Question on Therapy Certification

[BustopherJones]

As I have noted in past posts, Annie loves people...ALL people. I would like to do something with her to benefit others; she has proven of little help (and, in fact, is a major distraction) at Special Olympics, where I referee soccer. I have given some thought to taking her to children's hospital wards, Hospice, convalescent homes, etc., as a therapy dog. I have "Googled" the subject of therapy dog certification, but seem to keep coming up with training schools that only offer classes during the day and charge exorbitant amounts for the classes. I work during the day (thankfully, after having been unemployed for a period of time; a bad day at work is still better than a good day on unemployment), which rules out daytime classes, and I don't have a lot of money, as I am facing retirement in the near future and drained some of my cash reserves while I was unemployed.

 

Can someone with experience in this area provide me with some guidance? Does a dog have to be "certified" to bring a little comfort to those in pain who need a little canine companionship? If so, can you provide some guidance as to how to pursue this on a part-time basis with limited funds? Thanks in advance for your help.

[Root Beer]

Whether or not certification is needed really depends on the facility/organization that you wish to visit with your dog. I have a Therapy Dogs International certification on Maddie, yet it is Speedy, who could never pass a TDI test, that goes to do Freestyle demos at nursing homes!!

 

Do you have a specific idea of what you would like to do with your dog? If so, I'd say go ahead and contact someone in that area and see what their requirements would be. Some places will require certification and others will let someone with a friendly dog simply visit.

[Maralynn]

I did therapy dog classes last year with Missy. We went through a local program that had classes one night a week for 8 weeks. The cost was only $40 for all 8 weeks. At the end they offered testing and certification. If you passed, you and your dog would be covered under the groups liability insurance. I thought the classes were very helpful as they offered suggestions and exposed the dogs to smells and situations that would prepare them for visiting.

 

You don't have to go through training to go visiting to some facilities. The nursing home where my great-aunt was allowed any well-behaved dog to visit. You just have to call places in your area to see what their policies are. Some may require a health certificate from your vet or that your dog have passed a CGC test. and some may want your dog certified through an organization.

 

Where are you located? Maybe someone can help you find something in your area

[Sue R]

One nice thing about being certified and being current in your membership, etc., is that you are covered in visits by the organization's insurance. My two are certified by Therapy Dogs Inc., and I appreciate the insurance coverage for visits. Many facilities do not allow uncertified animals to visit while I'm sure others are more liberal in their policies.

 

In addition, taking a training course allows you to learn how the dogs should be handled around folks with special needs, and to teach the dogs certain valuable skills in the context of facilities like nursing homes and rehabs (like "leave it", positioning for wheelchair-bound residents to handle the dog, and the smells and noises that accompany health-care settings).

 

Some of our facilities around here have scheduled visiting hours for therapy animals, in order to keep things "organized" by the activities directors and to avoid animals visiting folks that have allergies, health concerns, or aversions to animals.

 

Best wishes!

[MaggieDog]

Check out Delta Society's site - that's the group Maggie and I have been working through for 4 years now and I like them and their policies a lot better than TDI. I believe the web address is www.deltasociety.org - just look for the Pet Partners tab.

[Kat's Dogs]

I like the Delta Society. They have a ton of info about Pet Partners on their website that really helps. I *think* they still have the thing where you can look for people certified to give tests in your area, usually these same people often offer training for the certification as well.

[BustopherJones]

thank you for the suggestion about Delta Society. I did check out their website, but the nearest evaluation center is in New York (I live in Connecticut), which is not practical given my schedule. I will ask certain facilities about what certification (if any) is required for their specific locale; in the meanitme, I will continue to find a trainign venue that has reasonable prices, as seems to be the case in some other parts of the country.

 

Thanks again, everyone.

[Maralynn]

thank you for the suggestion about Delta Society. I did check out their website, but the nearest evaluation center is in New York (I live in Connecticut), which is not practical given my schedule. I will ask certain facilities about what certification (if any) is required for their specific locale; in the meanitme, I will continue to find a trainign venue that has reasonable prices, as seems to be the case in some other parts of the country.

 

Thanks again, everyone.

 

This website lists therapy dog organizations and groups state by state Land of Pure Gold. Maybe one listed is near you.

 

Good luck!