Therapy animals, often dogs, bring comfort and joy to people in various settings. The cornerstone of an effective therapy animal is its temperament. A Pet Therapy Certification validates that an animal possesses the necessary traits: friendliness, patience, confidence, gentleness, and calmness in diverse situations. These animals thrive on human interaction and are comfortable being petted and handled by unfamiliar individuals. The positive impact of therapy animals is well-documented, highlighting their crucial role. This article explores the training and certification process for therapy animals.
Steps to Obtain Pet Therapy Certification for Your Dog
Unlike service dogs, the path to pet therapy certification for household pets is centered around temperament and basic obedience rather than specialized task training. While formal training can be beneficial, it’s not always mandatory. Organizations like the Alliance of Therapy Dogs outline a clear process for certification:
Step 1: Temperament Assessment: The first step towards pet therapy certification is ensuring your dog has the right disposition. Any breed or mix can qualify if they demonstrate the ability to provide comfort and affection in environments such as hospitals, nursing homes, schools, and airports. Dogs typically need to be at least one year old to begin the certification process.
Step 2: Evaluation by a Tester/Observer: A crucial part of pet therapy certification involves an evaluation by a qualified tester/observer. This assessment evaluates your dog’s basic manners, overall demeanor, and your handling skills as a team.
Step 3: Supervised Therapy Visits: Following the initial handling assessment, the pet therapy certification process includes supervised visits to healthcare facilities. Typically, this involves three observed visits with residents under the guidance of the tester/observer. Successful completion of these visits, along with application paperwork, can lead to becoming a certified therapy animal team.
Understanding Access Limitations for Certified Therapy Animals
It’s important to distinguish between therapy animals and service animals. Pet therapy certification does not grant the same public access rights as service animal certification. Therapy animals are generally permitted in locations where all pets are allowed or in specific facilities like hospitals and schools that have established therapy animal programs.
Unlike service animals, therapy animals do not have legal rights to accompany their handlers into businesses as a general rule. Establishments like hotels, motels, and campgrounds typically consider therapy animals as pets and apply standard pet policies.
If you have a well-behaved animal that enjoys interacting with people, pursuing pet therapy certification can be a rewarding way to make a positive impact on the lives of others. To discover more about certifying your animal as a therapy animal or how you can support therapy animal initiatives, resources are readily available online and through therapy animal organizations.
