Regular Visits: Commit to a consistent schedule of visits as required by your certifying organizationâoften a minimum number per year to maintain active status.
- Continued Training: Reinforce positive behaviors and address any emerging issues with ongoing obedience and socialization practice.
- Health Maintenance: Keep your dog up to date with vaccinations, grooming, and regular veterinary checkups. Therapy dogs must always be clean, healthy, and well-groomed before each visit.
- Record-Keeping: Maintain accurate records of your visits and be prepared to provide documentation for title recognition or renewal.
- Professionalism: Follow all rules and policies of the facilities you visit. Model professionalism, empathy, and accountability to uphold the therapy dog communityâs reputation.
Is My Dog Suited for Therapy Work?
Not every dogâregardless of breed, background, or love for peopleâis suited to therapy work. Ideal therapy dog candidates share these characteristics:
- Stable temperament; quick recovery from startling events, little to no aggression or anxiety.
- Sociable nature; enjoyment of people, new places, and diverse environments.
- Obedience; reliably follows commands regardless of distractions.
- Health; is up to date on vaccines, clean, and in good physical condition.
If your dog is easily startled, dislikes being touched, or struggles under stress, consider alternative ways for you both to volunteer or participate in community life.
Common Settings for Therapy Dog Visits
- Hospitals and rehabilitation centers
- Nursing and assisted living homes
- Schools, universities, and libraries (e.g., reading programs for children)
- Crisis response locations (disaster relief, first responder support)
- Courtrooms and victim advocacy centers
Therapy dog teams can help reduce anxiety, encourage communication, alleviate loneliness, and ignite joy during their visits to these locations.
Benefits of Therapy Dog Work
- Improves emotional well-being for those visited
- Boosts confidence, trust, and enthusiasm in stressed or isolated individuals
- Offers meaningful service opportunities and strengthens the bond between you and your dog
- May help with socialization and relaxation for the therapy dog as well
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
Q: What kind of training does my dog need to become a therapy dog?
A: Your dog should have exceptional obedience skills, socialization with a variety of people and settings, and pass an evaluation through a therapy dog organization. Canine Good Citizen (CGC) certification is often recommended or required as a foundation.
Q: Do therapy dogs have public access rights like service dogs?
A: No. Therapy dogs are only permitted in facilities and situations where they are invited or approved. They do not have the legal access privileges given to service animals.
Q: What breeds make the best therapy dogs?
A: Many breeds (and mixes) can make wonderful therapy dogs. Temperament, not breed, is the deciding factor; look for dogs that are calm, gentle, confident, and enjoy interacting with strangers.
Q: How old does my dog have to be to become a therapy dog?
A: Most organizations require therapy dogs to be at least one year old to ensure they are fully mature and temperamentally stable.
Q: Who can benefit from a therapy dog visit?
A: Therapy dogs support people of all ages in hospitals, nursing homes, schools, rehabilitation centers, and many community organizations, helping to reduce stress, isolation, and anxiety.
Helpful Resources
- AKC Canine Good Citizen Program
- National therapy dog organizations (Pet Partners, Alliance of Therapy Dogs, Therapy Dogs International, and others)
- AKC Therapy Dog Title Program
Final Thoughts
Transforming your dog into a certified therapy dog is an immensely rewarding journey that requires thoughtful training, positive socialization, and ongoing dedication to the community. By following the three essential stepsâfoundational training, official certification, and ongoing commitmentâyou and your dog can create lasting positive impacts and shared memories through the gift of comfort and connection.
References
- https://canine.org/get-involved/therapy-dogs/
- https://www.akc.org/products-services/training-programs/akc-therapy-dog-program/
- https://www.akc.org/sports/title-recognition-program/therapy-dog-program/
- https://www.akc.org/products-services/training-programs/canine-good-citizen/therapy-dogs/
- https://forum.greytalk.com/topic/324586-process-of-getting-therapy-certification/
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