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Therapy Dog Training Program

ATTENTION!! CLASSES ARE HELD AT THE HEELING HOUSE TRAINING CENTER AT 20789 GREAT FALLS PLAZA #158, STERLING, VA 20165

Therapy Dog class

 

This seven week course is an introduction to Animal Assisted Interactions (AAI). In order to be successful, therapy dogs should be well trained and prepared for any situation/behaviors their handlers ask of them. 

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We have designed this course to introduce dogs and owners to the skills necessary to be a successful therapy animal team, as well as the skills needed to pass an evaluation by a national therapy dog organization.

 

This course gives teams a broad education of the many different ways therapy animals can be used.  At the end of the course, the student will be ready to choose whichever type of therapy they are best suited for.

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An example of the curriculum for the Therapy Animal Training class is as follows: 

                                      

  • Review basic obedience skills

  • Introduction to different types of therapy

  • How to be your dogs’ advocate

  • Facility/client etiquette

  • Place command

  • Visit command (Appropriate greeting)

  • Walk beside wheelchair/walker

  • Introduction to children/READ program

  • ‘Leave it’ proofing

  • ‘Drop it’ proofing

  • Respond to commands from others

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Before enrolling, your dog must have their Canine Good Citizen (CGC) certification. 

LENGTH OF EACH COURSE LEVEL: 7 WEEKS

 

COST OF COURSE:  $245

COURSE PREREQUISITE:  CANINE GOOD CITIZEN CERTIFICATION

PLEASE NOTE THAT THIS CLASS IS FOR THERAPY DOG TRAINING.  IF YOU ARE LOOKING FOR A SERVICE DOG OR SERVICE DOG TRAINING, PLEASE VISIT WWW.HEELINGHOUSE.ORG

 

Therapy dogs are dogs who go with their owners to volunteer in settings such as schools, hospitals, and nursing homes. From working with a child who is learning to read to visiting a senior in assisted living, therapy dogs and their owners work together as a team to improve the lives of other people.

 A service animal is any dog that is individually trained to do work or perform tasks for the benefit of an individual with a disability, including a physical, sensory, psychiatric, intellectual, or other mental disability.

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