Therapy Dogs
What is a Therapy Dog?
A Therapy Dog is one that has been trained to comfort those who need it in different facilities and public spaces (like hospitals, nursing homes, schools, etc), but they are not the same as a Service Dog or an Emotional Support Dog. A Therapy Dog’s job is to provide psychological and physiological therapy to people other than their handlers/owners. Therapy Dogs are trained to interact with people in a specific way so that they can provide comfort by way of being pet, snuggled, or just simply being near a person. Typically, these dogs are very easy going, friendly, and stable. Therapy dogs and their handlers/owners do not have a legal right to be in public spaces together and they must always be invited. Once invited though, allowing your dog to help others can be an awesome and rewarding experience.
If you’re interesting in having your dog be a Therapy Dog and would like to go through training, we can help! Drop Us a LIne and let us know how we can assist, and head to our Dog Training page for information on pricing and packages.
Keep in mind, Therapy Dog work isn’t for every dog, so you’ll first want to figure out if your dog would be right for therapy work. A few things to consider:
- Is your dog comfortable with people of all ages, ethnicity, sexes, and sizes?
- Is your dog comfortable with people approaching quickly?
- Does your dog accept hugs and kisses on their head or neck?
- Is your dog comfortable with prolonged eye contact from humans?
- Is your dog comfortable around medical equipment or mobility devices?
- Is your dog comfortable with being touched on every part of their body?
- Does your dog shed a lot?
- Does your dog recover quickly from unexpected things like quick movements, loud noises, and bumps or nudges from people?
- Do they know full-on Basic Obedience and respond well to all cues in public spaces?
- Is your dog generally ”in-tune” with people?
- Is getting attention your dog’s love language?
- Is your dog calm and relaxed the majority of the day?
If you’re unsure about your dog being a great candidate for Therapy Dog work, we love to meet with you and provide a Temperament Test to help solve any worries you may have.
If you know your dog isn’t ready for Therapy Dog work but strongly believe they’d be a good candidate, we‘d be happy to design a training program especially for you and your dog! Typically, this involves making sure all Basic Obedience cues are 110% solid, and working on any needed socialization, tolerance, or handling skills. Check out our Dog Training page to learn more about how our pricing and packages work!
Once your dog is ready to become a Therapy Dog, there are a couple more steps that are not required but are highly recommended by top Therapy Dog organizations:
- Obtain the AKC Canine Good Citizen title, as well as AKC Community Canine and Urban CGC titles - What are these?? Check out our Canine Good Citizen page to learn more!
- Register your dog with an organization like the National Therapy Dog Organization
PLEASE NOTE: Do not register your dog as a Therapy Dog unless they have truly met all requirements and are a great representation of what a Therapy Dog should be. Registering a dog who has not undergone the proper training or does not have the right personality for such work is misrepresentation and discredits the organizations involved in this process.
Emotional Support Dogs
What is an Emotional Support Dog?
An Emotional Support Animal (ESA) can technically be any type of animal, not just dogs. These dogs though, are able to help their owner with depression, anxiety or mental health issues simply by being present. ESA’s are not the same as Service Dogs or Therapy Dogs and do not have the same rights, training, responsibilities, certifications, or wide-spread acceptance into public establishments. They are usually prescribed by a primary care physician or mental health professional to assist their owner with certain difficulties. They are not required to undergo any specific training but do need to pass a Temperament Test to prove they have what it takes to become an Emotional Support Dog. There is no recognized certification required, and Emotional Support Animals are not considered assistance animals by the ADA.
What does your provider need to give you in order for your dog to become an ESA?
- A letter stating what jurisdiction they are in
- How long they have been treating you - please note that they must have met you in person and must have been treating you in person in order to be recognized
- Must state that you have an illness that is recognized in the DSM
- Must state that it is their opinion that your mental health will improve due to the presence of your dog
- This letter must be updated annually to maintain ESA status
As far as rights and laws that ESA’s have, there are a few to keep in mind.
Under the Fair Housing Act, an owner with an ESA has the right to keep their dog in the home regardless of what the landlord’s pet rules are. This does only apply though, to landlords who own four or more rental properties or units. As long as the dog owner can provide proper documentation for their ESA, the landlord also won’t charge any pet fees. If there are any damages done by the ESA though, this is not covered and the owner of the dog will be responsible for those damages.
No training is technically needed for ESA’s, but bad behavior can be a huge issue and training is highly recommended to ensure you will not run into any problems. If a dog is disruptive with barking or being aggressive and/or dangerous, is destructive, or is not properly potty trained, a landlord may require removal of the ESA from their property. Because of these reasons, it’s a great idea to work on Basic Obedience and Advanced Obedience with your dog. Additionally, many people also prefer to obtain a Canine Good Citizen title for their ESA as evidence of their hard work, training, and well-mannered dog. If you’re interested in training your dog to be an Emotional Support Dog, please Let Us Know Today by filling out our contact form, and check out our Dog Training Packages to get a good idea of what will work best for you and your dog.
In rare cases, under Title I of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), an individual may be granted permission to bring their ESA to work with them. This is only if the individual’s mental health is severe enough that it interferes with their ability to do their job correctly. In these rare cases, the work environment must be able to accommodate having an ESA present without posing any health issues or danger to others and will not alter the nature of the business.
As of January 2021, the Department of Transportation (DOT) no longer requires airlines to accommodate ESA’s. There are, however, There are still a few domestic and international airlines that are disability-progressing and ESA-friendly, so you’ll want to do your research there if planning on flying as policies surrounding the subject are rapidly changing.
