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Therapy Dog Training in Des Moines


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A therapy dog is a dog who visits places like schools, hospitals and nursing homes. Therapy dog training in Des Moines 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.

Dog Training Elite Des Moines provides therapy dog training in Des Moines to give people emotional support in all stages of life.

Not all training packages may be available at our Dog Training Elite Des Moines location, please reference our pricing page for complete information on services offered.


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Children can especially benefit from therapy animals - Dog Training Elite Des Moines is happy to help your family with these certifications.

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!

From the first meeting with Dog Training Elite we were excited to work with them. Kim was so great to work with and made our life with our German Shepherd puppy so much easier. We loved that they offer in-home training with group class reinforcement for their training. Our puppy is almost a year old now and doing great! I'd highly recommend DTE.
— Mallory Snow
Posted February 11th 2024
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Dog Training Elite has provided therapy dogs to the college students I work with. I have never interacted with dogs that were so well trained. And the students are over the moon about being able to interact with the dogs.
— Tim Hammond
Posted February 9th 2024
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Thank you to the amazing team at Dog training Elite for all your hard work and dedication in helping me train Clifford for service work. We have really enjoyed working along side your team as we develop the skills as a team to work.
— Shelby Diane Harrison
Posted February 8th 2024
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great training facility for our service dog for our sons service dog. I cannot say enough good things about all the trainers we have worked with in at home 1st trainings/group/obedient/sdit trainings. The owner has always been there for questions or adding value to our training. We started our journey in Oct with a consultation, then went with their preferred breeder. Which is also was a great experience. We cant thank them enough for all the help and support we have gotten in our long journey
— Warren Huggins
Posted November 22nd 2023
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If you need a dog trainer for any reason, go to Dog Training Elite! They have been training my 6 month old German shepherd mastiff mix since she was 3 months old and I am so incredibly pleased with her progress and can't wait to see her learn more from Kim and Anna. They don't just train your dog. They also train you! So it's a 2 for 1 deal really. And they have answered every question I've had about my puppy from feeding to sleeping and everything. Kim and Anna are the best trainers! I also love the fact that they are with us for the long haul. They don't just train your dog and send you off, they are there to help with any issues that may come up. Kim and Anna know dogs and they know what they are doing and they do it right! I can't recommend them enough!!!
— Jennifer Sharp-Kopf Blohn
Posted November 12th 2023
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Kimberly has been working with our boy, Chief since September 19th and has done an amazing job! Chief is a very anxious dog. In the past we have had issues with strangers coming too close and visitors in our house. We were feeling so defeated and afraid that our sweet (to us) boy was going to hurt ssomeone. Within an hour of Chief meeting Kimberly, she was able to give him treats and we knew we made the right choice. They are forming an incredible bond and Chief is finally able to play outside and in public without the anxiety that has always come with it. I am so excited to continue watching him grow into himself and thankful we made the right choice in a trainer.
— Kaylee Reed
Posted November 3rd 2023
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We are so impressed with Kim's training! Not just because she is my friend, but truly because her heart is in and it shows. Since the moment Kim started training sessions with our Rat Terrier Steel, he has been a totally different dog. She has helped our family build a positive and strong relationship with him. Kim is very passionate and knowledgeable and she never fails to amaze me with all her tips and tricks. I can not express how thankful we are to have her as our trainer. Steel is getting so many compliments and has taken to training so well, it wouldn't be that way without Kim. The passion she has to make sure we succeed in every aspect of training is so hard to find. We are looking forward to completing the training and carrying out all that she has taught us. Dog Training Elite is a great program and I will recommend it to anyone.
— Jeanette Villacis
Posted October 16th 2023
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They do an awesome job with training and explaining everything and teaching you as well how to do everything! They answer all of your questions and I would definitely recommend them!!! Well worth the money.
— Cassie Davis
Posted August 17th 2023
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she is amazing with my dogs and always does an amazing job
— Danielle Johnson
Posted August 15th 2023
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Dog Training Elite has been absolutely awesome for my German Shepherd Loki. He was dog reactive and lacked the confidence he needed. With the 6 weeks of training from Dog Training Elite he has improved drastically. Both trainers we worked with Jack and Kim were very professional and super knowledgeable. Working with Kim was great she absolutely adores German shepherds and had so much patience with Loki. I’m happy I have the tools now for Loki and I to have better communication and be able to do more fun things outside of the house. Thank you Dog Training Elite we will see you all in group!
— Erica Supinger
Posted August 11th 2023
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Kim, and Jack are amazing trainers and even better people. Kim does amazing work with reactive dogs and really takes the time to listen to her clients and understand their specific needs. I would absolutly recommend them to anyone in need of training.
— Kelley Kriegel
Posted August 6th 2023
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I highly recommend Dog Training Elite for all your dog training needs. I knew my dog had potential to become a Therapy Dog, however I needed some more knowledge in my training skills. DTE was able to work with me and help expand my training knowledge, and how to best communicate with my dog. We are have passed their Dog Therapy Test and absolutely love volunteering within the community. The best part about DTE is you become apart of a community, they are always willing to help in continuing your dog training knowledge after you have completed their program.
— Brittni Wagers
Posted August 6th 2023
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I tried to self train my dog, which went ok but we were not making the progress I wanted for her. Since we started training with DTE she has made exceptional progress after each season. Their entire group is dedicated to what is best for the dogs. Our experience has been wonderful!
— Rae Beebe
Posted June 1st 2023
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Training our service dog and cant believe how much progress we have seen in 3 months
— Warren huggins
Posted April 23rd 2023
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Great people that are with ecellent with dogs.
— Jean Jones
Posted January 26th 2023
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I have had the best experience training Milo from day one. I'm a first time pup owner and wanted a well behaved dog that I could take anywhere with no worries. We have gotten so much more than this from Dog Training Elite Des Moines! At the beginning, they gave Milo and I extra care coming to our home to work one-on-one. This helped make huge advances in his training. We switched to group classes where he's learned how to be a well behaved pup with other dogs and people around. Milo and I enjoyed our experience so much, I looked into Therapy Dog Training. About a year and a half later, Milo is getting ready to test to become certified. It is all thanks to the care, time, and continued personalized focus Jack, Cannady, and Morgan have provided us. I could not speak more highly! Would absolutely recommend to anyone looking for dog training!!
— Sarah Meyer
Posted October 2nd 2022
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I have had the best experience training Milo from day one. I'm a first time pup owner and wanted a well behaved dog that I could take anywhere with no worries. We have gotten so much more than this from Dog Training Elite Des Moines! At the beginning, they gave Milo and I extra care coming to our home to work one-on-one. This helped make huge advances in his training. We switched to group classes where he's learned how to be a well behaved pup with other dogs and people around. Milo and I enjoyed our experience so much, I looked into Therapy Dog Training. About a year and a half later, Milo is getting ready to test to become certified. It is all thanks to the care, time, and continued personalized focus Jack, Cannady, and Morgan have provided us. I could not speak more highly! Would absolutely recommend to anyone looking for dog training!!
— Sarah Meyer
Posted October 2nd 2022
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Morgan was amazing and very thorough with us. She made sure we felt comfortable with training before she left. Also they make themselves available anytime we need them.
— April Page
Posted September 13th 2022
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Jack has trained by dog since she was a puppy and made an incredible difference in her obedience and her overall demeanor. Jack is patient and a natural at what he does. He talks through the entire process and thoroughly explains the training technique, each step of the way. Jack and Cannady are both very professional and attentive to you and your animals needs. My puppy is now a certified therapy dog and I couldn't have done it without Jack and Cannady! They are the best!
— Rebecca Schroeder
Posted September 6th 2022
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Dog Training Elite has led us through the training process from basic obedience to Therapy Dog certification. They provided a great training environment for our puppy and convenient schedule that we could commit to in our busy life. It started with few individual lessons and when our dog was ready, he was invited to a group class and then to an advanced group class. The process took about 9 months from the start to certification. Dog Training Elite has an excellent team of trainers, that helped us learn many techniques for various commands. We are looking forward to start taking our certified dog to his job sites.
— Yelena Meier
Posted September 5th 2022
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This cute pup is excited to learn and help provide support with his therapy training with Dog Training Elite Des MoinesDes Moines.

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 Des Moines 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 Des Moines 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 Des Moines’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 Des Moines. 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.

By working with Dog Training Elite Des MoinesDes Moines, you will also be trained to be a therapy dog handler with your pup.

Proud Sponsor of The Malinois Foundation

At Dog Training Elite Des Moines, 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 Des Moines works with the Malinois Foundation to heal and empower these individuals with a specialized service animal, a partner in life, and a new best friend.

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Why do Therapy Dog Training with Dog Training Elite Des Moines?


The Dog Training Elite Des Moines 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 Des Moines 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 Des Moines. Request your free training demo and in-home assessment today.

Contact Dog Training Elite Des MoinesDes Moines if you feel this certification is right for you and your pup.

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