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A therapy dog is a dog who visits places like schools, hospitals and nursing homes. Therapy dog training in Mesa 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 Mesa 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 have been very happy with their training! I feel capable and able to help my dog be successful and confident in what I’m asking her to do. Great people to work with. Highly recommend them.— Mindy Holman
Posted October 2nd 2024
Karen & Neil rock at everything. Jax went from zero to hero quickly. I've paid thousands elsewhere with little results. :( Dog Training Elite is the STANDARD of dog training. The real deal. Jax is doing amazing and will continue to be a customer for life.— Quenton Wagstaff
Posted August 22nd 2024
This was a pricey one, but our dog needed help and this was the right place for the job. Our dog was quite reactive when people came over to our house. He really didn't like it and he would act aggressive, to the point where having someone watch him or even just having house guests over was a major ordeal. We went for the platinum package and overall the experience has been great. We've had private lessons with experienced dog trainers, they gave us the tools we need to keep our dog in check. Our dog is happier than ever and more confident, he's begun to play with our other dogs and more importantly we can have guests over without him losing his mind, he still doesn't like them but now we can get him to sit on his bed and calm down much more quickly. He gets over the guests being there and we can have a more normal life. Furthermore we had someone watch him when we went out of town for a few days (someone he's really not familiar with) and we had no issues. This was worth every penny, we got our lives back and his life is better. We're nearing the end of our private lessons but we have lifetime access to group lessons where he can continue to learn and grow. I would recommend dog training elite to anyone with a dog who needs training, and in fact I have recommended them to family.— Drevno
Posted June 27th 2024
Dog Training Elite was essential to training both my husband and I and of course our new rescue. We have had Buddy 7 weeks and within two weeks of beginning their training sessions he started fitting right in with the rest of the family. So far we have had 4 sessions and he has become a well behaved dog. He is crate trained, he doesn’t destroy items anymore and is a pleasure to go for walks with because he has learned to heel, sit as well as be placed. Aspen, Azure and Tori as well as Reno are extremely gifted trainers and we look forward to group training in the coming months with them. We highly recommend DTE for your dog training needs and especially for new rescues, these dogs deserve a second chance and DTE will help you with that transition.— Liz Cline
Posted November 19th 2023
I can be a little critical of dog trainers, and so far, Azure and Taylor have been very patient and do a fantastic job!— Derek Wilson
Posted July 29th 2023
Love this company and their whole team! We had the pleasure of working with multiple trainers including Neil, Aspen, Mark, and Taylor. They were patient with us as new dog owners and took their time training both us and our dog on their program. Having private lessons followed by group lessons allowed us and our dog to learn the rules and practice them at home before applying them in a controlled environment. This significantly reduced my anxiety about bringing our dog in public and around our friends and family. We consistently receive compliments about how well behaved our dog is and those started shortly after we started the program!— Jenna Leger
Posted March 13th 2023
Professional and knowledgeable group. If you want to learn how to have full control of your K9 companion then Dog Training Elite is well worth the time and investment. Don’t be fooled by others!— Michael Benjamin
Posted March 11th 2023
Savanah is the best of the best. I would highly recommend her and DTE for service dog training. She has a very solid work ethic, is on time and dedicated to the success and will answer questions. Over the years I have used many different dog trainers and nothing compared. Yes the price is a bit but the likely hood of needing more classes is lower vs those lower price that know you will have to buy more 1 on 1 classes and end up costing more in the end and add frustration. I would 100% go with DTE for my next service dog and specifically Savanah.— Tony Stephens
Posted January 6th 2023
Had my Service Dog trained over the last year with the team she was able to complete her testing in August. Had some hiccups with protection training but was resolved. Overall Neil the owner great to work with very personable and passionate about the dogs training. Megan has done great job communicating since stepping in to handle things.— Kenny J
Posted September 15th 2022
We love training with Ashley. She takes the time to make sure we understand everything and personalizes the training to our dog and unique needs. Our dog has gone from pulling on a leash & jumping on people to healing and looking to us for direction. We are looking forward to completing the service dog training and are confident we will be able to do so with Ashley’s help.— Jennifer Giannetta
Posted November 24th 2021
I had Ashley as my trainer and she was the absolute best! She was very thorough with the training for my dog Rufus. I am pleased when taking him out and having people come up to me giving him and myself compliments of how well he behaves. I would recommend Ashley as she does not only work from my place but we did a session with walking around old town Scottsdale to make sure he still would work through with the distractions outside. I have not made it to group Class yet but I do look forward to working Rufus with other dogs and have a chance for him to win a prize in the class.— Andrew Federico
Posted November 18th 2021
We had a great experience with our trainers. Initially we hired them to help us with a rescue pitbull but it didn’t work out and we were forced to do something different for our family with young kids. The remaining balance of our pre-paid training was applied to our new puppy and the experience has been remarkable! I’ve had dogs my entire life and always considered myself well informed and able to manage my dogs. Dog Training Elite took what I knew to the next level… maybe a few levels. It’s been amazing to have a young puppy so well behaved. I would recommend these trainers to anyone looking for help with their dog.— Howard Hansen
Posted October 18th 2021
I was in desperate need of a service dog. I went to DTE after a lot of research and physically observing their dogs and trainers at one of their events. When I arrived at their Mesa location, I was greeted by the most amazing people. They were kind, took a lot of time and effort to understand my needs and my disabilities. They had payment plans that fit my needs and had equipment I would need for training on site. I was lucky to have trainer Lexi. She did absolute wonders with my dog. By day two, my dog was tasking for my disability. Over the course of 3 weeks, Lexi got my dog ready to pass the CGC, CGCU, CGCA, PA, and ALL of the service dog tasks I requested. We were tested by Alex, who made what could have been the most stressful day ever, instead fun, light, and very enjoyable. This was not all. After testing, I was invited to join Service Dog group classes. This was run by Priscilla and Ashley. I was beyond nervous to go to our first class, but Ashley assured me that it was going to be great. I can’t put into words how supportive the class was. Priscilla was so knowledgeable and helped make little corrections with my dog which greatly impacted his behavior. I gained the confidence I needed and my dogs skills skyrocketed. I can not recommend this company enough. If you want results, respect, encouragement, understanding, and a friendly environment, DTE is for you.— Dina Ransom
Posted July 22nd 2021
DTE’s professionals - Alex, Ashley and Aspen (Triple A) have provided their knowledge and tools to help our dog Astrid gain confidence and make good decisions. Through Triple A’s direction, Astrid has made considerable strides in being a good, respectful, obedient and fun Doberman. Thank you Alex, Ashley, and Aspen for your solid expertise, real problem solving skills and real life, practical training . Astrid .— Al Interiano
Posted June 26th 2021
Ashely has been great with my dog. I have seen a big improvement with his obedience especially with recall and reactivity towards other dogs.— lorenajocelyne
Posted June 12th 2021
I enjoyed the work they were able to do with both myself and my dog. Throughout the training I got to see many different trainers but received the same training for each specific course. They were capable to turn my life and my dogs around. They built up the confidence is both of us and showed the world that we are able to be in control. Each lesson was thought out and properly prepared to best teach both of us what we needed to be successful. I continue to look forward to our ongoing lessons and those who have helped us(Ashley, Neal,John,Aspen, Dani and their whole communication team)!— Dallin Howell
Posted June 10th 2021
Every one there, literally everyone is amazing. All of the trainers are awesome and super friendly. They show that they are genuinely interested in asking your dog a more well rounded pet. I just finished the 6 week puppy course and my pup is doing so great. I can't say enough about how amazing this group of trainers are. Ashley stood out as super energetic and super friendly. She came to do the evaluation on my dog and demonstrated what we could hope to expect with her dog. All at my home. And she was involved in every class. Aspen was awesome also. Everyone was great I just can't remember all of their names. But Ashley and Aspen stood out. Thank you guys so much for helping me train my pup. Can't wait to go on to the more advanced classes.— Clarence Jimenez
Posted June 4th 2021
People always ask who trained your dog and I always say dog training elite. They trained my dog to become a service animal . They helped me get a new normal with my service dog. I could never thank them enough for what they do . They have a great team and are always willing to help . Again thank you dog training elite.— jose declusin
Posted May 29th 2021
I am currently training my 3 dog's and they are doing so well. They follow all the commands with the e collar. All of my dogs know basic obedience in the house and we are currently doing group training and it is going really good. The staff at dog training elite is amazing and respond quickly to questions.— Sarah Becker
Posted May 29th 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 Mesa 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 Mesa 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 Mesa’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 Mesa. 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 Mesa?
The Dog Training Elite Mesa 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 Mesa 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 Mesa. Request your free training demo and in-home assessment today.
