Certify Your Dog to Bring Healing, Hope & Joy to Hospitals, Nursing Homes & Schools
✨ 8-Lesson Certification Program | $1,000 | Therapy Pets Unlimited Certification
A child who hasn't spoken in weeks lights up when your dog enters the hospital room. Their tiny hand reaches out to pet soft fur, and they whisper their first words in days: "Good dog."
An elderly woman with Alzheimer's who doesn't recognize her own children anymore suddenly smiles—really smiles—when your dog rests their head on her lap. For those five minutes, she's present. She's happy. She remembers what love feels like.
A scared first-grader struggling to read stumbles through a book while your dog listens patiently, without judgment, tail wagging encouragement. The child's confidence grows. Reading becomes less scary.
This is what therapy dogs do. They heal without medicine. They comfort without words. They make impossible days a little more bearable.
And your friendly, gentle, people-loving dog? They could be doing this work.
Therapy dog training in Dallas prepares friendly dogs to visit hospitals, nursing homes, schools, and community centers to provide comfort and companionship. Our 8-lesson certification program ($1,000) teaches public manners, gentle greetings, medical equipment neutrality, and therapy visit protocols. Upon completion, we evaluate and certify you through Therapy Pets Unlimited, allowing you and your dog to volunteer at Children's Medical Center, Baylor hospitals, senior living facilities, schools, and libraries across Dallas-Fort Worth. Unlike service dogs (task training) or emotional support animals (owner support only), therapy dogs are trained to comfort strangers in community settings.
Let's clear up the confusion. There are three types of working dogs, and they're very different:
What they do: Perform specific tasks for ONE disabled handler (guide blind person, alert to seizures, retrieve items, provide mobility support)
Legal rights: Full public access everywhere (restaurants, stores, planes) under ADA
Who they help: Their handler only
Training required: 1-2 years intensive task training
What they do: Provide comfort through presence (no specific tasks)
Legal rights: Housing accommodation only (no public access)
Who they help: Their owner only
Training required: None (just need to be well-behaved at home)
What they do: Visit strangers in hospitals, schools, nursing homes, libraries to provide comfort, reduce stress, encourage social interaction
Legal rights: None (they're only welcome in facilities that invite them - no ADA rights)
Who they help: The community - sick kids, elderly patients, stressed students, trauma survivors
Training required: Public manners, gentle greetings, neutrality to medical equipment, calm behavior in chaotic environments
Important: Therapy dogs do NOT have public access rights. They can't go to restaurants or stores like service dogs. They're invited guests at specific facilities. This is volunteer work - you and your dog visit facilities to bring joy, not to support your own needs.
Therapy dogs aren't just "nice to have." The science shows they create measurable improvements in physical and mental health. Here's what PhD research tells us:
PhD in Psychology (Animal Learning & Behavior)
Why This Matters for Therapy Dog Training:
Key Takeaway: Therapy dog training isn't about tricks—it's about creating a dog who's so reliably calm and gentle that they can be trusted around vulnerable populations. The science shows us how to build this reliability through systematic training.
PhD in Zoology | Certified Applied Animal Behaviorist
Why This Matters for Therapy Dog Training:
Key Takeaway: A therapy dog's well-being depends on their handler's ability to read them and protect them from overwork. Dogs can't tell us when they're overwhelmed—we have to watch for subtle signals and act on them.
PhD Anthrozoologist | Human-Animal Interaction Researcher
Why This Matters for Therapy Dog Training:
Key Takeaway: Therapy dogs aren't made—they're discovered. You can't force a shy or excitable dog into therapy work. The best therapy dogs naturally love people, stay calm in chaos, and enjoy gentle interactions. Our job is to enhance what's already there.
PhD in Psychology | Dog Welfare Researcher
Why This Matters for Therapy Dog Training:
Key Takeaway: Good therapy work creates joy for both the dog and the people they visit. If your dog doesn't genuinely enjoy the work—if they show stress signals, reluctance, or avoidance—they're not a good fit for therapy work, and that's okay. Not every friendly dog should be a therapy dog.
Beyond the joy of seeing your dog bring comfort to others, therapy dog work offers profound benefits:
Your dog's visits reduce anxiety in hospital patients, lower blood pressure in nursing home residents, and help traumatized children feel safe. This isn't abstract—it's measurable, life-changing impact.
Dogs thrive with meaningful work. Therapy visits give your friendly, people-loving dog a job they were born to do. Many therapy dog handlers say their dogs seem happiest on visit days.
If you have children, therapy dog work teaches compassion, empathy, and community service. Kids learn that helping others feels good—and that animals can be healers.
Therapy visits are mentally enriching. New environments, new people, problem-solving (how to greet someone in a wheelchair), and calm-settling work tire dogs' brains in the best way.
Therapy dog handlers form close bonds. You'll meet like-minded people who share your values of service and compassion. Many teams become lifelong friends.
Therapy dog certification is a training milestone. It's more advanced than basic obedience—your dog will achieve an elite level of public manners and reliability.
Our program is designed to take your friendly dog from "loves people" to "certified therapy dog" in 8 structured lessons:
Building the Basics
What We Teach:
Why It Matters: Therapy dogs must ignore distractions (dropped food, other animals, medical equipment) and stay focused on their handler. This foundation is critical.
The Heart of Therapy Work
What We Teach:
Why It Matters: Vulnerable populations (children, elderly, patients) need dogs who are predictably gentle. One jump or nip ends your therapy dog career.
Real-World Skills
What We Teach:
Why It Matters: Therapy visits often involve long hallways, crowded waiting rooms, and unpredictable environments. Your dog must navigate all of it calmly.
Dallas Practice Locations: We proof this at Children's Medical Center Dallas, Baylor Scott & White facilities, and senior living centers
The "Scary Stuff"
What We Teach:
Why It Matters: Hospitals and nursing homes have equipment dogs have never seen. Therapy dogs can't react with fear or excitement—they must ignore it all.
Building Reliability
What We Teach:
Why It Matters: Therapy environments are unpredictable. Your dog will encounter food, other animals, loud noises, and chaos. They must stay calm and focused through all of it.
Mock Scenarios
What We Teach:
Why It Matters: Therapy visits have specific etiquette. Your dog needs to approach gently, stay calm during interaction, and leave gracefully when time is up.
Final Polishing
What We Teach:
Dallas Locations We Train: Dallas Public Library branches, Frisco schools, Children's Medical Center reading programs
The Final Test
What We Do:
Outcome: If you pass our mock evaluation, you're ready for official certification through Therapy Pets Unlimited. Most teams pass on their first attempt.
Bailey – Golden Retriever
Plano, TX | Pediatric Oncology Visits
"We completed the 8-lesson program when Bailey was 2 years old. She's naturally gentle and loves everyone. After certification, we started visiting Children's Medical Center Dallas once a week. Bailey visits kids going through cancer treatment. These kids are scared, in pain, missing their normal lives. When Bailey walks into a room, everything changes. Kids who've been crying smile. Kids who won't talk to adults tell Bailey all about their day. One little girl told her mom that Bailey was the only reason she looked forward to hospital days. We visit the same kids week after week. Some of them get better and go home. Some... don't. But for the time we're there, Bailey brings pure joy. This is the most meaningful thing I've ever done."
✨ Impact: 15-20 pediatric patients visited per week, immeasurable emotional support
Max – Labrador Retriever
Dallas, TX | Dementia & Alzheimer's Facility
"My mom has Alzheimer's and lives in a memory care facility. Most days, she doesn't recognize me. But I noticed that when therapy dogs visited, she lit up. That's when I decided to train Max. We completed the certification program and now visit Mom's facility every Sunday. There's a woman named Dorothy who hasn't spoken in two years. When Max visits, she pets him and says 'good boy' clear as day. A man named Robert gets agitated and combative with staff, but when Max lays his head on Robert's lap, Robert calms down completely. My mom? She still doesn't know my name most days. But she knows Max. She smiles at him. She talks to him. For those 30 minutes, I get a glimpse of the mom I remember. Therapy dog work saved my relationship with my mother."
✨ Impact: 25+ dementia patients per month, breakthrough moments weekly
Luna – Bernese Mountain Dog
Frisco, TX | "Read to a Dog" Program
"Luna and I visit Frisco elementary schools through the 'Read to a Dog' program. Kids who struggle with reading get so anxious reading aloud to teachers or parents. But dogs don't judge. Dogs don't correct pronunciation. Dogs just listen and wag their tails. We've worked with kids who were reading 2 grade levels behind. After 12 weeks of reading to Luna, one boy improved by an entire grade level. His teacher cried telling me. He told his mom that Luna was his 'best reading buddy' and he practiced at home so he could read better stories to her. Now he loves reading. We didn't teach him phonics—we just gave him a safe, supportive listener who made reading feel less scary. That's the magic of therapy dogs."
✨ Impact: 30+ struggling readers per school year, documented academic improvement
Charlie – Therapy Collie
Dallas, TX | ICU & Palliative Care
"Charlie and I do some of the hardest therapy work—ICU and palliative care at Baylor. We visit patients who are dying. Families who are saying goodbye. It's heartbreaking work, but it's so important. A man in his 80s was in hospice. His family was there 24/7, exhausted and grieving. When Charlie visited, the man's face relaxed for the first time in days. He spent his last hour petting Charlie while his wife held his other hand. She told me later that Charlie gave them a peaceful final memory together. We've been present for final goodbyes more times than I can count. I've cried in my car after visits. But I've also seen Charlie give comfort when words fail. When there's nothing left to say, sometimes a gentle dog is exactly what someone needs."
✨ Impact: End-of-life comfort for 100+ patients, peace for grieving families
Rosie – Pit Bull Therapy Dog
Fort Worth, TX | Trauma Recovery Program
"People don't expect a pit bull to be a therapy dog, but Rosie is perfect for it. We visit a domestic violence shelter where women and children are rebuilding their lives after abuse. Many of these kids have seen terrible things. They're scared of men. They're scared of loud noises. They don't trust easily. But Rosie? Rosie is gentle, patient, and calm. Kids who won't talk to counselors will tell Rosie everything. One 8-year-old girl who witnessed her father hurt her mother was selectively mute—wouldn't speak to anyone. But she whispered secrets to Rosie every week. Eventually, she started talking to the therapists too. Rosie helped her find her voice again. The shelter director told me Rosie has been instrumental in helping kids process trauma. Dogs don't judge. They don't pity. They just love. Sometimes that's exactly what a traumatized child needs."
✨ Impact: 15-20 trauma survivors per month, breakthrough moments in therapy
Not sure? We'll assess your dog during Lesson 1. If therapy work isn't a good fit for their temperament, we'll be honest. It's better to know early than to force a dog into work that stresses them.
8-10 weeks (depending on your practice schedule)
Once certified, you and your dog can volunteer at hundreds of Dallas-Fort Worth facilities. Here are some of the most popular:
We certify therapy dog teams through Therapy Pets Unlimited, a nationally recognized therapy animal organization. Here's how it works:
Work through our curriculum over 8-10 weeks. Practice daily at home between lessons. We'll coach you through any challenges.
Before your official test, we run a full evaluation simulation. This ensures test day feels familiar and you're fully prepared. We test:
We conduct the official Therapy Pets Unlimited evaluation. If you pass (most of our teams do on first attempt), you receive:
We help you find your first facility placement. We provide coaching on:
Most dogs should be at least 1 year old before starting therapy-specific training. Puppies' brains aren't fully developed, and therapy work requires maturity and focus. We can assess younger dogs (6-12 months) for readiness, but most will need to wait. There's no upper age limit—we've certified 8-year-old dogs who are still healthy and enthusiastic!
ANY breed can be a therapy dog if they have the right temperament. We've certified Golden Retrievers, Labs, Poodles, Pit Bulls, Chihuahuas, German Shepherds, mixed breeds—size and breed don't matter. Temperament matters. Calm, confident, people-loving dogs excel. High-energy, reactive, or anxious dogs struggle.
No. Therapy dogs have ZERO legal public access rights. They cannot go to restaurants, stores, or other public places unless specifically invited. They're only welcome at facilities that have therapy dog programs. Don't try to pass your therapy dog off as a service dog—it's illegal and harms people with real service dogs.
Typically 8-10 weeks depending on your practice schedule. Lessons are weekly, and you practice at home between sessions. Some teams move faster, some need more time. We customize pacing to your dog's learning speed.
We'll identify weak areas and provide additional training. Most dogs who complete our program pass on their first attempt because we run a mock evaluation first. If your dog genuinely isn't suited for therapy work (too anxious, reactive, or excitable), we'll have an honest conversation. Not every friendly dog should be a therapy dog, and that's okay.
That's up to you! Some teams visit weekly, some monthly. Most facilities ask for a minimum commitment (often 2 visits/month). Visits typically last 1-2 hours. You control your schedule—this is volunteer work, not a job.
Yes, when done properly. We teach you to read your dog's stress signals and advocate for breaks. Good therapy work should be enjoyable for your dog. If your dog shows signs of stress (panting, lip licking, whale eye, avoidance), you end the visit. Dogs who genuinely love people and enjoy new experiences typically LOVE therapy work. It's mentally stimulating and purposeful.
Eight 1-hour private lessons, complete curriculum, public proofing at Dallas facilities, medical equipment exposure, therapy visit role-play, mock evaluation, official Therapy Pets Unlimited evaluation and certification (upon passing), facility recommendation letters, first-visit coaching, and lifetime support for questions about therapy work.
Probably not. Reactivity (barking, lunging at other dogs or people) disqualifies dogs from therapy work. Therapy dogs must be calm and neutral around all triggers. If your dog is reactive, we recommend our behavior modification program first. Once reactivity is resolved and your dog has been stable for 6+ months, we can assess for therapy work.
Not during training. After certification, most therapy dog organizations provide or recommend specific vests/bandanas. Therapy Pets Unlimited provides identification, and we'll guide you on appropriate gear for visits.
Yes! If you want your children involved in therapy work, they're welcome to attend lessons (age 8+). We'll teach them how to handle the dog during visits, read stress signals, and practice good therapy visit etiquette. Many families do therapy work together—it's a wonderful service project for kids.
Shy or nervous dogs are NOT good candidates for therapy work. Therapy visits are stimulating and unpredictable. If your dog gets anxious in new environments or around strangers, therapy work will stress them out. We won't certify anxious dogs—it's not fair to them. Consider other activities that match your dog's temperament better (hiking, dog sports, etc.).
Hospitals (Children's Medical Center, Baylor, UT Southwestern), nursing homes and memory care facilities, schools and libraries (reading programs), crisis centers (domestic violence shelters, suicide prevention), veteran organizations, and community events. Once certified, we'll help you find placement that fits your interests and schedule.
Therapy Pets Unlimited certification is valid for 2 years. You'll need to re-evaluate every 2 years to maintain certification. Re-evaluation ensures your dog is still healthy, well-behaved, and enjoying the work. Most teams easily pass re-evaluation.
Therapy dogs are trained to comfort STRANGERS in community settings (hospitals, schools). Emotional support animals (ESAs) provide comfort to THEIR OWNER only and have no special training or public access rights (only housing accommodation). Therapy dogs require certification. ESAs require only a letter from a medical provider. They serve completely different purposes.
Therapy dog work is one of the most rewarding experiences you and your dog can share. You'll bring joy to sick children, comfort to dying patients, hope to trauma survivors, and confidence to struggling readers.
Your friendly, gentle, people-loving dog was born for this work. Let's certify them.
Enroll in 8-Lesson Program Call (972) 372-9225📍 Address: 101 S Railroad St #7, Lewisville, TX 75057
📞 Phone: (972) 372-9225
✉️ Email: [email protected]
🕒 Hours: Mon-Fri 8AM-7PM | Sat 8AM-6PM | Sun 9AM-5PM
💙 Therapy Pets Unlimited Certified Evaluators | 8-Lesson Program | $1,000
