How to use your dog for therapy

Take your dog through obedience classes. Therapy dogs must be well-trained since they are often used with children, the elderly and disabled individuals. Most dogs have been through multiple levels of obedience classes--having aced each one.

Take your dog to the vet and get them examined and up to date on their shots. When registering your dog for therapeutic purposes you will be required to submit a copy of an exam to show your dog is healthy as well as their shot record.

Apply to be a therapy dog. Fill out an application with one of the prominent national dog therapy organizations such as Therapy Dogs Inc., Therapy Dogs International, Paws for Friendship and Love on a Leash (see Resources below). As part of the application you will be required to take and perform a test with your dog to ensure that your dog is well-mannered and has a good temperment, while you as a handler have control over your dog at all times. After passing the test your application should be approved, and you will be required to pay a set fee (as determined by the organization you register with) to belong to the organization and be fully certified.

Put your dog to work. There are a number of different environments for your dog to work in, thus you will need to determine what works best. Nursing homes allow therapy dogs to come in and meet the residents, while therapy dogs can also be used for children that have difficulty reading.