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Our tech team has launched updates to The Nest today. As a result of these updates, members of the Nest Community will need to change their password in order to continue participating in the community. In addition, The Nest community member's avatars will be replaced with generic default avatars. If you wish to revert to your original avatar, you will need to re-upload it via The Nest.
If you have questions about this, please email help@theknot.com.
Thank you.
Note: This only affects The Nest's community members and will not affect members on The Bump or The Knot.
Therapy dog training
Does anybody have any info or suggestions on where to take a dog for therapy dog training?
One of my labs would be a great therapy dog so I'm just wondering how the training would go and how to find out if he would qualify for something like that.
(I'm looking for some to do this fall/winter during my slow season of work, thought if might be something to look into.)
Re: Therapy dog training
I *think* that the first step is having your dog pass the CGC test. Have you done that yet?
eta: Here is the website.
You might want to ask on the Pets board too. Good luck! :-)
We did ours through the Canine Coach, they offered classes for Therapy Teams.
http://www.thek9coach.com
Here is a link to the Therapy Dogs International (TDI) website: http://www.tdi-dog.org/.
The CGC and TDI tests are very similar but from what I remember you dont need to pass one before the other. This may have changed, but in the past you could just do the TDI test.
A lot of training centers in the area offer specific CGC classes.
For the most part to pass TDI you just need basic obed. along with things like meeting strangers, or meeting a stranger with another dog, dropping dishes/loud noises, and they usually include someone with a wheel chair or walker or both.
Hope that helps!
There are basic commands your dog needs to know. Each class is set up to get your dogs reaction to things- elevators, wheel chairs, beeps, lound noises, bumps, kids and anything they may come across when you are out as a team.
Your dog may be better with certain types of people than others- my dog gets way too excited for kids and high pitch noises. That didn't mean he couldn't be a therapy dog, just means we do not do the reading with kids or other kid venues. We focused on older folks- VA and nursing homes. He is fine with adults, machines, wheel chairs and whatever else the older folks throw at him (not literally).
Our dog is a spaz off leash, everyone was amazed to see how well he did on our group field trip. He knows when to turn it on and when to be a spaz
Good luck, just about any dog is able to help out some group.
This is what I'm hoping to do as well. He would do great with kids too, but he tends to get really excited around them. I think because their faces are at perfect licking level, lol. I'm excited this could be a possibility, thanks for all the great links!