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A therapy dog is a dog who visits places like schools, hospitals and nursing homes. Therapy dog training in Corpus Christi teaches dogs to provide comfort, support, and affection to the people they meet, particularly vulnerable people like children, seniors, patients in hospitals, and so on.
Therapy dogs are not service dogs. Service dogs are trained to perform specific tasks to help a person who has a disability. This distinction is important because therapy dogs do not have the same access to public places like service dogs do. For example, service dogs can go into restaurants, but therapy dogs cannot. Therapy dogs still provide a valuable service and should receive therapy dog certification.
Not all training packages may be available at our Dog Training Elite Coastal Bend location, please reference our pricing page for complete information on services offered.
Who Do Therapy Dogs Help?
Therapy dogs may be regular visitors to a variety of people and places, with hospitals and rehabilitation centers being among the most common. Children, in particular, respond positively to therapy dogs.
Seniors in assisted living or people with mental disabilities who live in facilities and experience feelings of isolation also see a lot of benefits from visiting with a therapy dog.
Besides providing valuable social opportunities and relieving anxiety, therapy dogs may even help lower blood pressure and heart rate in patients and the other people they visit.
Why Are Therapy Dogs Important?
Therapy dogs offer unconditional love, non-judgmental interaction, reduce stress, anxiety and loneliness, and provide an overall positive distraction to ailments. Research shows therapy dogs can have a positive effect on a patient’s mood, stress and pain levels during facility stays.
Young patients — children — seem to benefit most from working with 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.
For people who may have a hard time socializing due to mental disabilities or their living situation, therapy dogs can promote social interaction within their community and help them to connect.
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!
I cannot say better things about my experience with dog training elite. He is awesome!!— jorge de la chapa
Posted September 28th 2024
Very professional and easy to work with. My dog has made great gains after even the first session. Very knowledgeable and helpful.— Keith Fricker
Posted September 13th 2024
We had the pleasure of working with Dog Trainers Anuj and Jessica from Dog Training Elite Coastal Bend, and had the best experience. Our daughter needed a service dog for college, and she worked all summer for a Great Dane. We've always had big dogs, so it was go big or go home. "Ace" went through both obedience and service training, and thanks to the excellent guidance from Anuj and Jessica, he did wonderfully. At just 11 months old, Ace went off to college and is thriving as a service dog with our daughter. We couldn’t be happier with how well he turned out, especially considering we have three untrained big dogs at home! We will definitely be using their services again, and would recommend them to all of our friends. Thanks again!— Barbara Aguilar
Posted September 5th 2024
We had the pleasure of working with Dog Trainers Anuj and Jessica from Dog Training Elite Coastal Bend, and had the best experience. Our daughter needed a service dog for college, and she worked all summer for a Great Dane. We've always had big dogs, so it was go big or go home. "Ace" went through both obedience and service training, and thanks to the excellent guidance from Anuj and Jessica, he did wonderfully. At just 11 months old, Ace went off to college and is thriving as a service dog with our daughter. We couldn’t be happier with how well he turned out, especially considering we have three untrained big dogs at home! We will definitely be using their services again, and would recommend them to all of our friends. Thanks again!— Barbara Aguilar
Posted September 5th 2024
Just finished up a full training program with DTE and they were fantastic. Very professional and did everything we wanted with our 2 year old mutt who is now the most obedient pup in the neighborhood. Highly recommend Anuj and his team. You won't be disappointed!— Casey Caraway
Posted June 27th 2024
I moved from Houston to Corpus Christi in December 2023 and was very excited to see that I could continue our dog training in Corpus. The Dog Training Elite Coastal Bend has helped me deal with some recent issues that have come up with my 1 year old Doberman. Since we started the training, Peaches has been doing so well. I've started feeling more confident and Peaches is showing less reactivity and less fear. Thank you to the entire team for your support and amazing training program. My working Doby is a happy girl!— Ivonne Tostado
Posted May 6th 2024
How Does a Dog Become a Therapy Dog?
If you have felt the benefits of owning a dog, you may feel inspired to help more people feel the unconditional love, joy and support your dog provides. However, having a friendly, loving personality isn’t enough for a dog to qualify as a therapy dog. Some other qualifications to consider are:
- The age of your dog. Puppies do not make good therapy animals.
- How obedient your dog is. It’s important your dog listens to you and obeys basic commands. Dogs that go through obedience training with Dog Training Elite Coastal Bend have the perfect foundation to go onto therapy dog training, as long as they are old enough.
- How social your dog is. Your dog may be affectionate with you — but are they affectionate with strangers? Do they like to receive attention from strangers, particularly petting?
Therapy Dog Handlers
As a dog owner, it’s important to reflect on whether you would like to become a therapy dog handler as well. If you enjoy connecting with people, becoming a therapy dog handler may be a great fit. You can also choose where to volunteer to better suit your interests — if you like kids, volunteer to visit schools or children’s hospitals. If you prefer to work with older people, then sign up to visit senior living centers.
Once you’ve determined that becoming a therapy dog handler and helping your dog become a therapy dog is the right move for the two of you, you’re ready to start therapy dog training. The trainers of Dog Training Elite Coastal Bend are experts in the behaviors needed in a therapy dog and will help you and your dog either brush up on or master behaviors such as “leave it,” “watch me,” loose-leash walking and not jumping on other people.
To help your dog become well socialized, you may consider also signing up for one of Dog Training Elite Coastal Bend’s group obedience classes. A group class environment is also beneficial because it helps your dog learn to be obedient when there are a lot of distractions around, a crucial skill for a therapy dog.
Once you’ve completed initial training, you’re ready to apply for therapy dog certification in Corpus Christi. However, it is important to note that this certification is not the end. It’s important to stay on top of your dog’s training and continue to help them be the best therapy dog they can be.
Dog Training Elite Coastal Bend Partners & Honors
Why do Therapy Dog Training with Dog Training Elite Coastal Bend?
The Dog Training Elite Coastal Bend training method stands out because of its emphasis on positive reinforcement. Dogs are never punished for bad behavior, instead they are rewarded for good behavior. This kind of training makes a huge difference in your relationship with your dog, and will make a difference in how your dog interacts with other people.
The balanced training method of Dog Training Elite Coastal Bend fosters a dog’s naturally loving and obedient nature. Focusing on positive reinforcement and rewarding good behavior helps build a strong bond between dog and owner built on love and trust. This foundation in turn becomes a great foundation for dog and owner to become a fabulous therapy team providing an invaluable service to the community.
If you feel therapy dog certification is right for you and your dog, get started by contacting Dog Training Elite Coastal Bend. Request your free training demo and in-home assessment today.
