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Elite

Therapy Dog Training


Top Therapy Dog Trainers in Boston, MA

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What is a Therapy Dog?

A therapy dog is a dog that performs a service for other people. Typical therapy dog tasks are going to nursing homes or hospitals to cheer people up. For your dog to qualify, he/she must be friendly with strangers, and with training, be able to work around a high level of distraction and to understand personal boundaries, such as not jumping up, licking, mouthing, etc.

Research shows that therapy dogs can have a positive effect on a patient’s mood, stress, and pain levels during facility stays. Children, in particular, respond positively to therapy dogs. They are more motivated to participate in treatments, feel optimistic about the future, and experience an overall sense of calm when a certified therapy dog is present.

Therapy dogs can promote social interaction between individuals within communities that may not otherwise experience socialization typically. Therapy dogs offer unconditional love, non-judgmental interaction, reduce stress, anxiety, and loneliness and provide an overall positive distraction to ailments.

Goals for Your Therapy Companion


  • Socialization
  • Lower Pain Levels
  • Motivation
  • Provide Comfort
  • Decrease in Stress, Anxiety, and Depression
  • Promote Healing
  • Increase Overall Optimism
  • Ease Loneliness


Not all training packages may be available at our Dog Training Elite in Boston location, please reference our pricing page for complete information on services offered.


Therapy Dog

Therapy dog training is based on your dog's abilities.

$3,250

A therapy dog volunteers alongside you, where permitted, and provides comfort to others. Examples include cheering people up at nursing homes or hospitals.

A good therapy dog is naturally friendly with strangers, able to work around a high level of distraction (with training), and able to understand personal boundaries, such as not jumping up, licking, mouthing, etc (with training).

  • Puppy Selection advice
  • Private, one-on-one training sessions in your home and the community 8 Sessions
  • Group Training Classes 16 Sessions
  • AKC Training
  • Therapy bandana, ID Card, and Certificate of Training
  • An exclusive directory of therapy events and locations for you to donate your time
  • Come
  • Sit, Down
  • Place
  • Heel
  • Quiet
  • Off, Wait
  • Leash Manners
  • People Manners
  • Load up in the car / kennel
  • Make a friend
  • Choose one personalized greeting (high five, shake, hug, etc.)
  • Top-notch off leash obedience
  • Distraction Training

Emotional Support Animal Training

Emotional Support Animal training is based on your dog's abilities.

$3,250

An Emotional support dog provides comfort and companionship to its handler at home. ESA's have housing rights with medical endorsement (but not public access rights).

A good emotional support dog promotes improved mood through positive interactions, touch therapy, and maintaining a routine.

  • Private, one-on-one training sessions in your home and the community 8 Sessions
  • Group Training Classes 16 Sessions
  • Come
  • Heel
  • Sit/Down
  • Place
  • Off
  • Quiet
  • Leash Manners
  • People Manners
  • Load-up (in Car or Kennel)
  • One personalized Command/Skill (high five, shake, hug, etc.)

Therapy Dog

Therapy dog training is based on your dog's abilities.

$3,245

A therapy dog volunteers alongside you, where permitted, and provides comfort to others. Examples include cheering people up at nursing homes or hospitals.

A good therapy dog is naturally friendly with strangers, able to work around a high level of distraction (with training), and able to understand personal boundaries, such as not jumping up, licking, mouthing, etc (with training).

Training Equipment Included: E-Collar

  • Puppy Selection advice
  • Private, one-on-one training sessions in your home and the community 8 Sessions
  • Group Training Classes 34 sessions
  • AKC Training & Testing
  • Therapy bandana, ID Card, and Certificate of Training
  • An exclusive directory of therapy events and locations for you to donate your time
  • Come
  • Sit, Down
  • Place
  • Heel
  • Quiet
  • Off, Wait
  • Leash Manners
  • People Manners
  • Load up in the car / kennel
  • Make a friend
  • Choose one personalized greeting (high five, shake, hug, etc.)
  • Top-notch off leash obedience
  • Distraction Training

Emotional Support Animal Training

Emotional Support Animal training is based on your dog's abilities.

$2,745

An Emotional support dog provides comfort and companionship to its handler at home. ESA's have housing rights with medical endorsement (but not public access rights).

A good emotional support dog promotes improved mood through positive interactions, touch therapy, and maintaining a routine.

Training Equipment Included: E-Collar

  • Home and Community One on One Training 9 Sessions
  • Group Training 16 sessions
  • Come
  • Heel
  • Sit/Down
  • Place
  • Off
  • Quiet
  • Leash Manners
  • People Manners
  • Load-up (in Car or Kennel)
  • No Jumping up (on people)
  • One personalized Command/Skill (high five, shake, hug, etc.)

Our Balanced Theory

We base our training around the "Classical Conditioning" model (a.k.a. "Pavlovian" or "respondent conditioning"). This includes developing conditioned or automatic reflexes to commands. In its simplest form (after proper conditioning), when the owner says "sit," the dog automatically sits without thinking about it. Our unique techniques ensure our program is a success no matter what behavior we encounter.


  • Empowering Owners
    We empower Owners to train so their dog knows who to obey at all times.
  • Personalized
    We deal with problem behaviors on a personal basis.
  • Environment Specific
    We train wherever issues tend to arise (i.e. jogging, park, home).
  • Supportive
    We support Owners in the off-hours (when training is "not in session").
  • Involved
    We work with all members of the household.
  • Simplified & Customized
    We plan training around the owner's schedule and require only 20 min/day follow-up practice.
  • Continued Training
    Additional programs / group sessions offered after in-home training.
  • Lifetime Investment
    We follow up & are invested in the owner's success long-term.
  • Satisfaction Ratings
    Our high client satisfaction rating sets us apart from competitors.

We help your dog become a valued companion and beloved member of the family. Read what our customers have to say and then give us a call!

Matt k did a great job. Couldn’t be happier with the whole staff.
— Russ Morris
Posted September 13th 2024
google
I am very happy with my experience! My dog Petey is a different dog compared to who he was in the beginning. We are much happier together !
— Michelle Grajeda
Posted September 12th 2024
google
Marcus and Patrick were fantastic. They helped us train our yellow lab puppy who had a lot of energy and sass shall we say. The trainers are very knowledgeable and helpful. Whenever we had a question about a behavior that was a challenge in between sessions with our puppy, we could just reach out and they were willing to help and guide us on what to do. Everyone was super friendly. They even accommodated my work schedule which was very helpful. Also, the group classes that we have had after the one on one sessions were a bit far for us and we were able to attend another group's classes that were closer which was really nice. It works because they use the same methods. Overall, great experience, worth the money. We highly recommend them!
— Courtney Tompkins
Posted September 4th 2024
google
It’s been nothing but great working with the trainers here. My biggest struggle was the confidence to be able to train my dog and just a couple months later I feel much more confident already and I’m amazed how far we’ve gotten in training. All the trainers we’ve had have given us great advice that’s helped us go even farther with training. I would recommend this place in a heartbeat to anyone looking for training!
— Shanna Moores
Posted July 17th 2024
google
The professional and courteous trainer Matt showed me exactly how to train my dog to get the results I expected. I will continue to train my dog using the skills I learned.
— John Serafino
Posted July 11th 2024
google
Thanks so much for your help! Frankie is still a spicy girl, but I understand how to manage it, and it's restored my confidence. And she's happier as a result. Couldn't have gotten here without the insight and encouragement of Matt Fennell -- thank you, and thanks to Echo and Nova, too!
— Emily green
Posted July 3rd 2024
google
Great people to do business with.They arrive when they say they will and the trainers are very knowledgeable and professional. They explain what the dog needs and how to train them .
— Michael Bouvier
Posted May 30th 2024
google
When it came to sessions for training. They always made themselves available for what time worked for me!! Which was very important with my schedule. They offer group sessions in multiple locations, which made it easy to find one on a weekend to attend. All the trainers are very knowledgeable and I felt like they all love what they do. The amount of attention given in each and every session (private or group) was amazing. Definitely would recommend them to anyone who may be struggling with obedience with their friend.
— Cedric Crawford
Posted May 25th 2024
google
Dog Training Elite of Central Massachusetts is amazing. The office staff is highly professional, organized, and kind. Whenever I call in, they are always so personable and helpful. Our trainer Matt was a godsend. We have a highly reactive german shepherd. We have tried other training facilities and private trainers that allegedly specialize in german shepherds with no results other than wasting our time and money. Within 30 minutes of meeting our dog, Matt had her full attention and obedience. We were awestruck. No one had ever been able to take control of her like that or coherently explain to us what my dog needed. In all reality, he trained us to be better pet parents and provided us with the tools and knowledge necessary to better serve our dog. We are a lot more confident in interacting with our pup and bringing her out into public. We could not be more grateful to the whole Dog Training Elite team!
— Deanna Greco
Posted May 9th 2024
google
We and Happy have really appreciated and enjoyed the dog training at our home. The teachers have each been so helpful with plenty of techniques, strategies and answers for our questions. We are excited to pass the test and move toward having Happy become our therapy dog. All our thanks! DK & MS
— Diana Kierein, LICSW
Posted May 4th 2024
google
From the scheduling to the personal service, the attention to detail with our dog. The way that Marcus is not only educating the dog, but educating us as a family. We can’t say enough!!!!
— Cassandra Cuddy
Posted May 1st 2024
google
Amazing. I have a 2 year old pitbull mix that is wild. I was thinking about giving her up. Matt came in and taught me how to trainer her. He showed up every week and held us accountable, gave us homework and praised us on what we did right. Even after she bit him…… I thought there was no hope. I glad we got this training done. I am beyond grateful for him. Worth every single penny!
— Sila Rosario
Posted April 30th 2024
google
Awesome team! Very kind and assertive. Always on time and very effective training. Very knowledgeable.
— shannon guimaraes
Posted March 23rd 2024
google
The team at Dog Training Elite has been nothing short of amazing with my 6 month old lab puppy. We are training him to be a service dog and the week to week improvements based on Dog Training Elite’s curriculum have been immense. The team of Marcus, Jamie, and Barbara have given me and my puppy the time, guidance, and confidence to progress each step on the way to our goal. I would highly recommend Dog Training Elite for any level of training for your dog.
— Matt Parr
Posted January 15th 2024
google
Great people to work with.
— zac taylor
Posted January 24th 2024
google
I have been very pleased with the training from Elite. The trainer has been effective and it’s making a difference for our very spirited Boston Terrier.
— Thomas McIsaac
Posted January 23rd 2024
google
We had a wonderful experience with Dog Training Elite! Marcus is so knowledgeable and caring about the dogs he works with. He helped us train our German Shepherd rescue and the results were almost immediate. Using his techniques, our pup has become less reactive and a better listener. He also teaches some pretty cool tricks! Overall, this company is outstanding and we have enjoyed every moment!
— Maya Dube
Posted January 20th 2024
google
Professional dog trainers who know what they are doing. So glad we chose Elite. Our rescue dog was extremely fearful and difficult to train. Marcus and Matt are dog whisperers!
— Andrea Adams
Posted January 11th 2024
google
The training provided was exactly what we needed. Everyone we dealt with was amazing! Highly recommend Dog training Elite Boston!
— Rita-Marie Auble
Posted January 4th 2024
google
Great results with our dog as a result of the professional training we received.
— John Casey
Posted January 10th 2024
google

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