Therapy Dogs Incorporated (http://therapydogs.com/to.htm) is a national organization for dog/handler teams who wish to become certified therapy dogs in order to visit hospitals, extended care settings, schools, and other similar facilities.

Therapy Dogs must be at least 12 months of age, have basic obedience skills, and show no fear or aggression towards children, adults, or other dogs. A good therapy dog is a dog that truly enjoys greeting and being handled by a variety of people. Knowing tricks is not required, but many members have taught their dogs special tricks such as shake hands and speak as a conversation starter. Obedience routines are helpful and serve the same purpose, while conformation dogs are often very good at standing still for petting. Each dog/handler team is unique.

If you are interested in therapy dog work, MKC offers therapy dog classes during our regular obedience session. A pre-class evaluation is required to determine suitability and readiness of each dog for therapy situations before being accepted into the therapy class itself. A description of this pre-evaluation test can be found below. The six-week therapy class involves actual visits to local facilities in combination with regular evening classes at our training building to work on appropriate skills. Upon completion of this class, dogs may be certified for therapy dog visits. In addition, MKC has a regular schedule of therapy dog visits to local area hospitals, rehabilitation centers and extended care facilities that certified dog and handler teams can participate in.

During the pre-class evaluation, the instructor will observe the dog's basic obedience skills, its reactions to human handling and to other dogs. While precision is not required, the dog must be able to perform basic commands of sit, down, and loose-lead walking and show that it is under control of the handler. Food can not be used during each test, but the dog may be rewarded after completion of each section. The test also evaluates the dog's reaction to people and to other dogs. Dogs that show excessive shyness or any aggression are not appropriate candidates for therapy dog work. We strongly recommend that all prospective dog and handler teams have completed at least one basic obedience class, although the completion of two classes is preferred.


For more information regarding a certificate, please email Marcia Solomon.