The therapy dog is specially trained to provide assistance and companionship to people who experiencing stressful situations in treatment units such as hospitals, nursing homes, special schools, natural disasters and children with learning disabilities or developmental disorders, as well as people with psychiatric or psychological problems.
Therapy dogs are trained in order to provide companionship, support and assistance.
- On individual level:
-for children with developmental disorders or learning difficulties
-for persons with psychological problems, disorders or other mental health issues
- On group level:
-groups from 2 to 5 persons depending on the environment and claims
- Visits:
-to persons staying in hosting facilities such as hospitals, clinics, nursing and rest homes (the stay in such places is often associated with physiological reactions and stressful conditions)
A therapy dog is trained so that they contribute to the rehabilitation process alongside their handlers during sessions at home and in spaces with certain layout.
A therapy dog should be health, fully vaccinated, sterilized and degraded. The dog should not eat raw food and be able to comply the commands of basic education.
Training is also about personality. The dog should be friendly and familiar with the sharp touch or inconvenient caress. The animal should be social, calm, patient, cool and capable of cooperating without aggression history.
Physical contact between a dog and a person lies in the core of the therapeutic relationship. Therefore, it is important for the dog to be able to offer his companion and to convey his peaceful state of mind without feeling as if it encounters a threat or a scary condition.