Elite

Therapy Dog Training


Top Therapy Dog Trainers in West Palm Beach / Boca Raton, FL

Call to Schedule FREE In-Home Assessment

561-858-3647


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Contact Dog Training Elite Palm Beach County

Or Call to Schedule FREE In-Home Assessment

561-858-3647


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 Palm Beach County location, please reference our pricing page for complete information on services offered.


Therapy Dog

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

$3,595

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).

Lifetime Follow-up Training & Training Equipment Included

  • Private, one-on-one training sessions in your home and the community 8 Sessions
  • Group Training Classes Lifetime Access
  • AKC Training
  • Therapy bandana, ID Card, and Certificate of Training
  • An exclusive directory of therapy events and locations for you to donate your time
  • Come
  • Sit, Down
  • Place
  • Heel
  • Quiet
  • Off, Wait
  • Leash Manners
  • People Manners
  • Load up in the car / kennel
  • Make a friend
  • Choose one personalized greeting (high five, shake, hug, etc.)
  • Top-notch off leash obedience
  • Distraction Training

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!

I was very nervous but Josephine explained everything and I was much calmer. She was able to work with me when we had to individualize my beagle's training regimen. Thank you!
— Lauren Schwal
Posted March 13th 2024
google
Josephine has done a great job in helping us train Dolly.. She is patient, soft spoken but provides us with the tools and lesson plans to train our puppy.. Walking was incredibly difficult with Dolly pulling and barking at other dogs and bikers… After one lesson, she is heeling, not barking or pulling !!
— Sandra Hoesley
Posted March 9th 2024
google
Josephine is a great trainer. She really connects with the dogs and teaches you how to do the same. I loved the convenience of having her come to us for weekly appointments. She is extremely knowledgable and patient. Unfortunately we had to head back up north and could not spend more time or join a group. Thank you! Danielle and Leroy Brown
— Danielle Jacobs
Posted February 20th 2024
google
We have a golden retriever. 4 years old. We had behavioral issues with her. She would pull on the leash and go after bicycles ect. My wife called the dog trainer to train our dog to correct the issues. We bought her best program and she met with us weekly . She sits, lays, heals, and comes to me on comand. Also she can stay in place when people come over instead of jumping all over them. We are now educated in what to do going forward and will continue to use her expertise in the future.
— Thomas Carpenter
Posted February 14th 2024
google
I've been working with Josephine on training my Shih-poo Louis. He was very willful when we started, pulling on the leash when we went for walks and barking incessantly when he heard the doorbell or any noise outside. He's gotten much better with the pulling and although he will still start barking when he heard a noise, he'll quite down when I tell him to stop. I'm very pleased with the progress he's made. Highly recommend if you have a dog with annoying or troublesome behaviors.
— George Leef
Posted February 10th 2024
google
If you are looking for a dog trainer that is extremely knowledgable, will work with your schedule, and genuinely cares about the well-being of your pup, please look no further than working with Josephine! For context, my wife and I are out of the house for most of the day all week, and we quickly realized that our new puppy needed training. To keep it short, our evenings used to consist of coming home to a puppy who was seemingly off the rails, and we were completely overwhelmed. We found Josephine and she came for a consultation that same day which was huge because at that point we were really at our breaking point. From then on, our lives completely changed. She quickly identified actionable steps for us and enrolled us in the plan that she thought would fit our wants and the needs of our dog. She also did this in the calmest manner, and we left that consultation feeling excited for the future of us and our dog. Now, our evenings consist of coming home to a routine and a puppy who is thriving on that routine! We are now able to do things that I never thought would be possible, like grabbing a late night snack at the local diner and having our dog laying down next to us completely calm! We are eventually working towards having our dog trained to being off-leash reliable, and I am genuinely convinced that with Josephine's guidance our dog will get there! I cannot thank DTE for all of the support they have given us. I would recommend them to anyone with any type of dog!
— Alberto Pavon
Posted November 22nd 2023
google
Josephine has been HANDS-DOWN the best investment that I have ever made! If you have a large breed high-energy dog or are finding yourself in the middle of the "puppy blues", I strongly urge you to look no further than Josephine as your dog trainer! As a brand new dog owner to a 6 month old German Shepard/Husky mix, I quickly became overwhelmed with all of the conflicting information available online about how to properly train your dog. Therefore, when searching for a dog trainer, I knew I needed someone who would not only train my dog, but also educate me on how to coexist and grow with my dog. I wanted someone who would work in partnership with me, give me lifelong skills, and see the bigger picture. Josephine not only exceeded this expectation, but also exceeded all of my other expectations! My dog Rocky immediately warmed up to Josephine, as she had a calm but strong presence about her. He thoroughly enjoyed the training sessions because he was always actively learning and bonding with us! As a German Shepard/Husky mix, this was a dream come true for Rocky! Within weeks, it was as if we had a completely different dog! Rocky was actively looking for ways to apply his new skills, and eventually, we had a new language in the house that was understood by us as his owners, and Rocky. This tremendously helped our relationship and transformed our house. Before training, we were inconsistent on expectations for Rocky. We were also lost on how to mentally stimulate him, and did not know how to communicate to him that certain behaviors were not what we wanted (stealing socks, jumping on guests, pulling on the leash, reactive towards other dogs). After training, I could drop a sock or shoe in front of Rocky and he wouldn't flinch, he knows to stay in "place" when guests come over, and our walks are actually enjoyable because he remains in a "heel" position until we give him the okay! Rocky can even ride up the elevator in our apartment building with another dog inside with him and remain completely calm! To anyone thinking about training, I would strongly urge you to use Dog Training Elite! I know trusting a new person with your fur baby can be scary, but I can honestly say that I will be enrolling any future dogs with them without hesitation. It is to the point where I have had neighbors who I have never spoken to before come up to me and praise Rocky for being so well-mannered. They truly saved my relationship with my dog and that is something that I can never repay them for!
— Emily Rivas
Posted November 22nd 2023
google
Josephine was amazing with my Layla. Layla is a silver lab and was horrible on the leash. She has become a wonderful listener and walking buddy. 100% worth every penny.
— Christina La
Posted November 18th 2023
google
Before training it was chaos. Panda was out of control, bad behavior, super noisy, bad with guests, our property manager gave us a warning letter with a notice regarding his disruption to peace with the neighbors. We knew we had to do something fast. So we contacted Dog Training Elite and started the program. Now I’m proud that I can socialize with people and not having my dog bothering anyone. We can go out now and we can stop his behavior before it starts. Everyone who knew him before training noticed the big change in Panda. Thank you Josephine & Gracie.
— Joely Tangarife
Posted November 9th 2023
google
Best decision we made for our family and Harry, our dog. What a difference DTE made for us, we are forever grateful. Josephine was on time, professional, and extremely helpful, helping us fall even more in love with Harry.
— R Ferr
Posted April 11th 2023
google
Before Martian started training, he had no self-control. He would jump on everyone, pull on his leash, and bite while we were playing with him. Since training, he has gained self-control and no longer jumps on everyone. He follows basic commands and is off to being the best version of himself! If you are looking for training with a true professional, Dog Training Elite Palm Beach County is the way to go!
— Natalie Vazquez
Posted November 6th 2023
google
Josephine the trainer, played a HUGE part for my dog. I was concerned that it was going to take a long time but it was the opposite! She is friendly, full of love, and is passionate about what she does. This is my first time doing this and it is worth every money I invested with Josephine.
— Josue Levis
Posted August 11th 2023
google
We adopted our 80 pound, 2 year old lab from the Humane Society and have limited info on his past. Our Farley is super loving, happy and extremely high energy. After a few days we knew we needed training. We decided to go with DTE and we are so grateful we did! Josephine has been wonderful. She not only worked wonders with our pup, she also trained us. 😃 Farley is doing great and we know we have the tools to continue this journey with our sweet boy. Highly recommend Josephine!!
— Kristine Metcalf
Posted October 7th 2023
google
Josephine is the type of trainer that you always hope you’ll find. Her warm heart and compassion, completely aligns with her profession, making my dog feel at ease and comfortable when she’s around. Her passion for what she does exudes in every single one of her trainings. She is able to not only help with every area that my dog needed assistance in, but she also has been able to educate myself and my husband on how to get the best out of our doggy. I have, and will continue to recommend her to every single person I know. We are so blessed to have found Josephine and I promise you will be as well. - Robin Gargano, Mental and Energy Skills Practitioner
— Robin Gargano
Posted August 13th 2023
google
This was such a fantastic service! My dog Monte had an amazing time with his very own personal trainer, Josephine. She was fantastic and worked with Monte very well. Very pleased with the results. Thank you again!
— Michael Williams
Posted August 11th 2023
google
Great Trainer. Amazing
— josue levis
Posted August 11th 2023
google
Our doggie has separation anxiety and would always pee in the house . I found Elite, Josephine, and she has been so helpful with bringing back the basics ! All her strategies and tips have been successful and our doggie has shown great improvement! Josephine is patient, friendly and professional! Thank you!!!
— Karen Williams
Posted July 19th 2023
google
Josephine has made a tremendous impact in caring for my puppy. Casey was three months old when I started the journey of having him become a service dog, after my previous service dog passed away. I recently took him on a road trip and was given all kinds of compliments for how well he was behaved (especially for a puppy). When training on my own I send her videos and she is always full of good advice to keep advancing Casey in his training. Josephine is extremely helpful, communicative, and patient. I would highly recommend her services it will only do great things for you and your companion!
— Laura Boxley
Posted June 30th 2023
google
I have been working as an apprentice to Josephine for about a week now. My 2yo labradoodle pup is great albeit very energetic. After just one session with the e collar and Josephine, she’s already becoming attentive and obedient. Both me and my pup are very excited and happier already!! I can’t wait to see her continued progress!
— Abby
Posted April 25th 2023
google
Josephine is very good at what she does. I highly recommend her. And she is very nice also.
— Michele Morissette
Posted April 11th 2023
google

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Proud Sponsor of The Malinois Foundation

At Dog Training Elite Palm Beach County, 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 Palm Beach County 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.

Learn More