Dogs provide therapeutic benefits through companionship to their owners and become an irreplaceable part of the family. However, not everyone has the right life circumstances to look after a dog. That’s where therapy dogs come into play and spread joy to those in need of emotional support.
Unlike service animals, though, therapy dogs require training. If you’re a dog owner asking, “How long does it take to train a therapy dog?” This article has the answers for you. Read on to set realistic expectations for training your dog for therapy work.
Table of Contents
What Does a Therapy Dog Do?
Therapy dogs are support animals that provide therapeutic benefits to individuals in need. These dogs work alongside a human volunteer and visit hospitals, schools, nursing homes, and other facilities where they can provide therapeutic benefits through companionship.
The therapeutic benefits of these dogs can be particularly helpful to individuals and groups of people after a crisis. For instance, nonprofits commonly use Disaster Stress Relief Dogs to provide emotional support to those affected by natural disasters.
What You Need to Know About Therapy Dog Training
Before explaining how long it takes to train a therapy dog, let’s go over what you need to know about training a dog for this purpose to set realistic expectations.
First and foremost, therapy dogs should never be aggressive or shy. They must be outgoing and warm up to strangers quickly. Therapy dogs should accept pets and enjoy being in the presence of new people.
Another trait therapy dogs must have is confidence and never getting startled easily. It is one of the most important traits organizations that certify therapy dogs look for in these dogs.
If a therapy dog is startled easily, it is a sign that they can be overwhelmed and exhibit unwanted behaviors. That’s why therapy dogs commonly undergo training with distractions, just like service animals, to ensure they remain calm and relaxed on duty.
Additionally, as with any other working dog, therapy dogs must be obedient. They must remain attentive to their handler’s commands while interacting with people in various settings.
Ideal Traits in Therapy Dogs
All this brings us to the ideal traits of a therapy dog. Since these dogs must be social, trainable, and obedient, certain breeds qualify for therapy dog work more than others.
For instance, it is more difficult to train a guardian dog breed for therapy dog work with their natural suspicion towards strangers than inherently friendly breeds like golden retrievers or poodles. This also complements training, as sociable dogs won’t get distracted easily, thinking that the new faces around them are intended to cause harm to their handler.
There’s also the general appearance. Even if a dog is friendly and outgoing, an intimidating appearance can make people, particularly kids, afraid to interact with them. Although these dogs can be flawless therapy dogs, they may not be ideal for every facility a therapy dog is expected to visit.
Answering How Long It Takes to Train a Therapy Dog
The answer to how long it takes to train a therapy dog with everything we’ve discussed depends more or less on the breed and individual temperament of the dog.
As mentioned, dog breeds that are inherently wary of strangers require more time and effort than others with a friendly demeanor. Additionally, the age at which you start therapy dog training significantly impacts its duration.
Considering all these, you can expect therapy dog training to take anywhere between six and twelve weeks. Breeds more suitable for therapy dog work can become reliable therapy dogs sooner, particularly if they start training at a young age.
However, you should also remember that not every dog “graduates” therapy dog training. Even with countless weeks of training, a dog undergoing therapy dog training may not have success. This is particularly true for dog breeds that aren’t as suitable for therapy dog work as others – think dog breeds like the Belgian Malinois and Rottweiler.
Determining How Long It Will Take to Train Your Dog
Overall, therapy dog training usually takes between six and twelve weeks. If you’re trying to determine how long it will take your dog, carefully consider its breed, temperament, and trainability. These are the three main factors that will determine the training duration for your dog.
Therapy dog training takes less time for dogs that are trainable and have the desired temperament for therapy dog work. Once trained, you can put their training to the test by contacting AKC-recognized therapy dog organizations.
If your dog lacks the ideal qualities for therapy dog work, expect training to take longer. You should also be prepared for training failures. In such cases, look for other training options for your dog. Your dog will have other options to help people in different ways, from search and rescue to service animal work
