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Course Description

Certify Your Pet as a Therapy Dog

With COVID-19 immunity in sight, now is the right time to certify you and your dog to become part of the community healing process. In this live, engaging, two-hour online class, you will learn from practicing therapy dog handlers how they bring joy and happiness to people in various environments and facilities—from hospitals to airports, from courtrooms to community policing. This course shows you how to pass the therapy dog handler’s written and behavioral tests at the least cost and quickest way. The class provides a detailed understanding of the certifying process, therapy dog training tips, evaluation requirements, practice tests, and post-class support as you work toward your therapy dog certification. We combine live student questions and answers, lectures, demonstrations, videos of therapy dog evaluations, and a comprehensive therapy handler resource guide with over 50 valuable website links. Richard Katz is a nationally recognized therapy dog handler, teacher, and industry expert.  

Syllabus

  1. Welcome
  2. Presenters
  3. K9 Ambassadors Mission
  4. Teaching Schedule
  5. Today’s Agenda
  6. Learning Outcomes
  7. Student Sharing
  8. Three Types of “Working” Dogs
  9. Emotional Support Dogs
  10. Service Dogs
  11. Therapy Dogs
  12. What Therapy Dog Breeds Qualify and Breed Prejudice
  13. Therapy Dog Demand
  14. Therapy Dog Culture
  15. Therapy Dog Industry and Culture
  16. Facilities Served
  17. Populations Served
  18. The Science Behind Therapy Dog Services
  19. A Day In The Life of a Therapy Dog
  20. Handler Qualifications
  21. Handler Benefits
  22. Handler Disadvantages
  23. Handler Expenses
  24. Dog Benefits
  25. Class Break
  26. Basic Therapy Dog Qualifications
  27. Therapy Dog Temperament And Aggression
  28. Selecting a Therapy Puppy
  29. Canine Behavioral Training
  30. The Process Overview
  31. National and Local Registering Agencies
  32. Choosing a Registering Agency
  33. Sample Dog Handler Evaluation Video
  34. Advanced Course: Prepping for the Tests
  35. Jobs and Careers Working with Dogs
  36. Local Healthcare Facilities
  37. Therapy Dog Resources
  38. General Dog Resources
  39. Post-Class Resources
  40. Free Sam on Rounds Newsletter
  41. Summary
  42. Student Class Evaluation

Welcome to K9 Ambassadors

Therapy dogs are pets, owned by you, the "handler." They are trained to provide service to a wide variety of facilities and people, including hotels, schools, courts, airports, worksites, natural and human-made disasters, to name a few.

In contrast, service dogs are trained to provide service to one person. Therefore, we focus on therapy dogs, although we also provide education and consultation on helping people select and find "assistance dogs'' where a disability (emotional or physical) is involved.

So, what makes your furry, four-legged household friend a potential therapy dog? Here are some of the most important criteria:

  • Any breed can qualify, one year old or more, although certain breeds are restricted in hospitals and other facilities where breed stigma is an issue.
  • The right temperament, void of any aggression.
  • A love of people and a desire to be with strangers.
  • A lack of interest in other dogs.
  • Controlled behavior at all times.
  • Knowledge of basic commands.
  • You make a good team. The handler has good interpersonal skills to provide services to the community with time and compassion.
  • The ability to pass behavioral and written evaluations.

Do you feel this might be of interest? I encourage you to explore our site, learn what it takes to register your pet as a therapy dog and sign up for one of our virtual community college classes. Please see our Teaching Schedule.

If you represent a private organization, I also encourage you to learn about our Commercial Therapy Dog Services that bring joy and comfort to employees and customers.

Richard Katz, Founder, K9Ambassadors.org and Chief Therapy Dog Handler

Copyright 2014-2021, Lift My Spirits, Inc., a Not-for-Profit, California Corporation, DBA K9 Ambassadors  •  All Rights Reserved • katzr@hrms.net
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