Therapy Dog Testing Requirements

Therapy dogs are privately owned but they must undergo a screening process to ensure that they are a good fit for patients.

Therapy dog testing requirements.

The handler may talk to the dog and encourage or praise the dog throughout the test. Akc therapy dog excellent thdx must have completed 200 visits. Your dog must first demonstrate friendliness with people by allowing a stranger to approach and shake hands with his owner and then approach to pet him without jumping or nipping. Rules for tdi testing.

All testing must be done on a 6 ft. Therapy dogs must be well tempered. How to make your dog a therapy dog. Dogs must meet certain criteria to qualify as therapy animals.

1 dog 1 handler 10 00. A registered therapy dog will need to meet the following criteria. Dogs will be tested individually. 1 dog 2 handlers 10 00.

Tested dogs need to be at least one year of age. The dog should not jump on people in the crowd or strain on the leash. Requirements for a therapy dog. Therapy dogs are tested by a tdi certified evaluator.

2 dogs 1 handler 20 00. The dog must wear either a flat buckle or snap in collar non corrective or a harness non corrective. The handler working with the therapy dog should be in good character. Akc therapy dog akc fit dog.

Therapy dogs should always be clean and well groomed too. Though the exact requirements of each test varies most of them require the same skills demonstrated in some way. A dog should have a health certificate signed by a vet with current shots. To maintain therapy dog certification your pet needs to be current on all vaccinations that are required by local laws and have a negative fecal test every 12 months.

Leash if the dog is on a longer leash a knot must be made in the leash to mark 6 ft. Alliance of therapy dogs is a national therapy dog organization providing testing certification registration support and insurance for members. The basic skills test usually tests your dog s basic obedience skills. The handler must drop the extra leash.

Most of the tests are designed to test dogs specifically because the majority of therapy pets are dogs. Testing fees the fee for a tdi evaluation of a dog handler team should not exceed 10. There are no exceptions. Akc therapy dog advanced thda must have completed 100 visits.

They are treated as regular pet dogs. The law does not give therapy dogs any special rights.