⭐️Therapy Dog Training Class

Start: Sept. 16th @ 6 PM
Class size: 8 Dogs
Trainer/Evaluator: Shelley McLaren/Holly Leas
Cost: $350

⭐️Sign Up Here!

Therapy Dogs provide affection and comfort to members of the public, and Therapy teams volunteer their services at places such as hospitals, hospices, nursing homes, and schools where they interact with others. From working with a child who is learning to read to visiting a senior in assisted living, therapy dogs and their handlers work together to improve the lives of other people.

All Breed Obedience Therapy Dog Training:

This 8 Week Therapy Dog Class prepares dog/handler teams to become a successful Therapy Dog Team including education, training, and skill building exercises. During the 8 week class handlers will build skills needed for successfully testing with a therapy dog organization. You will also Learn:

• Therapy Dog Socialization
• Dog Handling Skills
• Engagement Techniques
• Canine Body Language
• Working in the Wild & Public Engagement
• Navigating Medical Equipment
• Expected Handling & Canine Behavior during Therapy Visits
• Various Therapy Dog Programs, Education, & Certification

Classes are held at our facility, and at public venues. We offer evaluation and certification for the AKC Canine Good Citizen Testing series, CGC(Canine Good Citizen), CGCA(Canine Good Citizen Advanced), and CGCU(Urban Canine Good Citizen) for those teams that are ready. Certification with a Therapy Dog Organization is not included.

Would my dog be a good Therapy Dog candidate?

Dogs that do well as therapy dogs are:

• Friendly, calm, and sociable.
• Comfortable around strangers, enjoy being petted.
• Relaxed in various environments.
• Patient, gentle, not easily startled by loud noises or activity.
• Welcoming to interactions, not just tolerant.

What else will you learn?

• Essential therapy dog traits, characteristics, and training.
• Advanced commands and behaviors for your dog.
• Importance of dog/handler team approach.
• How to be a good therapy dog handler.
• Reading your dog’s body language.
• Positioning your dog for safe, effective visits.
• Preparing your dog for visiting people in different facilities.
• Protocol, etiquette, and methods for handling various situations.
• Assistance with certification with an organization and what to expect of the process.

Class Prerequisites

• Dog is at least 6 months of age and has sound temperament with a demeanor that is friendly, calm, and sociable outside of the home.
• Dog must have lived with the handler for at least 6 months.
• Dogs must have solid on-leash obedience foundation and completed basic obedience training (sit, stay, loose-leash heeling, come, down, leave it).
• If your team is lacking in obedience skills, please reach out to schedule obedience classes with us.
• Completion of Canine Good Citizen Testing Series is strongly recommended but not required.
• Fill out the Dog/Handler Enrollment form
  

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⭐️Advanced Therapy Dog Training Class

Start: Sept. 16th @ 7 PM
Class size: 8 Dogs
Trainers: Shelley McLaren/Holly Leas
Cost: $350

⭐️Sign Up Here!

This 8-week class will build and improve upon your skills as a Therapy Handler/Dog team and set you up for advanced work, including education, training, and skill building exercises. This class is for handler/dog teams that have:
1) Experience doing therapy dog work as a volunteer or as a facility dog.
and/or
2) Completion of our standard Therapy Dog class.

During the 8 week Class Handlers Will Learn:

• Obedience compliance vs consent
• Advanced handler and canine competencies and skills
• Situational awareness and working in distracted environments
• Ways for you and your dog to be prepared for various situations
• Intro to Animal Assisted Crisis Response
• We can also help arrange therapy dog evaluations for CRC Cares or Bright and Beautiful Therapy Dogs

If you have not yet achieved your AKC CGCU (Urban Canine Good Citizen) we can perform such evaluation. We can also help arrange therapy dog evaluations by for CRC CARES or Bright and Beautiful Therapy Dogs.

What Else Will You Learn

• How to improve your therapy dog handler skills
• Reading and acting upon your dog’s body language.
• Managing safe, effective visits.
• Advanced comfort skills
• Advanced commands and behaviors for your dog.
• Protocol, etiquette, and methods for handling various situations.

Class Prerequisites

• Existing membership in good standing with an AKC recognized Therapy Dog organization, or Achieved AKC – CGCU title & completion of our Therapy Dog Class.
  Or Achieved AKC – CGCU title and performing work as a facility dog in a professional setting.
• Healthy, with up-to-date vaccinations, regular heartworm prevention, and a clean bill of health from a veterinarian. Bring proof of current DHLP/Parvo vaccination and current rabies
  certificate.



Meet Your Instructor

Therapy dogs are NOT service dogs. Service dogs are specifically trained to perform tasks to assist their assigned person with a disability or impairment. A service dog is protected by the American Disability Act (ADA). Whereas, Therapy Dogs do not have special access. It is unethical and may be illegal to attempt to pass off a Therapy Dog as a Service Dog for purposes such as flying, admittance inside restaurants, events, etc.