Elite

Therapy Dog Training


Top Therapy Dog Trainers in Bend / Salem, OR

Call to Schedule FREE In-Home Assessment

541-422-3647


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Contact Dog Training Elite Mid Oregon

Or Call to Schedule FREE In-Home Assessment

541-422-3647


Se habla español!

What is a Therapy Dog?

A therapy dog is a dog that performs a service for other people. Typical therapy dog tasks are going to nursing homes or hospitals to cheer people up. For your dog to qualify, he/she must be friendly with strangers, and with training, be able to work around a high level of distraction and to understand personal boundaries, such as not jumping up, licking, mouthing, etc.

Research shows that therapy dogs can have a positive effect on a patient’s mood, stress, and pain levels during facility stays. Children, in particular, respond positively to 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.

Therapy dogs can promote social interaction between individuals within communities that may not otherwise experience socialization typically. Therapy dogs offer unconditional love, non-judgmental interaction, reduce stress, anxiety, and loneliness and provide an overall positive distraction to ailments.

Goals for Your Therapy Companion


  • Socialization
  • Lower Pain Levels
  • Motivation
  • Provide Comfort
  • Decrease in Stress, Anxiety, and Depression
  • Promote Healing
  • Increase Overall Optimism
  • Ease Loneliness


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


Therapy Dog

Therapy dog training is based on your dog's abilities.

Call for Details.

A therapy dog volunteers alongside you, where permitted, and provides comfort to others. Examples include cheering people up at nursing homes or hospitals.

A good therapy dog is naturally friendly with strangers, able to work around a high level of distraction (with training), and able to understand personal boundaries, such as not jumping up, licking, mouthing, etc (with training).

  • Private, one-on-one training sessions 7 Sessions
  • Group dog training in the community 8 Months
  • Therapy bandanna, certification and ID Cards
  • An exclusive directory of therapy events and locations for you to donate your time
  • Certification/Testing
  • Come
  • Walk with you (no more pulling)
  • Sit (next to you)
  • Sit (off leash, at a distance)
  • Down (next to you)
  • Down (off leash, at a distance)
  • Wait
  • Quiet (stop barking and whining)
  • Load up in the car or kennel
  • Place
  • Heel
  • No Jumping up (on people)
  • Make a friend
  • One personalized greeting (high five, shake, hug, etc.)

Our Balanced Theory

We base our training around the "Classical Conditioning" model (a.k.a. "Pavlovian" or "respondent conditioning"). This includes developing conditioned or automatic reflexes to commands. In its simplest form (after proper conditioning), when the owner says "sit," the dog automatically sits without thinking about it. Our unique techniques ensure our program is a success no matter what behavior we encounter.


  • Empowering Owners
    We empower Owners to train so their dog knows who to obey at all times.
  • Personalized
    We deal with problem behaviors on a personal basis.
  • Environment Specific
    We train wherever issues tend to arise (i.e. jogging, park, home).
  • Supportive
    We support Owners in the off-hours (when training is "not in session").
  • Involved
    We work with all members of the household.
  • Simplified & Customized
    We plan training around the owner's schedule and require only 20 min/day follow-up practice.
  • Continued Training
    Additional programs / group sessions offered after in-home training.
  • Lifetime Investment
    We follow up & are invested in the owner's success long-term.
  • Satisfaction Ratings
    Our high client satisfaction rating sets us apart from competitors.

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!

Lily is 4 years old & needed some help listeninng to me. After only two training sessions, she's paying attention to me & her barking problem has been reduced 90%. I'm happy & she's happy too!
— Diana Grant
Posted September 8th 2024
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AMAZINGGG. Would recommend to any and everyone. My dog Mia has transformed right before my eyes!! She’s confident, listening and easier to maintain on a day to day. Sean, Sharon and his daughter are super attentive and passionate about their training. I trusted Mia 100% with them both every step of the way.
— Mekkah Morings
Posted September 4th 2024
google
Trainers are sensitive to Dog’s personality and the specific concerns of owners. Excellent feedback on the commands taught during training. They detail your dog’s “report card”. They are pleasant & patient in teaching & having owners demonstrate understanding & use of learned commands with their pet. We love that we bring our Pet home for the evening & a reassuring night’s sleep!
— Sharonanne Brunet
Posted September 3rd 2024
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Gosh, I can't love this place more. Jan is FANTASTIC. He trained our service dog, Leia, and I have zero negative things to say. He is thorough, patient, and so knowledgeable. If we ever get another dog we will 100% come back here and request him. You won't be disappointed in using DTE!
— Ashley Upton
Posted September 2nd 2024
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We have three girls that we absolutely adore, but we have had some challenges with our oldest and youngest. While we have a good amount of knowledge, we need extra help/training on how to help reactivity that has recently become a bigger issue. So my husband found Dog Training Elite, and we have been super impressed. Diedre came to our house for the consultation and because of her, I decided that this was the company we would go with to help us. She also is the person that comes to our house for training sessions. Her knowledge and expertise on dogs who are reactive/aggressive/stubborn is amazing and she answers our questions and concerns with such knowledge. She doesn’t make me feel like a crappy dog owner. She makes me feel at ease and also feel empowered that I can changed my dogs behaviors with what she is teaching us. We still have more training to do, but I believe with what I have experienced so far, we will be able to have a house that is not full of tension! I also want to share my experience with Kaycee. Kaycee is who I have texted/called with questions and to set up the appointment times. She is so easy to talk to, she always texts back to see how things are going, and I don’t feel judge for what I’m experiencing with my ladies. The care she has for how my dogs are and how training is going is amazing. She is quick to respond, even when I tell her that she doesn’t have to respond quickly. The whole team clearly cares about the household and wants to help, which I’m forever grateful for. I am so impressed with this company so far, I had to share a review now even though training is not done yet. While the training is an investment, this training is worth it!!!
— Jesika T
Posted August 30th 2024
google
I have loved DTE and will happily recommend them to my friends and neighbors. They are professional, but also friendly and down to earth. We have loved the trainers we’ve worked with equally. Jeff is awesome! Our pup has loved him, and so do we. He is very knowledgeable and has helped us tremendously. Dallin is the best too! He is so gentle and friendly with our sweet dog, and we love his style. Our lives are so much better thanks to DTE and we are so happy with their service.
— Caroline Morris
Posted August 29th 2024
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Dedicated trainers with wonderful customer service.
— Janine Barrett
Posted August 29th 2024
google
Words cannot express the deepest sense of gratitude I have for Dog Training Elite Northern Utah. Our puppy Sage was completely unmanageable. We had basically lost hope and were at our wits end, unsure of what our next step was with her. Thankfully, we found DTENU. They trained us in the art of handling our puppy. They listened to our concerns and we re always available for feedback or any questions we had. We could not have done this without Trevor, who took us under his wing and shared his passion for training and handling dogs. Thank you to Colleen, Matt, Lexie, Fona and Griffin. I absolutely recommend this company for any of your dog training needs.
— PAOLA ECHEVERRI
Posted August 28th 2024
google
Highly recommend Caroline at Dog Training Elite Colorado Springs. Our dog had become very reactive and aggressive at door knocks and doorbell rings. We needed 100% in-home training sessions to correct this behavior. Caroline was excellent and showed us how to re-train our dog within several sessions. He loved working with her and got excited at every one of her visits. She's amazing!
— Laurie Carroll
Posted August 27th 2024
google
Our puppy Veuve spent 10 days training with Elite dog Training of Charlotte. Even though she was only 6months old it was a great foundation for her and us too. She is now 1 year and is still learning and growing but we feel like we have a better dog because of our lessons. Highly recommended
— Kate Sudikoff
Posted August 23rd 2024
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I love how they give straight forward communication and give all tools and supplies needed to set you up for success ❤️
— Karla Valencia
Posted August 22nd 2024
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Karen & Neil rock at everything. Jax went from zero to hero quickly. I've paid thousands elsewhere with little results. :( Dog Training Elite is the STANDARD of dog training. The real deal. Jax is doing amazing and will continue to be a customer for life.
— Quenton Wagstaff
Posted August 22nd 2024
google
Cannot express how happy and appreciative I am for DTE. Truly heartfelt and personal trainers who were all patient, informative, caring, and interested in the needs for our particular situation. We have a special needs child and they went above and beyond helping us get our dog service dog trained and task trained for her needs. Cannot say enough! 10 stars for sure!!
— Hollow Tree Ranch
Posted August 21st 2024
google
I will have more to say as time goes by. This was our first day and had a lot to digest!!
— Bob Berg
Posted August 19th 2024
google
I adopted a five month old Doberman from the shelter in April He is sweet but seemed aggressive sometimes as being discarded by others had no confidence We are about half way through training and he is much more confident but still a puppy. I have seen a great change in him. Deidre has been the main trainer and loves her job and wants success which is apparent. Meagan and Casey have been great too. Funny how it’s training me even though I’ve had many dogs the last 40+years. They are all good dogs but I’m going for a REALLY good dog and I feel like we are on the right track I would recommend dog training elite to all but be committed as the key is making sure the dog knows you are aware what is expected and that is being a responsible pet owner😁 Sorry if I misspelled trainer names
— Karen S McCoy
Posted August 17th 2024
google
Terrence has been sole trainer, his knowledge and experience has surpassed our expectations. He and Lexxa bonded quickly and the training has progressed much quicker than we expected. We highly recommend and couldn’t be happier with the results.
— donald
Posted August 8th 2024
google
Evan is wonderful and Deidre is an amazing trainer.
— Damon D'Amore
Posted July 30th 2024
google
Deidre and megan are great trainers, I love doing group class with them. They're really fun to be around and make the training easier to understand. Living in a full house of dogs they've helped so much! I absolutely love this company.
— Kincee Pullman
Posted July 26th 2024
google
Totally thrilled with the training our first pup has received. She is learning rapidly and we feel more confident daily about her ability to respond appropriately in a wide variety of scenarios. Including the endless quick feedback and tips we get via texts.
— Kaiden Kelly
Posted July 22nd 2024
google
Excellent staff who is very knowledgeable and caring of you and your dog. You do have to pra tice though i it won't stick
— John Heister
Posted July 21st 2024
google

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