How to Train a Therapy Dog: how much does it cost to train a therapy dog. Before training a therapy dog, we must make a good choice. They must be reliable, balanced, have predictable behavior, are controllable (with good Obedience), are suitable for a given task, and have the ability to inspire confidence.
How to Train a Therapy Dog
It is also important to emphasize that we will always train a dog in therapy in a positive way, which means reinforcing or rewarding each time the dog does something that seems good to us or when it stops doing something that is not right.
Once we have the right dog, we will begin a basic Obedience training, to incorporate the skills of a therapy dog. Basic Obedience is considered to be those commands that give us control over the animal, such as: sit, lie down, stand still, and stand among others.
As an example, These Are Some of the Exercises That a Therapy Dog requires:
- Rest the head on the user’s lap
- Pick up an object and leave it in the hand of a user or guide.
- Bring an object from one user to another.
- Hitting the user with the nose
- Pass under the legs (bridge)
- Go under the legs while walking.
- Get on your lap
- Learn to take rewards to order
- Kiss to order
- Bark to order
- Pass through hoops (jumping)
- Sit inside the hoop and let the hoop off.
- Place the dog lying next to the user.
- Placing the dog on top of a lying user
- Greeting (give me five)
- Beg (ask)
- Tug & Play (tug of war)
- Staying still and relaxed on a table (combing, placing scarves, straps)
- Dead
During the training period, we will expose the dog to as many stimuli as possible, such as wheelchairs, people in uniforms, all kinds of noise, festivals, etc.
After training the dog and to ensure that it enjoys its participation in the Animal Assisted Interventions in addition to ensuring its welfare, it is best to introduce the dog, gradually and gradually, to different types of sessions and groups of users.
The dog may well feel more comfortable in one type of situation and collective than another. But above all, you have to guarantee your safety and keep him happy while you are collaborating with us. A well trained and confident dog will enjoy his work with his guide for a long time, and we will avoid stress problems.