Unlike usual household dogs, therapy dogs are special dogs. They are used by people to provide companionship and therapy to certain people or organizations like old people, people with disabilities, hospitals, child centers etc. They are special dogs since they have specific tasks that they need to perform and always be calm even if they are distressed by people or environments.

 

They are usually used as guide dogs for the blind and aged people, and handicapped by answering phones and door bells etc other than giving comfort and companionship.

 

Tips for Training Therapy Dogs

 

It should be noted that all dogs in general cannot be trained to become therapy dogs. They require special training and should also not be dogs that get aggressive or restless around other people or environments. It is important for therapy dogs to be calm and socialize well around people so that they provide a relaxed vibe in distress situations like in hospitals and care centers. They should be well-mannered and not bark, while being patient and helpful at all times. A therapy dog should be able to come in close contact of ill people and not feel nervous of being around them.

 

While usually, we expect dogs to obey orders like not climbing on furniture or using other personal objects, these tasks are necessary for a therapy dog. E.g.: If a person is bed ridden, the dog should be able to get up on the furniture or try to get in close contact of the person in case of any difficulty.

A therapy dog should be calm, composed and have good manners. The dog should be trained to let any person approach him or pet him without feeling threatened by their presence. You could also train him to shake hands in the obedience training.

 

Make sure that you take your dog through various environments like parks, carnivals, markets etc so that he get accustomed to crowds and noises but yet remains composed.

 

Since your dog would be coming in contact with a number of people, it is important to make sure that he is always in good health and clean in appearance so that he does not catch any disease or pass on any.

 

While using a leash on your dog, you should slowly start slackening your hold on the leash so that he gets used to being on his own without getting worried or restless.

 

These are initial tips to train a therapy dog. By having a therapy dog in your house, you will make a huge difference to the lives of many others as well as enjoy being around a comforting dog yourself!