I have wanted to do this with Deiter, He is great around people in wheel chairs, walkers, canes. Because I help my Mother-in-law. But I didn't see any for my area, I did for about 45 min away.

Hi Deiter & Lynda - check out these two sites and see if they help you out.

http://www.deltasociety.org/

http://www.therapydogs.com/

You can complete the course at home with the Home Study Guide. You can purchase it on their website. But you will still need to find an evaluator for testing. Maybe they know of someone that's willing to meet you part of the way or maybe already in your area.

Good luck!

Thanks I will look into those. I was going to call the one that is 45 min from here also and see what they might know. Deiter is great very friendly, loves to sit in laps. I have notice that with my Mother-in-law he is very careful compared to at home. There he is like a totaly different dog. I think he knows that he has to be that way around her. Which is great. He will even walk with the leash on while we go in the wheel chair, or while using the walker. That is why I think he would be great to take to nursing homes etc.....

Thanks I will look into them.

Hi everyone - OMG - I had the opportunity to attend testing for therapy dogs todays (Delta.org and Paw Partners). Delta testers do this 2x a year at this particular location and when I called about Izzy being a therapy dog they told me that I could just come myself and observe. Wow - it's not as easy as you think!!:eek: Izzy has been in training since I got her in May and will be attending Canine Good Citizen in November. There is a ALOT that they have to learn and not so much the learning part - it's the control you as a handler must have and the time spent in each command. I think the most interesting thing while I observed (and they even let me participate in helping test!!) was all the noise and distraction your dog must get used to before becoming a therapy dog. Also how long they must stay in a sit/lay down command, etc. etc. So next testing in our area may be January or March which works for us since therapy doggies must be a year old and Izzy turns 1 on 12/29. So we will have to practice, practice. Mostly with the noise factor - they were banging bed pans around and having people in wheel chairs and walkers and loud, loud talking.

Oh - and the entire morning that I was there they didn't past ONE doggie. :( But they told each handler/owner what they needed to work on for the next testing.

Sounds like it would be a very informative and needed forum.

I will be going through the delta society as well. When i get back to Nebraska i plan on ordering and studying from home. I got the information from my friend who is blind. Her service dogs were trained through there. My thing is that a trained pet is a happy pet, and leads to a happy family. It never hurts to give some of that happiness back to the community.

Which society is better?
 

Out of the two websites listed for therapy dogs - which one is the most recognized? :confused:
Thanks
:)
Anybody involved in either of the organizations in central Florida??

There is Delta.org and Paw Partners but they are part of Delta. I know that there is a therapy dog website and organization but I'm not too familiar with that one. We are going through Delta. Good luck in finding a group in Florida. :D Stay on this thead - I think we can learn a lot from each other on this. It's a wonderful thing to get involved in this - if you could just see how these dogs work with patients - it's so unbelievable and so rewarding - for both you and your Yorkie. :D

I would really like Winstin to become one. My mom and I were just talking about it yesterday. However, I have no clue where to start! Any help would be great.

Try this link - then find a Paw Partner that is close to where you live and then email them and get more info - that's how I started.

http://www.deltasociety.org/search/deltastateresult.asp

Therapy Dogs International
 

Hi, my little one is registered through Therapy Dogs International and I live in Cemntral Florida. We visit nursing homes and assissted living facilites for the most part and just this month went to a group meeting for a cancer support group. I've heard that Delta Society is much more through....and in fact, harder to get through. That's not why I chose TDI, I hadn't even heard of Delta before mine was certified. But even now that I know the difference, I can't honestly say Abbie or I would be better trained if we had gone to Delta. I think the really great thing about Delta is that because it takes so long and they put you and your dog through so much, it tends to weed out those who aren't very serious about becoming certified. If I can answer any more questions, please feel frr to PM me.

This is so true - I couldn't believe what Delta makes you go through to get certified - again - when I was viewing their certification on Saturday - I was there a half day and probably 6 dogs came through for testing (each test was about 45-60 minutes) and not one dog was passed and they only test 2x a year in our area. But now I know what they are looking for.:eek:

WoW! Do I need spell check!!
 

I just reread my post. For goodness sake! So many misspelled words. That's what I get for being in a hurry! Sorry all! I'm really not a ditz.

Yes, we finally have finished everything, we got tested, vet check, mailed papers and fees in , last week. So we should be about ready to go. I'm am pretty excited about it. Alison :):thumbup: