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A therapy dog is a dog who visits places like schools, hospitals and nursing homes. Therapy dog training with Dog Training Elite 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 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!
Deidre is knowledgeable, patient and kind. She is a professional and one who certainly knows her craft. Our dog took to her guidance and direction, with little complaint. Deidre is confident; it is obvious that she likes what she does. It shows in her enthusiasm and her ability to teach.— Lucy Herrera
Posted October 4th 2024
Dallin was amazing AGAIN. He explains things, encourages good work, and always works at my pace. So helpful for me as a mobility challenged human and my service dog in training. I absolutely LOVE Elite Dog Training and the fine outstanding trainers. 10 stars every time.— Meggie Thiessens
Posted October 4th 2024
Trainers are great! I'm really impressed with the training and respect they show to both me and Harley. Very happy and Planning to start my other dog on training with them.— Ann Garcia
Posted October 4th 2024
Dallin, was awesome!!! Very knowledgeable and helpful!!!💜— Karee Marinos
Posted October 2nd 2024
Our boys love Jeff and the entire team at dog training elite! We started the boys with their puppy program and obedience classes. Our 2 year old malinois is currently in the personal protection program and our 2 year old English bulldog is working on completing the therapy dog certification. We highly recommend them.— Morgan rowley
Posted October 2nd 2024
Dallin is amazing! Has an emergency amount of knowledge and answered all the questions I and my family had to ask with a great response.— Ronald Taylor
Posted October 1st 2024
These guys are wonderful and I am so grateful to have them training my sweet girl right now. I've had a lot of extra requests and they've taken care of my needs above and beyond thus far. I expect to continue to work with them on an ongoing basis and other our other dog soon!! Thumbs up for Jake, McCall, and Oakley as well as Jeff, who did some home training with us earlier this year!! Laura Uhle— Laura Uhle
Posted October 1st 2024
If you’re willing to do your part, this team is amazing! We’re working with Dallin, and our dog adores him! Every lesson is life-changing for our dog and the whole family!— Laura Lyle
Posted September 30th 2024
McCall is so amazing! She really listens to what I’m saying and works so well with making sure not only my Service Animal Henry is understanding but that I as the handler is understanding as well. Love you McCall!— Aubrey Slack
Posted September 28th 2024
Dallin was professional in explaining the available programs -- without any pressure to "buy-up." I recently brought a 4y and 4m old Berner into my home. They exhibited their full range to him -- vocalization, jumpy, calm, puppy biting, and their need for attention. My animals quickly showed they were comfortable with him -- and he with them. We are looking forward to engaging in the 2w camp program!! Our vet is also delighted we have decided on this company/this program as a great fit!— Rachel Parent
Posted September 27th 2024
We love our home sessions with Dallin. We learn so much each visit.— Rosanne Gerrard
Posted September 25th 2024
They take the time to develop a plan for you and your dog, i would highly recommend them for service dog training— Joseph Lombard (Rebel dog paws)
Posted September 24th 2024
Great direction for me and a fun and structured atmosphere during training for my dog Phoenix!— tracy brickner
Posted September 24th 2024
These trainers are masters at their craft! With their techniques and training our dog enjoys more freedom and the ability to go camping, hiking or whatever adventure comes our way.— Ryan Roudebush
Posted September 23rd 2024
Deidre is fantastic and has brought out a whole new side of our dog. Instructions are clear and tailored to us and how we learn. She has amazing insight into how to clean up our commands and how to fix anything we are struggling with. I'm so grateful that we chose to do this.— Erica Gravity
Posted September 19th 2024
My dog loves her. She is so excted to be here. She knows het job well.— Cherie Zeeman
Posted September 19th 2024
Today was our fourth training session with Elite, I couldn’t be happier. Bailey has trained with both Meaghan and Deidre both trainers have been AWESOME! Every single training session has helped me to be the best leader I can be. Bailey is my first from scratch puppy, I was so concerned that I would do things with her that would lead to bad behaviors that she would have to unlearn and it would be my fault, as soon as we started our training with Elite those fears went away immediately!! With Elites help I am confident we will achieve our goals!! I am so grateful! Bailey is doing so well, I can’t wait until we complete our training and we can go everywhere together! I am really look forward to being able to go through the doors that were closed on me 17 years ago when I suffered a traumatic brain injury. I know with Elites help Bailey and I will be ready to explore a whole new world together and that will change my life! Conclusion… If you are looking for assistance training your puppy or dog, without a shred of hesitation I would recommend that you give ELITE the opportunity to help you in the ways they are helping us!! It is an investment with limitless rewards for you and your puppy!!— Kimberly Gagon
Posted September 18th 2024
Kind, experienced, and effective trainers made this a wonderful experience. I noticed an improvement after our first session. Highly recommend!— Chris Davis
Posted September 18th 2024
Where do I begin, this training experience was amazing. I am throughly impressed with the knowledge passed along from the one, the only… Deidre Wilson. Deidre’s energy is amazing and makes learning for my dog and I so much more positive and enjoyable. I will forever recommend Dog Training Elite of Utah County to anyone with a K9 young or old.— HawaiianPrepper
Posted September 18th 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 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 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’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. 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.
Why do Therapy Dog Training with Dog Training Elite?
The Dog Training Elite 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 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. Request your free training demo and in-home assessment today.
