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A therapy dog is a dog who visits places like schools, hospitals and nursing homes. Therapy dog training in Savannah 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 Savannah 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!
Jackson is an awesome trainer. My dog is doing outstanding in training.— Robert Benca
Posted September 21st 2024
Abby and I are 8 lessons in plus one group session and I am amazed at how fast this 5 month old golden retriever puppy is learning. She is about to enter “dog adolescence” and our trainer, Jackson, is a genius in getting her to focus and in correcting my training technique errors. I recommend Dog Training Elite and Jackson without reservation. Not only is their method effective, Abby and I are having a great time learning together. RamonM.— Ramon Meguiar
Posted September 17th 2024
Excellent folks! Jackson is a fabulous trainer and really takes time to work with you and your dog. He *understands* dogs, and he's great at troubleshooting, as well as a consummate professional. He got our 7-8 year old GSP learn how to be a service dog - I wasn't sure it could be done! Great communication from everyone, highly recommend.— Erin McCoy
Posted September 3rd 2024
My boy Nick was a menace! Then I called Dog Training Elite because I needed help with training. Jackson came in figured out what the problem was (Nick thought he was the boss) and created a plan. Every time Jackson came around for training Nick would go into work mode. Jackson was so helpful in teaching me how to train Nick and keep up with it. He also gives helpful advice when it comes to certain behaviors. Separation anxiety, storms, and anything else that comes up. Nick is a completely different dog from when I adopted him in March. I have already recommended Dog Training Elite to my neighbors. They are 100% worth the cost.— Trish Dillon
Posted September 1st 2024
Jackson has done very well with helping me understand how to correct and doesn’t get irritated with me when I don’t understand something.— Brooklyn Wilkins
Posted August 30th 2024
Elite training has been very patient and helpful training my 2 dogs. Jackson has provided great instruction for training both me and the dogs!— Patty Burke
Posted August 15th 2024
Jackson is so great with Winnie! I would definitely recommend him to train your fur pup!— Janice Whitsell
Posted June 8th 2024
From my initial experience meeting Steve and Valerie at a home show, to interactions with them even before I adopted my dog (to be trained as a service dog), to the training sessions with Jackson, every experience has given me confidence to handle and train my puppy with consistency. It is so great having them in my corner, coaching and training me every step of the process. They respond quickly and are always so supportive of me as well as my dog. I highly recommend them to everyone I can.— Shelley Hendrix
Posted June 8th 2024
Our sweet puppy Chief is 4 months old and we’ve been having issues with getting him to listen to commands, one visit with DTE and I’ve already seen a huge impact on his behavior, their technique is very effective and Chief is such a happy boy!! I can’t wait to see the amazing dog he becomes working with Steve at DTE!! If you’re looking for training for your dog, no matter the age, no matter the attention span, this is the dog trainer for you!! You will see a big difference in your pup!— savana thompson
Posted July 17th 2023
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 Savannah 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 Savannah 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 Savannah’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 Savannah. 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 Savannah?
The Dog Training Elite Savannah 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 Savannah 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 Savannah. Request your free training demo and in-home assessment today.
