PerPETual Therapy Dog Program
What is a Therapy Dog?
A Therapy dog is trained to provide affection and comfort to people that would benefit from their company. They can be placed with a person that would benefit from a therapy dog to become their permanent companion or can be placed with an individual that will take them to visit nursing homes, hospitals, schools and daycare facilities.
It takes a special puppy to be trained for therapy work. They are still a playful puppy of course but they just have those special qualities that would make them excellent prospects to become a Therapy dog such as a gentle disposition, a calm personality, eagerness to please and willingness to learn.
Though the CGC (Canine Good Citizen) certification is not required in order to become a therapy dog the evaluations are very similar. The CGC certification can be obtained once the puppy is over six months of age and for the TDI (Therapy Dog International) certification the dog must be over one year of age.
In order to pass the evaluations the dog must demonstrate their knowledge and willingness to perform basic obedience drills as well as others that are more non-typical. This is so that they are able to interact with people in wheel chairs, hospital beds and that are using other unusual equipment. They must allow a strange humans and dogs to approach and show restraint for interaction without invitation and so on.
We are in the process of obtaining certifications on a few or our Labradors and we are eager to locate other therapy dogs
in the area and join a team of volunteers to begin therapy visits. We will build this page with pictures of our visits
and more information as our PerPETual Therapy dog program grows here at Coldwater Labradors.
If you are interested in becoming a foster home for a therapy puppy please contact us! Puppies placed in foster homes
are there until they are over a year old and have earned their CGC and TDI certifications. We pay for all food, standard
vet care, training fees and certification fees.
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