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A therapy dog is a dog who visits places like schools, hospitals and nursing homes. Therapy dog training in Charlotte teaches dogs to provide comfort, support, and affection to the people they meet, particularly vulnerable people like children, seniors, patients in hospitals, and so on.
Therapy dogs are not service dogs. Service dogs are trained to perform specific tasks to help a person who has a disability. This distinction is important because therapy dogs do not have the same access to public places like service dogs do. For example, service dogs can go into restaurants, but therapy dogs cannot. Therapy dogs still provide a valuable service and should receive therapy dog certification.
Not all training packages may be available at our Dog Training Elite Charlotte location, please reference our pricing page for complete information on services offered.
Who Do Therapy Dogs Help?
Therapy dogs may be regular visitors to a variety of people and places, with hospitals and rehabilitation centers being among the most common. Children, in particular, respond positively to therapy dogs.
Seniors in assisted living or people with mental disabilities who live in facilities and experience feelings of isolation also see a lot of benefits from visiting with a therapy dog.
Besides providing valuable social opportunities and relieving anxiety, therapy dogs may even help lower blood pressure and heart rate in patients and the other people they visit.
Why Are Therapy Dogs Important?
Therapy dogs offer unconditional love, non-judgmental interaction, reduce stress, anxiety and loneliness, and provide an overall positive distraction to ailments. Research shows therapy dogs can have a positive effect on a patient’s mood, stress and pain levels during facility stays.
Young patients — children — seem to benefit most from working with therapy dogs. They are more motivated to participate in treatments, feel optimistic about the future, and experience an overall sense of calm when a certified therapy dog is present.
For people who may have a hard time socializing due to mental disabilities or their living situation, therapy dogs can promote social interaction within their community and help them to connect.
We help your dog become a valued companion and beloved member of the family. Read what our customers have to say and then give us a call!
Great experience! Big take aways.... 1. Aided with detachment from mom doggie 2. Aided in a nice transition with crate training 3. Aided with excellent transition to have the doggie understand how to be trained 4. supportive, informative and available Note initially I was skeptical and thought the price was high, that said im VERY happy with the outcome and would not blink at the cost a second time around with another doggie. I hope you enjoy the experience as much as I did!!— Michael Rousseau
Posted April 9th 2024
Best decision I could’ve made for my dog! He still has the same lovable personality, but he now understands what I’m communicating.— Jasmine Copeland
Posted April 7th 2024
These guys are incredible! Our Bailey was well behaved except for jumping up and pulling on her leash. After one session with Shawn the walking issue was done and after two sessions she was a different dog. She's such a pleasure to be around and love. Shawn adapted to her mood and was consistent and effective. I highly recommend Dog Training Elite!!— Jeff Kearns
Posted March 24th 2024
Fabulous people to work with. I saw a difference in my puppy’s behavior after the first visit. They are knowledgeable and easy to work with. I highly recommend this company.— Laurie Cherry
Posted March 19th 2024
Our puppy was out of control and made us miserable before we hired DTE to help us out. The results were instantaneous and I’m proud to say he is a great boy now thanks to the help of this organization!— Devin Carter
Posted March 16th 2024
Shawn is the best! We adopted our dog at 7.5 weeks old and he was TERRIBLE! After a lot of research, we decided to go with DTE and chose the Gold Puppy Package. We noticed a difference after our first session. Shawn was very patient with us and our dog and he explained everything very thoroughly. Shawn planned out the sessions in an order that worked best for our dog. Our dog is now 5 months old and doing great. We just completed obedience training and attended our first group class. The group class was great and we can’t wait to attend more. 10/10 recommend DTE Charlotte for any dog training needs!— Haley Carter
Posted March 16th 2024
Excellent training. My puppy went from a wild child who was very dramatic ever time you'd try to train her something new. Dog training elite to the time to improve her obedience leaps and bounds. She is a whole new dog and I can't recommend dog training elite enough to people looking to make a change in their dogs— Lia Knox
Posted March 13th 2024
Amazing! Dog Training Elite Charlotte has been working with my Doberman since she was 8 weeks old. We picked up our sweet girl on Saturday and they were at my house on Monday helping. They are available 24/7 to help with any questions you may have. I could not imagine going through this without their help. My Doberman is going on 5 months and she is calm and listens very well. She does not react to dogs or people. They truly care of about dogs and VERY knowledgeable. I am so grateful for them!!!— Amanda King
Posted March 2nd 2024
Very good experience, they did an amazing job with my dog and would recommend this to any dog owner.— slenderman 4558
Posted November 6th 2023
I could not be more happy and pleased with Dog Training Elite! From the first home visit, I saw my dog’s obedience improve tremendously. I had the pleasure of getting to work with Shawn and Angela and both were outstanding! I would highly recommend DTE Charlotte to any and everyone!— Brice Talley
Posted February 26th 2024
We found Dog Training Elite Charlotte to be an excellent team to train our daughter’s dog to become a service dog. Our daughter has some learning disabilities and needed a therapy dog to help her cope with some of the challenges she faces. Shawn began our process with an introduction to the program and explained how things would proceed. He conducted the first session and then Angela took over the program. She developed an excellent relationship with our daughter and earned the trust and confidence of our daughter and her dog. Obedience training went very well and prepared Lilly for the next steps of group training and public access training. Any time we had questions, all we had to do was call or send a text and got a response almost immediately. Sharon worked with us on our scheduling of classes and the overall coordination of the program throughout the timeframe to keep things moving smoothly. We could not have asked for them to do anything better. Communications, quality of the program, expertise of the staff, customer service, and focus on success of our daughter’s dog were superb.— Steve Froneberger
Posted February 21st 2024
We found Dog Training Elite Charlotte to be an excellent team to train our daughter’s dog to become a service dog. Our daughter has some learning disabilities and needed a therapy dog to help her cope with some of the challenges she faces. Shawn began our process with an introduction to the program and explained how things would proceed. He conducted the first session and then Angela took over the program. She developed an excellent relationship with our daughter and earned the trust and confidence of our daughter and her dog. Obedience training went very well and prepared Lilly for the next steps of group training and public access training. Any time we had questions, all we had to do was call or send a text and got a response almost immediately. Sharon worked with us on our scheduling of classes and the overall coordination of the program throughout the timeframe to keep things moving smoothly. We could not have asked for them to do anything better. Communications, quality of the program, expertise of the staff, customer service, focus on success of our daughter’s dog were all superb.— Steve Froneberger
Posted February 21st 2024
I have a 4 year old dog who used to be reactive, pulled on the leash, barked a lot, and was very hesitant towards new people. After day 1 of working with Shawn and DTE her behavior completely shifted. She is now so well behaved, more confident, and more relaxed walking around. DTE has been amazing to work with - they are extremely kind, patient, organized, and very knowledgeable about dog training and what each unique dog need to thrive. I am so thankful for DTE and recommend them to anyone who is looking to better their dogs behavior and their relationship. Thank you DTE!— Karenna Heighton
Posted February 11th 2024
I have a 4 year old dog who used to be reactive, pulled on the leash, barked a lot, and was very hesitant towards new people. After day 1 of working with Shawn and DTE her behavior completely shifted. She is now so well behaved, more confident, and more relaxed walking around. DTE has been amazing to work with - they are extremely kind, patient, organized, and very knowledgeable about dog training and what each unique dog need to thrive. I am so thankful for DTE and recommend them to anyone who is looking to better their dogs behavior and their relationship. Thank you DTE!— Karenna Heighton
Posted February 11th 2024
5 stars just isn’t enough. I have a 10 year old mini Australian shepherd who through the course of her life has picked up horrible habits and aggression through lack of knowledge on my part. After finding out I was pregnant I sought for help and with Shawn and Sharon my prayers were TRULY answered. The professionalism, knowledge and skill set they provided me with has instilled confidence and security in my dog with my family. The gratitude I have for DTE can’t be expressed in words or stars. From the bottom of our hearts THANK YOU ❤️- Julia, Justin, Henry, & Jamie 🐾— Julia Thompson
Posted February 10th 2024
DTE provides excellent training for pup and human! We are very pleased with our progress. We were having significant problems with him pulling during walks and other manners issues, but in a short time they have helped us take control of his issues. DTE folks are professional, courteous, extremely responsive and always on time! We are looking forward to continuing our group training with them! Highly recommend!!— Candra Symonds
Posted February 9th 2024
I wish I went with you from the start! Absolutely worth the money!— Nikita Fenko
Posted January 26th 2024
So grateful to DTE- they helped us with obedience training for our corgi puppy, and even completed Service dog training for our adult corgi. I’d highly recommend them ten times over! They’re very knowledgeable & it’s apparent they are passionate.— monica patel
Posted January 20th 2024
We inherited a high energy, free spirited Australian Shepherd, that one trainer had suggested they needed to be put down because the dog wasn’t trainable. The dog was very loving, but she went crazy around other dogs and other people and couldn’t be walked on a leash. We knew professional dog training was the only answer, So we searched the reviews online. We stopped at Dog training, elite. The reviews were almost unbelievable. They painted this picture of Shaun being some kind of mystical dog guru. So we hired Shawn to train Darcy. He is not a mystical dog guru. He is a highly competent, professional dog trainer that knows his subject and knows his dogs. Darcy completed the course. And now we have a calm dog that is enjoying not being anxious all the time, going for walks with her family, not freaking out when there are other dogs and other people around. She’s a joy to be with. We have nothing but high praise for Shawn and have already referred him to several Dog owners in our neighborhood. If you need your dog trained, look no further than Dog Training Elite!— Jim Solka
Posted January 15th 2024
Could not recommend DTE enough. We adopted our 80lb dog (Rider) at around two years old and he was extremely reactive on leash. After one session with DTE we saw a complete 180. They gave us the tools, knowledge and confidence that we needed to correct this behavior and after 5 sessions our boy goes off leash on hikes and is no longer reactive on walks! They are also incredible accessible. They answer any and all questions as we have them and genuinely have made us feel so supported as we learn with Rider! They will help you communicate with your dog effectively and make your bond that much stronger. Endless thanks to the wonderful DTE Charlotte team!!!— Ariana Gianacopoulos
Posted January 13th 2024
How Does a Dog Become a Therapy Dog?
If you have felt the benefits of owning a dog, you may feel inspired to help more people feel the unconditional love, joy and support your dog provides. However, having a friendly, loving personality isn’t enough for a dog to qualify as a therapy dog. Some other qualifications to consider are:
- The age of your dog. Puppies do not make good therapy animals.
- How obedient your dog is. It’s important your dog listens to you and obeys basic commands. Dogs that go through obedience training with Dog Training Elite Charlotte have the perfect foundation to go onto therapy dog training, as long as they are old enough.
- How social your dog is. Your dog may be affectionate with you — but are they affectionate with strangers? Do they like to receive attention from strangers, particularly petting?
Therapy Dog Handlers
As a dog owner, it’s important to reflect on whether you would like to become a therapy dog handler as well. If you enjoy connecting with people, becoming a therapy dog handler may be a great fit. You can also choose where to volunteer to better suit your interests — if you like kids, volunteer to visit schools or children’s hospitals. If you prefer to work with older people, then sign up to visit senior living centers.
Once you’ve determined that becoming a therapy dog handler and helping your dog become a therapy dog is the right move for the two of you, you’re ready to start therapy dog training. The trainers of Dog Training Elite Charlotte are experts in the behaviors needed in a therapy dog and will help you and your dog either brush up on or master behaviors such as “leave it,” “watch me,” loose-leash walking and not jumping on other people.
To help your dog become well socialized, you may consider also signing up for one of Dog Training Elite Charlotte’s group obedience classes. A group class environment is also beneficial because it helps your dog learn to be obedient when there are a lot of distractions around, a crucial skill for a therapy dog.
Once you’ve completed initial training, you’re ready to apply for therapy dog certification in Charlotte. However, it is important to note that this certification is not the end. It’s important to stay on top of your dog’s training and continue to help them be the best therapy dog they can be.
Proud Sponsor of The Malinois Foundation
At Dog Training Elite Charlotte, we believe that Service Dogs save lives. It is our mission to make these life-saving companions available to our Veterans, First Responders, Women Survivors, and Children with Medical Needs. Whether it be for PTSD, Mobility Support, or Special Needs, Dog Training Elite Charlotte work's with the Malinois Foundation to heal and empower these individuals with a specialized service animal, a partner in life, and a new best friend.
Dog Training Elite Charlotte is Proud to partner with quality breeders:
At Dog Training Elite Charlotte we trust experienced breeders who focus on breeding healthy, well tempered pups in a safe, ethical environments. Check out the breeders below for more information.
Darlin' Doggies
Carolina Dapper Doodles
Barefoot Kennels
Dog Training Elite Charlotte Partners
Why do Therapy Dog Training with Dog Training Elite Charlotte?
The Dog Training Elite Charlotte training method stands out because of its emphasis on positive reinforcement. Dogs are never punished for bad behavior, instead they are rewarded for good behavior. This kind of training makes a huge difference in your relationship with your dog, and will make a difference in how your dog interacts with other people.
The balanced training method of Dog Training Elite Charlotte fosters a dog’s naturally loving and obedient nature. Focusing on positive reinforcement and rewarding good behavior helps build a strong bond between dog and owner built on love and trust. This foundation in turn becomes a great foundation for dog and owner to become a fabulous therapy team providing an invaluable service to the community.
If you feel therapy dog certification is right for you and your dog, get started by contacting Dog Training Elite Charlotte. Request your free training demo and in-home assessment today.
