Therapy Dog Testing Requirements

Alliance of therapy dogs is a national therapy dog organization providing testing certification registration support and insurance for members.

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. 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. Dogs will be tested individually. 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. Akc therapy dog excellent thdx must have completed 200 visits. A dog should have a health certificate signed by a vet with current shots. Tested dogs need to be at least one year of age.

Dogs must meet certain criteria to qualify as therapy animals. There are no exceptions. Therapy dogs must be well tempered. 1 dog 1 handler 10 00.

Leash if the dog is on a longer leash a knot must be made in the leash to mark 6 ft. Akc therapy dog thd must have completed 50 visits. Akc therapy dog advanced thda must have completed 100 visits. 1 dog 2 handlers 10 00.

A therapy dog must be current on all vaccines required by the local laws have a negative fecal test every 12 months and be clean and well groomed for each visit. The dog must wear either a flat buckle or snap in collar non corrective or a harness non corrective. Testing fees the fee for a tdi evaluation of a dog handler team should not exceed 10. Though the exact requirements of each test varies most of them require the same skills demonstrated in some way.

The handler must drop the extra leash. The handler working with the therapy dog should be in good character. The basic skills test usually tests your dog s basic obedience skills. Therapy dogs should always be clean and well groomed too.

Most of the tests are designed to test dogs specifically because the majority of therapy pets are dogs. How to make your dog a therapy dog. Akc therapy dog akc fit dog. The law does not give therapy dogs any special rights.

The dog should not jump on people in the crowd or strain on the leash. A registered therapy dog will need to meet the following criteria. Therapy dogs are tested by a tdi certified evaluator. They are treated as regular pet dogs.

Requirements for a therapy dog. However if the test site charges a fee for the use of their location or the evaluator must travel to the location of the test the fee may be higher testing fees are charged per dog.