Therapy animals bring comfort, joy, and relief to people in hospitals, schools, nursing homes, and disaster-stricken areas. They’re trained to interact with people in ways that are calming and therapeutic, but achieving this requires a specific training process. Training a therapy animal involves not only teaching commands and behaviors but also ensuring the animal is comfortable in various settings. Here are essential tips to guide you in training a therapy animal.
1. Choose the Right Animal
Not all animals are suited for therapy work. Dogs are the most common therapy animals due to their adaptability and loyalty, but other animals like cats, rabbits, and even horses can be excellent choices. The key is selecting an animal with the right temperament. Therapy animals should be calm, friendly, and resilient. They should enjoy interacting with people and have a natural inclination toward affection and gentleness.
2. Socialize Extensively
Socialization is one of the most critical steps in therapy animal training. A therapy animal should be comfortable around various people, including children, elderly adults, and individuals with disabilities. They must also be accustomed to different settings such as hospitals, nursing homes, or schools, which can be noisy or unpredictable. Early exposure to diverse environments, people, sounds, and situations will make them more adaptable and less likely to be startled or stressed when on duty.
3. Basic Obedience Training
Obedience training is foundational for any therapy animal. Your animal should be able to sit, stay, come, and follow other basic commands consistently. Dogs, for instance, must understand commands like “leave it,” which is essential in environments with medical equipment or food. Training should be based on positive reinforcement to build a trusting relationship between the animal and handler. Reward-based training methods work well, as they reinforce good behavior and encourage animals to respond reliably to commands.
Read more: 7 Commands to Teach a Service Dog
4. Train for Calm and Focused Behavior
Therapy animals often work in environments where they need to remain calm despite potentially chaotic surroundings. They must be able to handle unexpected noises, movements, and even accidental rough handling from patients. It’s essential to desensitize the animal to these stimuli. Practice in noisy, active settings, and use rewards for calm, focused behavior. Over time, this will help your animal maintain composure in a wide range of scenarios, which is especially important in therapeutic settings.
5. Practice with Different Scenarios
Simulating various scenarios can help a therapy animal prepare for real-life experiences. For example, take your animal to a busy park, a school, or a shopping center to expose them to different noises, surfaces, and smells. Role-play scenarios like interacting with someone using a wheelchair, medical equipment, or crutches. By exposing your animal to these different elements, you’re building their confidence and minimizing the chances they’ll be startled or anxious in these situations.
6. Focus on the Animal’s Well-being
Therapy work can be emotionally and physically demanding, even for well-trained animals. Regularly assess your animal’s stress levels, especially during training. Signs of stress can include excessive yawning, lip-licking, or attempts to retreat. Building in breaks and playtime is essential to keep training sessions positive and enjoyable. Therapy animals should be well-groomed, regularly exercised, and checked by a vet to ensure their health and well-being. Happy, healthy animals are more likely to succeed as therapy companions.
Read more: 8 Ways to Help Animals
7. Get Certified
Many therapy animals require certification from organizations like Pet Partners or the Alliance of Therapy Dogs, which verify that your animal has passed temperament and obedience evaluations. Certification often involves training sessions, tests, and assessments to ensure the animal is prepared for different environments. Certification provides assurance to institutions and organizations that your therapy animal is equipped to handle the demands of therapeutic work.
FAQ: Can a Non-Certified Trainer Provide Training for Service Animals?
Final Thoughts
Training a therapy animal takes time, patience, and dedication. By focusing on socialization, obedience, scenario training, and the animal’s well-being, you can cultivate an animal companion capable of offering comfort and emotional support to those in need. With proper training, therapy animals become invaluable partners in promoting healing and spreading joy.
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The Service Animal Registry of California invites you to have your assistance animal registered in order to designate its status. We also encourage you to take our online classes so you can be fully aware of your rights and gain more knowledge about your support animal.
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