Therapy Dogs
What you need to know.
“Trixie has taught me what true pride feels like. When she meets someone and it brightens their day.”
What is a Therapy Dog?
A therapy dog differs from an assistance dog in that they do not have public access rights. While an assistance dog is trained to assist one human, typically their handler, a therapy dog is trained to interact with a variety of people they encounter. They play roles in therapy, community, and educational settings alongside their handler, who is often a clinician, teacher, or their owner.
How we can help.
Therapy dogs are trained to provide a number of animal-assisted services. Animal Assisted Therapy (AAT) is a goal directed modality where the handler is a professionally qualified clinical such as a Psychologist, Occupational Therapist, Speech Therapist etc. The emphasis remains on achieving the client’s treatment goals and the therapy dog is integrated in the therapy setting, where the therapist is utilising modalities that are evidence-based. Research supporting the benefits of involving animals in therapeutic settings are extremely well documented.
Animal-Assisted Activities and Animal-Assisted Learning benefits are also well researched; the benefit of visitation dogs in hospitals, school settings and aged care are readily appreciated.
Effective training for a specific purpose such as therapy dog work, should ideally begin as soon as the puppy arrives in its new home.
For dogs intended to work with people, establishing a strong foundation in basic obedience—such as sit, down, stay, leave it, and place—is crucial.
Moreover, they should exhibit a friendly, balanced temperament and display good manners around individuals of all ages. It's imperative that they learn to respect physical, environmental, and safety boundaries, and develop a reliable recall even in distracting environments.
At Both Ends of the Leash, we believe in starting this training early on to prevent the formation of undesirable habits that may require counter conditioning later. Our expertise can assist you in laying the groundwork for your prospective Therapy Dog, ensuring they begin their journey with confidence and readiness for success.
Please note:
We do not evaluate or certify therapy dogs as there are some great companies that do an excellent job with that. We support them fully in their specialisation(s).
If you would like to find out more about early foundational training and socialisation for your pup please use our contact form and reach out to us.
