Request a Free Assessment
A therapy dog is a dog who visits places like schools, hospitals and nursing homes. Therapy dog training in Gilbert 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 Gilbert 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!
Special thanks to Dog Training Elite and trainer Alexa! Their service is beyond comparison and Alexa has been exceptional with the one on one training for our little Peaches! Much appreciated and if you’re looking for a trainer for your pets, look no further! They’re the BEST!!!— James Foster
Posted April 27th 2024
Elite really help teach us and our dogs how to deal with those unwanted behaviors that all digs do. It's definitely about being consistent and staying positive about the process.— Marlean Wright
Posted April 25th 2024
We truly appreciate the time and support Asher, Aspen, and Taylor have shown us and Zia! We are looking forward to future training and continued progress with our best friend!— Kristen Czapla
Posted October 19th 2023
I am a firm believer in this company's approach to training. This is now our second opportunity with our newest dog. Our previous dog Cosmo and now Stetson have truly become even better dogs after our training with Dog Training Elite! Our current trainer Azure is extremely intuitive and truly knows the art of training! A big fan of this company!— Karen Bever
Posted August 11th 2023
I have worked with Dog Training Elite with two of my dogs. My first dog Branch who was 6 months when we started the program. Branch was very aggressive towards other dogs. Thanks to the owner Neil and his helper Chris my dog Branch is a well rounded dog who became my Service Dog. Unfortunately, Branch who is 6 yrs old now, has hurt his leg and needed to be retired so I began Training my new dog Felicia who is now enrolled with Dog Training Elite. She is only 11 months old and has past her Service Dog Test. Neil came to our home to evaluate Felicia and assisted in getting the process started. Taylor was the trainer who came to my home to continue training with me and Felicia. Taylor also met me and Felicia for our public training and made sure she was completing the task she will be providing. If there was something I needed to work on or if I had any questions Taylor was always able to provide me feedback. Taylor is very passionate and very knowledgeable with the process for continued training. Aspen was the trainer who completed the Service Dog Test and I appreciate how thorough she was at making sure Felicia was able to complete the task she will provide for me ongoing. I would recommend Dog Training Elite and have given out their information as we have traveled in our RV across country because they are wonderful at what they do. I greatly appreciate how much patience Neil and his Team have with dogs and their families. Especially, when helping us train Branch through his aggressive behaviors. If it wasn't for Dog Training Elite we would not have a second dog.— Tonya Lane
Posted March 11th 2023
Thank you Dog Training Elite. We got our Belgian Malinois, Cain, when he was 12 weeks old and we had no idea what we were getting ourselves into. He had crazy energy, no personal space and we couldn’t take him out of the house without him losing his mind. He would go crazy whining, pulling on the leash, and if someone would approach us, he would bark and snarl, causing a scene. On top of that, at home, he had no personal space and was the literal definition of a “fur missile”. No matter what we did or how long we would play, he would not sleep at night because we could not burn enough of his energy during the day. We took him to an 8 week puppy training course with another private trainer and it helped his basic obedience, but it really made no major change to his demeanor. At that point, we were considered rehoming him, even though we already fell in love with him. By luck, we met Neal and DTE!!! He was like the dog whisperer. After watching Neal completely tame our psychotic Malinois puppy within the first 90 seconds of meeting him, we were sold on DTE’s services. We immediately schedule an in-home demonstration of Neal’s Belgian, Bailey. Once he demonstrated her abilities and being shown that Cain had the same potential, we signed up that morning for the Level Two Obedience and Protection Training courses. After the first in-home obedience session, we were 110% reassured that we made the correct decision in hiring DTE. Cain was already a COMPLETELY different dog. (Honestly, I would have paid the money after the progress of the first session and would have been completely happy!) It was incredible to see the progression after each session and how well the DTE training methods worked. Cain was absolutely thriving on these sessions and loved every minute of it! After training with Neal and the DTE team for over a year, Cain has become an amazing dog. He goes everywhere with us, is incredibly well behaved, and we get compliments on him and his training EVERY time we go out. I can’t thank Neal and the DTE team enough for their amazing work with Cain. They are awesome people to work with and treat every client as family and every dog as if they are their own. HIGHLY RECOMMEND USING DTE FOR ANY DOG TRAINING.— Michelle Riley
Posted May 15th 2021
Great training for my pound puppy, Lucy. She has learned so much. She can now heel, sit, down , not jump on people, and so much more from going to Elite dog training.— Patti Rose
Posted March 9th 2021
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 Gilbert 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 Gilbert 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 Gilbert’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 Gilbert. 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.
Why do Therapy Dog Training with Dog Training Elite Gilbert?
The Dog Training Elite Gilbert 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 Gilbert 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 Gilbert. Request your free training demo and in-home assessment today.
