Therapy dog training involves teaching the animal to work with a variety of people. Therapy dogs are a unique group of animals trained to provide emotional support.

These dogs are used in hospitals, nursing homes and other institutions. Unlike assistance or service dogs, therapy dogs must work well with strangers.

The most important characteristic to be an effective therapy dog, is a love of people.

While any breed (or mixed breed) has the potential to be a therapy dog, Retrievers and Spaniels are particularly good candidates because of their friendliness and affectionate nature.

The level of training a therapy dog receives prior to beginning their visits varies with what setting they will be working in. The following are some of the steps taken during therapy dog training:

Basic obedience: All therapy dogs must have a basic level of obedience training in order to perform the tasks necessary in their work.

Canine Good Citizen exam: Therapy dogs must pass this 10-step test. The exam includes things such as the dog’s reaction to strange people and animals, their response to basic obedience commands, and their response to being separated from their owner/handler. Upon successful completion of the testing, the dog is a certified Good Citizen. However, for most therapy dog work, this is not enough.

Therapy Dog International exam: TDI has its own testing which closely mirrors the Good Citizen exam. TDI’s test adds factors a dog will encounter in hospital situations. The dogs must be trained to ignore distractions from hospital equipment, leave food and other items on the floor alone, and be accustomed to people with infirmities, as well as people of all ages.

Therapy dog training is not nearly as structured as the training for assistance dogs. However, because of their close contact with people they don’t know, therapy dog candidates must be trained to calmly accept everyone with the same joy they would greet someone close to them.

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