Have you wondered how therapy dog training works and what is emotional support dog exactly? Me too!
My first rescue dog really loves people. My dog does everything to get more cuddles and kisses and doesn’t hesitate with anyone and adores children.
I think my dog would happily leave with anyone who gave him hugs and treats. Then I thought that I would train him to be a therapy dog. But I wondered where would I even start?
How effective are therapy animals?
Animal-assisted therapy is useful for individuals or groups. It’s used to complement the benefits of traditional therapy.
Studies show that animal-assisted therapy found positive outcomes and improved overall wellbeing in those with autism, medical conditions, and behavioral issues.
PsychologyToday
Animals can also help with improving self-esteem, help with anxiety and post-traumatic stress disorder, and developing social skills. An animal-assisted therapist typically works with a therapy dog in private homes, nursing homes, hospitals, and correctional facilities.
In a treatment plan, other animals can also be used.
The love hormone
Oxytocin has long been referred to as “the love hormone” because we, and our pets, release it when we hug, touch, or look lovingly into someone’s eyes.
The new study was led by Outi Vainio at the University of Helsinki in Finland and it was published in the journal Frontiers in Psychology. The study found that the nicer you are to your dog, the more of the love hormone they will produce.
In turn, this will make them love you even more — so much so that they might even ignore danger for your sake.
The companionship that a pet offers is a great way to reduce anxiety and stress
Mental Health Foundation
Even though you wouldn’t train your dog to be a therapy dog, he will still have a huge impact on your mental health and on everyone who gets to meet him.
Therapy dog training
A therapy dog is trained to provide comfort to people for example in hospitals, retirement homes, nursing homes and schools. Because of this, a therapy dog needs to be familiar with different kinds of sounds, smells and equipment.
How can you train your dog to become a therapy dog?
Therapy dogs should be calm and comfortable being handled with different kinds of people. Being calm usually comes with age and it’s good to start thinking about this after your dog is over one year old. Sometimes it can take a little longer. Like in our case.
During this time you can train your dog yourself to become familiar with different objects, places, materials, and people. Therapy dogs must listen to their handlers and have to know basic commands like ‘leave it’. That’s a good place to start.
Service dogs differ from therapy dogs. Therapy dogs aren’t trained to live with a specific handler and they don’t have to perform any tricks or tasks,
A therapy dog needs to be calm and gentle with strangers. They can’t jump on others, walk on a leash without pulling, and not be startled by strange noises, smells, or medical equipment.
Service dog has more legal rights
Service dog is also known as an assistance dog. As defined by the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), service dogs are individually trained to perform specific tasks and to work with people with disabilities.
The tasks performed by the dog must be directly related to the person’s disability.
Service dogs also have more legal rights and privileges to access public spaces for example than therapy dogs.
Specialized organisations train service dogs and then match them to an appropriate disabled person.The new service dog owner will also receive training when they are being matched with a dog.
The good news is that any dog of any breed or mix of breeds can be a therapy dog or a service dog!
How to get your dog trained as a therapy dog?
You can contact your nearest dog training organization when your dog is past the puppy phase. Make sure you have been socializing your dog with different things and he knows basic commands.
Your nearest dog training organization can give you information about their training and certification after your dog passes their therapy dog tests.
There is different kind of training depending on the country you live in.
Training your dog to become a therapy dog in the US
Many organizations in the US require dogs to pass the AKC Canine Good Citizen test. CGC is a ten-skill training program that’s open to all dogs and focuses on teaching the basics of good manners and obedience. The price of this training varies from trainer to trainer. On average, 6-weeks of classes are about $100.
You could also check out Alliance of Therapy Dogs (ATD) in Wyoming. Registration is $30 a year at the moment plus a one-time $10 new member fee.
Training your dog to become a therapy dog in Europe
For example in Finland there’s “The dog-assisted therapy training” which is an in-service training for care professionals who have completed the dog-assisted activity training with them.
This is over 1000 euros, about 1200 USD. Services of the Finnish Kennel Club and Keteliini. Facebook community in Europe: Therapy Dog Training – European Standards and European Society for Animal Assisted Therapy (ESAAT) are also great resources if you need more info.
Any dog can be an emotional support dog
Emotional support animals can be any type of small, domesticated animal that is usually kept in the home.
Dogs are perhaps the most popular type of emotional support animal.
Any dog of any breed or mix of breeds can be a therapy dog. Emotional support animals (ESA’s) are not required to be trained to perform a service for their owners like service dogs.
To have an emotional support animal, it must be legally prescribed by a licensed mental health professional.
If you’re interested in qualifying for an emotional support dog, the first place to turn for help is your existing therapist. You would need a letter from your medical professional where they prescribe you an Emotional Support Animal as part of your treatment plan.
Emotional support animals have been used to help in different situations
- learning disorders
- tic disorders
- motor skills disorders
- bipolar disorder
- gender identity
- substance disorders, and more.
In early 2020, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) issued a new policy document concerning assistance animals.
“HUD does not list all the possible disabilities for which an assistance animal could be used. Instead, HUD says the functions include “providing emotional support to persons with disabilities who have a disability-related need for such support.”
Department of Housing and Urban Development
To qualify as an emotional support animal, the animal must be reasonably well behaved and under the control of its handler at all times. ESA doesn’t require specific training and emotional support dogs are not required to wear any identifying equipment like a vest or harness.
The biggest difference between a service dog and an emotional support dog is whether the animal has been trained to perform a specific task to the person’s disability for example to guide a visually impaired person around an obstacle.
Often asked about therapy dogs
Can you buy a trained therapy dog?
Training academies in your area can give you valuable information and point you in the right direction. They don’t sell trained dogs themselves but can help you train your own dog. You should fill out an application with a local training organisation if you are looking for a specially trained dog.
How long does it take to train a therapy dog?
Canine Good Citizen training takes about 6 weeks. Therapy dogs only need to be well-mannered with basic obedience and they will need to have a health certificate and test of its behavior by a certified evaluator. The exact training duration varies because it is affected by dog personalities, training methods, and schedules.
Do Therapy Dogs get paid?
Because therapy dogs work in places like nursing homes, schools and hospitals, they usually don’t have the budget to pay for therapy dog visits. You should take this to be something you want to do as a voluntary work to help others in need.
Conclusion
Having a dog can help reduce loneliness and depression by giving more purpose and meaning to everyday life. Just by stroking a friendly dog has a calming and grounding affect.
Dogs are great companions in sharing routines and giving the feeling of being special and needed by someone.