A Therapy Dog is trained to assist others and must be certified by an organization that carries the insurance on the dog. A therapy dog must comply with the regulations of the insuring organization and visit the organizations covered by that insurance company. Limited working hours are allowed and generally, the owner is the trainer and handler.

Examples where Therapy Dogs are common

  • Therapist Office

  • Hospitals

  • Nursing Homes

  • Funeral Homes

Training for therapy dogs

If not an established trainer, it is a good policy to consider having private lessons to achieve success

getting a therapy prospect from Valaurah farms

We have placed several therapy dogs over the years with great success. To be considered for a therapy placement, please be sure to notate your desire on the puppy application.

Families/Individuals seeking a therapy dog from us must understand and accept all of the following:

  • We are committed to the success of your puppy meeting your needs. This may mean it can take a few litters before an excellent prospect comes along. Your patience, communication, and dedication are an absolute must. We want you and the puppy to succeed, so making the RIGHT match is vital.

  • You cannot be picky about sex or coloring when discussing service dog prospects. This is about life-saving/life-changing ability and some dogs are just not suited for therapy work (too tenderhearted, too drivey, not enough drive). If you are more concerned about looks than about ability, then you may be waiting a loooooong time for a prospect to come around that meets your needs.

  • We recommend you have a professional trainer who is versed in training therapy dogs. This is important for several reasons including the navigation of business tasks (like procuring insurance for your service dog) and increasing the success of your dog in completing the training program. If you are looking for a trainer near you, I recommend visiting AKC’s Recognized Therapy Dog Organizations page to find a trainer near you.

  • Therapy dog seekers are not given priority pick at this time unless explicitly stated.