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A therapy dog is a dog who visits places like schools, hospitals and nursing homes. Therapy dog training in Shreveport / Bossier City 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 Shreveport 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!
Jennifer is an amazing trainer! My dog, Max and I looked forward to the time we spent with her every week. I couldn’t believe what she was able to teach my dog to do. She truly is the best in every way!— Marian Benton
Posted February 23rd 2024
Jennifer has been amazing with my dog! She is knowledgeable and kind with my pet. She has been able to move around appointments to accommodate my travel schedule as well. Thankful I found her!!!!— Brooke Ainsworth
Posted February 1st 2024
Buddy loves them and is doing really good learning to behave.. very nice people who love animals— Suzan Azlin
Posted January 7th 2024
Jen has been fantastic! She has been patient with me and all my questions. She is gentle with my puppy and really seems to enjoy him!— Samantha Legg
Posted December 7th 2023
In just a couple months, Jen had my 8mo old retriever mix behaving beautifully. And as she continues to work on service dog training, I'm amazed at the new things Sadie is learning weekly.— Laura Kelly
Posted December 5th 2023
We love love Jennifer! She’s so good with Zadi and gives us easy instructions to follow every week to help train her! She makes the whole process stress free and really takes your goals into account for her training. And Zadi loves her!!!!!!! Highly recommend!!!!!!!— Jaya McSharma
Posted November 29th 2023
Jennifer is a great trainer! My dog Lucy used to bark ALL THE TIME. Jennifer worked with us to teach Lucy “quiet”. We are so happy with our newly quiet dog. 5 stars!— Linnie Emmons
Posted November 27th 2023
I’m so grateful to Jen and Mattie for their help training our dog Suki. She’s come SO far in just a matter of weeks, which is impressive for an 10-year-old dog, and I’m excited to see how she’ll continue to improve. I highly recommend Dog Training Elite to anyone in need of training services!— Emily Price
Posted April 20th 2023
Dog Training Elite has worked wonders with us and our adopted pound puppy. We were a bit overwhelmed with getting her to listen to us and our daughter. The training was tailored to what we needed, started at a base level and built up on the lessons from the prior session. The one-on-one lessons were very helpful and we are looking forward to the group sessions to continue building upon the baseline. Our pup is definitely a part of the family.— JoLynn Kari
Posted March 30th 2023
With the help of Jen and Matti, Carlton has turned into an incredible service dog. They are extremely good at what they do. I can now leave my house without having to worry about passing out, because I know I can rely on my dog. They care for every single pup they meet and treat them with care, no matter the issues. It's hard not to love them immediately. Being a part of their team has been an amazing experience. They aren't just friends, they're family! There are no other dog trainers I would recommend more than them!— Lilyana R.
Posted March 27th 2023
Jennifer at the Bossier City location is the best! She worked with our 1 year old female Shiba Inu on her resource guarding (along with many other issues) and it has literally changed our lives. I highly recommend DTE to anyone who has a fur baby! Thank you Jennifer for being the awesome trainer that you are!— Pamela Haydel
Posted March 7th 2023
Jen and Mattie have literally changed the life of my family. Jen helped pick Kira from the pound and through Jen's patient training, she is becoming an amazing service dog! They are not just trainers, they are a part of our family.— Erica Hussey
Posted February 22nd 2023
I reached out to Jen and Matti when my Doberman puppy was 6 months old, and they were amazing from the get-go. The first time I talked with them on the phone they asked great questions about my puppy and made me feel like they were on my team already. I felt immediately at ease and confident that these ladies would help me learn how to train my puppy and create a better relationship with her. At first I was mainly seeking help with my puppy’s intense and incessant biting problem. I was feeling overwhelmed and hopeless about the situation. After visiting my home to assess the situation, Jen told me that the biting problem would be the first issue to go! I’ll admit I didn’t think that was possible at the time. But she was right!! Within the first training session, Jen addressed the biting problem and my puppy has stopped nipping and biting entirely. It was a huge relief to see such quick progress and it has only gotten better from that point on! My now 9 month puppy has accomplished commands (off-leash and on-leash heel, running in heel position, 100% recall, speak, load-up, quiet, place, & even property boundaries) that I thought would take YEARS to teach her. I could not be happier with the training I have received and if you’re considering someone else in town, don’t even bother. Matti and Jen truly love and understand animals, plus they are so respectful and empathetic when it comes to people! I NEVER felt like I was being bossed around or shamed for not understanding something. They are patient with both pets and people, and I have no doubt they will get you and your pet where you want to be!!— Laura
Posted September 8th 2022
I have seen the effectiveness of DTE Shreveport's training methods and the positive transformation in the behavior of the dogs they train. Jenn and Matti are driven to develop the best possible relationship between each owner and their dog so that they can experience all the fun activities and joy that dogs bring to our lives. If you would like to make your dog a bigger part of your lifestyle, I encourage you to contact the dynamic duo at DTE Shreveport.— Vince Conrad
Posted July 28th 2022
Jen and Matti are fantastic trainers. They are dedicated and truly passionate about improving the bond between dogs and their owners. I highly recommend using them for all training needs!— craig fizer
Posted June 14th 2022
Jen and Matti are driven women who have hearts of gold. Their dogs Tink and Mabel have progressed tremendously going through the Dog Training Elite training program and I have no doubt these ladies will be helping many dogs in the Shreveport area.— George Rehbein
Posted June 1st 2022
Matti and Jen are such amazing women and they love their dogs so much. Mabel and Tink are such awesome dogs. These ladies work so hard and their animals are all the better for it!— Valerie de Armas
Posted May 24th 2022
Jen and Matti are amazing dogs trainers and their love of dogs is so obvious in all that they do!— Kelley Rosequist
Posted May 24th 2022
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 Shreveport 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 Shreveport 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 Shreveport’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 Shreveport / Bossier City. 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 Shreveport?
The Dog Training Elite Shreveport 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 Shreveport 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 Shreveport. Request your free training demo and in-home assessment today.
