Training your dog to be a certified therapy dog is not only a great way to bond but also a great way to help people in your community!
Therapy Dogs International was founded in 1976 in my own state of New Jersey, but you can find therapy dogs and handlers in all 50 states and Canada. TDI is a volunteer organization that helps regulate, test, and register therapy dogs and their handlers. The therapy dogs are purebred or mixed, and can visit nursing homes, hospitals, and other institutions.
To become a therapy dog, your dog must pass all the requirements of the American Kennel Club’s Canine Good Citizen certification… with a few additions. Therapy dogs must be tested around medical equipment like wheelchairs, crutches, walkers, and other devices that might be found in a care facility. It can be included at different parts of the CGC test. The dog should react confidently when meeting people who walk with a shuffling or uneven gait, or people who cough or wheeze. Therapy dogs are also tested with food — the dog should ignore any food on the ground.
The idea behind this is to expose potential therapy dogs to as many real-life distractions as they might encounter in a nursing home, hospital, or other care facility. The dog should also be able to work well around children. If the dog shows signs of aggression towards children running or playing near the testing site, he will automatically fail the test.
In addition to the ten parts of the Canine Good Citizen test, an eleventh test is added: Say Hello. The dog is tested on his or her willingness to visit a person, and how they can be made easily accessible for petting. Small dogs can be held; larger dogs can sit or stand near the patient.
If you are interested in having your dog become a therapy dog, start with the CGC test, then learn more about Therapy Dogs International and finding a testing site near you.