Testing & Evaluation
Therapeutic & Animal Assisted Programs
A certified therapy dog with Therapy Dogs United is only authorized to visit the general public through an approved program or service endorsed or created by Therapy Dogs United. We do not certify therapy dogs for an individuals private use or medical needs.
Therapy Dogs United, Inc. is proud to offer both therapeutic and animal-assisted visitation programs that benefit the public at large. Once your dog is certified with us, our team will help you choose what program is the right fit for you and your dog.
Therapeutic Visitation Dogs
Therapeutic Visitation Dogs, commonly referred to as "working therapy dogs," is often used for animal therapy. These dogs are household pets that make scheduled visits with their owner, referred to as a volunteer handler. Together, the dog and the handler work as a therapy dog team to reach beyond traditional forms of therapeutic healing and treatment. This is our most common volunteer program. To learn more about two of our basic therapy dog programs, please visit Courthouse Comfort Canines or Tutors with a Tail.
Animal-Assisted Therapy Dogs
Animal-Assisted Therapy Dogs are also household pets handled by a certified handler, but these dogs are most commonly used to assist physical and occupational therapists as a component of patient recovery. For example, an animal-assisted therapy dog can be used to help an individual who has suffered a stroke, been physically injured, or suffered a form of physical or mental trauma. AAT (animal-assisted therapy) dogs, together with their volunteer handler, team up with trained therapists or medical professionals to use non-conventional therapy techniques. The end result encourages a patient to regain mobility, strength, range of motion, balance and confidence.
Find out more about testing requirements.
