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A therapy dog is a dog who visits places like schools, hospitals and nursing homes. Therapy dog training in Kansas City 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 Kansas City 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!
Love Chuck and all of his team they were able to help our crazy mastiff that is 250 lbs and thinks he was a lap dog and could jump on everyone ! He loves people and acts right now without dragging me down the street ! Thanks for what you do ! Can’t wait for weekend group events !— Bill Fry
Posted April 11th 2024
Our experience with Chuck and the entire team at Dog Training Elite has always been great! They offer so much more than just training for your pet. Would recommend to anyone wanting to train there beloved pets!— Benny Smith
Posted March 23rd 2024
The group class is great for the dogs. It helps with socializing and group work. The trainers are all great. I love the classes— jodi khazin
Posted March 22nd 2024
Dog Training Elite is the real deal! Professional, accomodating and really good people. They take the time to explain and teach my service dog (and me as his handler). Highly recommend!!— Paul Rieck
Posted October 12th 2023
Best trainers ever!!!! I have tried many. These are the best! I recommend them to everyone.— Heather Massey
Posted January 28th 2024
If I could give more than five stars I would. Very knowledgeable on different dog behaviors and really focusing their attention on what the dog and owners need/want from training. Chuck came out for a consult prior to committing and he really walked us through their program and listened to all of our concerns and our reasonings for getting our dog training. We worked with Nate and now my dog looks forward to weekly visits. Great company and employees!— Samantha Stallman
Posted January 5th 2024
Truly phenomenal team! They train you in order to train the dog rather than just focusing on the dog. Very much a "Teach a man to Fish" type of training. Our Service dog was the Royals Buck O'Neil Honoree because of their tremendous skill.— Aaron Mizell
Posted September 19th 2023
I absolutely loved Dog Training Elite. They came weekly to help both me and my dog to learn how to work together. DTE both demonstrated and allowed me to learn how to train my dog. DTE also answered all my questions, even making themselves available to continue and support my efforts in having a well trained family dog.— Dennis Aldy
Posted July 21st 2023
Our Buster Brown has improved so much, Never likes the dogs on the TV but now we can tell him off and he just grumble talks to them. We are still working on boats that pass by on the lake but consistency will win the game. cheers to the Elite team!— Douglas Scott
Posted April 15th 2023
Great group to work with and training approach if very effective and gets results.— Charles Huddleston
Posted March 28th 2023
Working Willow with Kaylee was the best! She is very good at what she does and you can tell she genuinely loves it, she never hurts your furbaby. Kaylee explains how to teach them each step in easy to understand language. She makes sure you understand before you start training at each step. This was not the cheapest place, but I feel it was the best choice. Both before and after she was trained. My dog was so skiddish, she has learned to be calm and not bark so much as she has more confidence. I would give my highest recommendations to Dog Training Elite! If I ever get another dog I'd do it again. Worth every penny. They go above and beyond to your dog be everything you dream of!— Darla Hawkins
Posted March 17th 2023
Haley with Dog Training Elite did an amazing job training our dog, Dingo. When we rescued him he didn't have really any house manners and would chase our cats, after the first lesson he was acting so much better! He gets along with our cats now and listens to us, we are beyond happy with the training! Their trainers definitely know what they're doing!— Shelby Flowers
Posted February 27th 2023
Our trainers were very helpful in teaching us and helping train our 2 yr old dog.— Molly Schwery
Posted February 22nd 2023
Excellent dog training. Best and easiest way to train a dog that I have ever come across. And the trainers are well educated on training techniques that work for everything i wanted my pup to know. I will be using this method to train all my dogs from here on out.— Steven Adams
Posted February 8th 2023
This dog training company was very pleasant and down to earth. Genuine and honest and patient. Also very professional. We were apprehensive and they were so easy to work with and let our guard down. Highly recommend.— Whitney Bennett
Posted February 8th 2023
If you are still looking for a dog trainer, your search should end here. Chuck and his team at Dog Training Elite KC truly have a vested interest in supporting your dog and you as the owner; they take the time to get to know you and your sweet fur baby. Private lessons were a great way to ease my anxiety as a dog owner, the individualized support has been so helpful. I appreciate group classes for continued learning, activity and socialization for our dog. The saying is true, "people don't care how much you know until you they know how much you care," and Dog Training Elite KC cares.— McKenna Elfrink
Posted January 31st 2023
Wonderful people who know dogs. Took our 5 month old Standard Poodle from a great puppy to my licensed diabetic service dog in 6 months. Just do the homework. They continue to provide weekly learning activities. Great group. Highly recommend.— Diane Gardner
Posted January 21st 2023
Chuck and his team are unparalleled in the dog training world. If you’re looking for an excellent trainer, look no further. I wish I called them 3 years ago.— Jim Tharp
Posted December 15th 2022
I am so in love with this company! I have two older German Shepards and I thought you couldn't teach an old dog new tricks. Well I was wrong. Chuck was amazing with our dogs and it has changed our lives. Gave me freedom of not fearing taking my pups out. One of them has been aggressive and this training was worth every penny!!! Now...practice at home is vital but honestly I loved to do it. Only really 15 minutes a day per dog for me. Amazing!!!!!!! Now at home I have peace when someone new comes over and we get to go to the dog park! Also heeling and learning that correctly changed my life as one of my pups is a big...big boy!.— Jonalyn Ell
Posted November 8th 2022
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 Kansas City 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 Kansas City 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 Kansas City’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 Kansas City. 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 Kansas City, 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 Kansas City 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.
Why do Therapy Dog Training with Dog Training Elite Kansas City?
The Dog Training Elite Kansas City 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 Kansas City 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 Kansas City. Request your free training demo and in-home assessment today.
