To determine which animals are appropriate for this most therapy organizations have their own versions of a therapy test the pet must pass before interacting with people.
Certified therapy dog test.
A certified therapy dog must be friendly patient confident gentle and at ease in all situations.
For an overview of our testing requirements and what each dog handler team is tested for please view our tdi testing requirements brochure.
A therapy dog is trained to provide affection and comfort to those in hospitals schools nursing homes retirement homes people with learning disabilities people with anxiety people with severe stress and disaster areas.
1 the original completed atd test 2 the member application 3 the release of claims form 4 your dog s proof of vet visit negative fecal exam and rabies vaccination 5 the rules review and 6 a one time 10 new member fee and your annual fee of 30 that provides you with insurance coverage when you are volunteering with your dog.
Certification is the final hurdle in a dedicated process toward becoming a therapy dog however which includes temperament assessment training and more.
Therapy dogs must enjoy human contact and be content to be petted cuddled and handled sometimes clumsily by unfamiliar people and to enjoy that contact.
Therapy dogs provide help to people other than their owner while service dogs and emotional support dogs directly assist their owners with a physical or mental health condition.
After achieving a cgc certification your next step will be to contact an organization to acquire your pet s pet therapy certification.
A therapy dog is a dog that has undergone training to provide comfort and support to people often in group settings.
Akc therapy dog akc fit dog.
The canine good citizen test is nationally recognized as a high standard of dog behavior and the stepping stone to prepare for therapy dog training.
This test demonstrates that the dog has training will respond to the handler s commands to sit and down and will remain in the place commanded by the handler.
The most important characteristic of a therapy dog is its temperament.
Therapy dogs come in all sizes and breeds.
At usa service dog registration we have helped thousands of families register their therapy animal.
The temperament evaluation is not included in this number.
After graduation send us.
Can any dog be a therapy dog.
Prior to being admitted to the evaluation a brief temperament test will be performed on the dog by the evaluator.
The tdi test is divided into two phases and has 13 individual tests and additional exercises within each test.
A therapy pet can come in all shapes in sizes including dogs cats and even bunnies.
To find a tdi evaluator in your area please refer to the upcoming tests area of the website or use the evaluator search tool on our evaluators page.
Therapy dogs international tdi testing guidelines.
However a therapy pet must be well trained and love spending time with people.