Dogs with great temperaments and owners eager to learn the skills necessary to prepare their dogs for therapy dog certification, attended my Sunday morning skills and techniques training workshop. When the two-hour program was complete, all left with the “basics” under their belts, a comprehensive hand-out covering everything taught in class in tow, and the knowledge to practice everything needed to move to the next level.
The group of dogs and handlers always varies in skill level. There are those dogs and handlers who are well-trained and ready to move forward to a therapy dog evaluation. They are attending the workshops (most of them take both the Beginners and Advanced) to brush up on all the skills before scheduling their evaluation date. They want to set the stage for success.
Then, there are those dogs and handlers who are in the early stages of training. They have a dog with a great temperament and they really would like to pursue therapy dog work. They’re starting early to learn the skills and techniques so they have plenty of time to practice, practice, practice. These are the folks who will take other training classes – like the Manners Classes offered at True Blue Dog Training where I teach the Therapy Dog Training Workshops. Manners Classes work a lot with distractions and eye contact – two skills that must be mastered if thinking about therapy dog certification. Then, down the road, these folks will move up to taking the Advanced Therapy Dog Training Workshop – and will be well-prepared for their evaluation.
If interested in Therapy Dog Training, information is up on our Bright Spot Therapy Dogs website. Classes are small with plenty of interaction and time to practice what is taught. Hope to see you there.
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