My therapy dog MUST wear a COLLAR?!

[DBlain]

well I read the rules on the links that Nancy provided sounds like all common sense stuff that all of us would do anyway, so unless the state you live in makes it mandatory that you have this why bother. When I became a volunteer I met with the vol. coordinator at the nursing home and she went over the rules of their facility and what I could and could not do and what I had to wear. She asked for vet records, gave me a TB test, then a did a background check on me and when I passed I got a badge and now I go up there when I feel like it, sign in and pick up my badge. Lola is not much of a lap dog, but loves playing fetch with her toys and her Frisbee in the halls, the patients love to watch her and some like to toss the toy, sometimes I hold her up for petting and for a short lap sit. I am not really sure what type of training I would have needed for any of that, it's just her natural behavior. Anyway good luck to those of you that have to have it, but for others if you know what type of places you would like to visit call them directly and see if these certifications are required. Also if Lola was given tests on sit and stay and so forth I am not even sure she would pass it, but she sure is a hit at the nursing home.

[alaskayorkie]

Originally Posted by DBlain

can I ask what you plan to do with your dogs once they have the therapy certification.

I take Lola to a nearby nursing home on a regular basis and no one every mentioned she needed to have any type of certification. Besides the command of sit and stay and come, what do they specifically teach that is related to providing therapy and besides comfort and cheer what type of therapy can a little dog give.

In Pet Partners testing, other than basic obedience, therapy dog testing involves making sure the dog is calm in an unpredictable environment. They make loud noises and see how the dog reacts. They have people arguing. Walkers and/or wheelchairs are pushed by the dog. Paws and ears are physically examined. The dog has to walk past another dog and not investigate. They're not teaching the dog to provide comfort -- they already know how to do that. They're just making sure the dog enjoys it and behaves in a predictable way. No aggressive barking allowed. Jillie failed one time for excessive licking.