The following slides are taken from our two-hour course, How to Certify Your Pet as a Therapy Dog. Slides: How to Find and Select a Dog that Matches Your Needs
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How to Find, Train, and Certify a Qualified Animal-Assistance Dog
This summary, 2-hour class introduces you to the least cost and most expedient way to choose the right dog for your specific physical and emotional needs and circumstance. The class also covers resources available to train your pet for a particular purpose, such as providing therapy dog services to the public. Class features: Live, Virtual, […]
Our Founding Therapy Dog, Rudy
July 2006- October 2019 This text has been revised from the original text. Rudy’s contribution to the animal-assisted therapy industry will last forever. Rudy motivated us to establish our nonprofit organization, K9 Ambassadors, with his uncanny ability to consistently put a smile on people’s faces and bring them joyfully into the “here and now.” Rudy […]
The Tails and Tales of Sam: Another Star is Born!
Many students taking our classes want to know where and how to get their pet dog trained and certified as a therapy dog. One way to share how to do it, is to tell Sam’s story. Sam began as a “career changer” when he was given up for adoption by Guide Dogs of the Desert […]
VOTE for Sam and Make Him “Top Dog”
Our own K9 Ambassadors therapy dog, Sam, is a finalist in the American Humane Association’s Hero Dog Awards TV show, to be broadcast on the Hallmark CHANNEL. Vote today by going to Vote for Sam Now, and thank you in advance for your support. Sam began as a “career changer” when he was given up […]
Richard Katz, Bio
As founder and Executive Director of K9 Ambassadors, a California not-for-profit corporation, Richard Katz’s mission is to expand therapy dog services to a broader range of facilities and populations. His mission is to educate the community on the virtues of therapy dog certification. K9 Ambassadors created this unique course, earning all “Excellent” and “Very Good” […]
NEW Online, Non-Credit, Class
NEW Online, Non-Credit, Class Offered by Las Positas Community College: How to Certify Your Pet as an Official Therapy Dog (Open to Adults and Children, Regardless of Residency) Saturday, February 27, 2021, 9:00 am to 11:00 am With COVID-19 immunity in sight, now is the right time to certify you and your dog to become […]
Why Some Bad Dog Behaviors Are Hard to Fix
By Stanley Coren, PhD, DSc, FRSC An owner’s personality can affect the success of canine behavior modification. There are a flock of behavioral issues in dogs that often cause their owners to seek professional help. The most common problems are aggression toward people or dogs, chasing cars or animals, general fearfulness, separation anxiety, poor trainability, excessive barking, and fear of […]
Hierarchy of Needs
It’s never too late in life to become self-actualized in a new career. As Maslow so famously theorized in his emotional pyramid model, “Hierarchy of Needs”, it’s at the top of the pyramid: Here’s my story as to how I became self-actualized during my second career: In 2014 I launched K9 Ambassadors after a life-long […]
Eulogy for Rudy
Did you ever wonder where the old saying, “A man’s best friend is his dog,” came from? Well, if you guessed Warrensburg, Missouri, you were right! Attorney George Graham Vest, who was later elected to the United States Senate from Missouri, won a court battle and the hearts of dog lovers everywhere when he paid […]
Is It Time for Therapy Handlers To Get Paid?
The cost of providing therapy dog services is significant both in terms of out of pocket expenses and the value of our time. I’m sensitive that many of our readers view therapy dog handling as a volunteer service. However, it’s clear to me that demand is outstripping supply. Let’s look at these two variables: INCREASING […]
Service Dog Update
Disabled with her service dog finds new role as a therapy dog handler.
Annmarie and her service dog, Domino, made an impassioned presentation at a recent Abilities Expo workshop.
See brief NBC New York video news clip .