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Would you like to volunteer in the Community with your dog?  Are you considering training your dog for Animal Assisted Therapy or Animal Assisted Play Therapy?  Does your dog have solid obedience skills, sound temperament, enjoys human contact and adapts well to change? If so, we can help you screen and/or prepare your dog for a career in Therapy Dog Work. 

Therapy Dogs work and volunteer in medical settings, schools and libraries.  Therapy Dog are used in hospital settings to bring comfort to patients or trained to actively participate in Physical Therapy, Occupational Therapy and Speech Therapy programs. Therapy Dogs participate in the R.E.A.D. Program (Reading Education Assistance Dogs). R.E.A.D. Therapy Dogs, visit libraries and schools as part of a fun Animal Assisted Activity which allows children to read to the dog one-on-one.

Therapy Dogs are also partnered with clinicians or school professionals to work in a variety of settings including Animal Assisted Play Therapy.  Animal Assisted Play Therapist go through rigorous training programs with their trained Therapy Dogs to work as a team in a variety of medical and educational settings.  

Our Therapy Dog Training programs are unlike traditional obedience classes or CGC classes in that they are geared specifically for the training needs of dogs and humans pursuing Therapy Dog Testing.   

Upon successful completion of Dog Training Fundamentals-1 and with Instructor approval,  you would be eligible to enroll in Therapy Dog Prep School. The 4 week session allows students to begin preparing their canine companion for a career in Therapy Dog work.  There will be instruction and practice with successful therapy dog commands as well as discussion on techniques for effective interaction between visiting teams and patients. Students enrolled in Therapy Dog Prep School are eligible to participate in Socialization Outings in the community. Our specialized workshops and  classes allow teams to practice skills learned in class.

These classes are not designed nor required to certify dogs, but rather to give both handler and dog the tools to become effective therapy teams and to be better prepared for tests conducted by various Therapy Dog Organizations.   Our next session of Therapy Dog Prep School begins June 2018.   For more information contact Michelle@k9homeschooling.com.

Our instructor, Michelle McCarthy is a nationally recognized Certified Therapy Animal Consultant and Certified Dog Behavior Consultant with the International Association of Animal Behavior Consultants. She has years of experience working as a Therapy Dog Team in the community. Michelle worked with staff members to develop and launch a Therapy Dog Program at Chelsea Community Hospital called Paws-itive Comfort. She coordinated and launched R.E.A.D. (Reading Education Assistance Dog) Programs at the Ann Arbor and Chelsea District Libraries as well as various Elementary Schools. Michelle works as a Training Consultant and Tester for various Service Dog and Therapy Dog Organizations. She works closely with medical professionals and educators who utilize a Therapy Dog at  their work.  Michelle has trained and placed Therapy Dogs in medical facilities and private practices around the US.    

**K9 Home Schooling does not train or certify Service Dogs or Emotional Support Dogs, we are happy to refer you to a reputable Service Dog Program**