Pet Therapy Qualifications

Animals in pet therapy programs are typically screened for behavior and health.
Pet therapy qualifications. Check out our covid 19 resources for volunteers and facilities and learn more about how to stay engaged with pet partners during the pandemic. Perspective volunteers and dogs go through an 8 week therapy dog training class which involves training the pet owners and their family pets to make visits. Certificate programs in animal assisted therapy are interdisciplinary and include courses related both to animal welfare and to human psychology. The canine good citizen test is nationally recognized as a high standard of dog behavior and the stepping stone to prepare for therapy dog training.
Furthermore even a dog will not qualify as a service dog if it is not individually trained to help an. Visit our featured teams page to read about life changing moments shared by pet partners teams across the country. However a therapy pet must be well trained and love spending time with people. The volunteers of the pet prescription team come from every walk of life.
Perform the required number of visits for. After achieving a cgc certification your next step will be to contact an organization to acquire your pet s pet therapy certification. To earn an akc therapy dog title you and your dog must meet the following criteria. In some cases you can apply online.
We offer therapy dog training classes in los angeles san diego county. An animal s owner and handler must also undergo training and an evaluation to help ensure a positive experience. Therapy dogs do need certification from and registration in a reputable national organization. A therapy pet can come in all shapes in sizes including dogs cats and even bunnies.
Take this short fun quiz and find out if you and your pet might make a great pet partners therapy animal team. Love on 4 paws volunteers and their pets provide animal assisted therapy to many hospitals schools and nursing homes in los angeles county california. So no animal other than a dog can qualify as a service animal even if that animal is trained to assist a person with a disability. Most programs require a bachelor s degree in a.
Certification is the final hurdle in a dedicated process toward becoming a therapy dog however.