This structured 4-week group class is designed for owners who wish to pursue certifying their dog for pet therapy work. Therapy dogs are in high demand in hospitals, libraries, schools, and nursing homes. The Therapy Dog Basics class focuses on advanced obedience, calm neutrality, impulse control, and therapy dog appropriate behaviors in a controlled group setting.​This is an ideal next step for teams who have completed basic obedience and are ready to build real-world working skills toward passing a therapy dog test. 

 

What This Class Covers

• Calm focus and neutrality around other dogs and people

• Advanced obedience needed for public access environments

• Impulse control and confidence around distractions

• Environmental stability (noise, movement, tight spaces)

• Task specific work that will be needed to pass a therapy dog certification

• Public access skills such as settling, ignoring food, and polite movement through spaces

• Simulated therapy dog work with young kids

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​What This Class Is (and Is Not)

✔ Designed for therapy dog prospects and dogs who have certified for therapy work but need more practice

✔ Prepare for certifications such has Pet Partners, Therapy Dog International, or other organizations

✖ Not a pet manners class

✖ Not appropriate for reactive or aggressive dogs

✖ Does not issue any official certification for therapy dog work

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Prerequisites

Dog must have basic obedience skills (sit, down, leash manners)

Dog must be comfortable working around other dogs

Handler must be physically able to manage their dog

Dogs must be healthy and up-to-date on vaccinations

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