Another therapy dog training workshop filled to capacity… It’s great to see that interest is building for this type of training. I love teaching these workshops at The Collared Scholar to folks interested in doing therapy dog visiting with their dog. I have designed the beginners class to give an overview of the basic skills and techniques needed to start visiting. Then, in the advanced workshop, I build on these skills and techniques – adding scenarios that challenge the handler and dog, including distractions: food, loud noises, an exuberant individual – and adding in additional training commands and more equipment.
Attending today’s beginners workshop was lovely Alice, a Labradoodle from Berkshire Hills Labradoodles. In my last advanced workshop, I had three Labradoodles from BHL in attendance. This is a great breed for therapy dog visiting. Their hair is allergy-free which can be a real advantage when visiting. Tucker, a Bright Spot Therapy Dog volunteer was also in class. He and his owner were there to sharpen their skills and learn new techniques to use when visiting. The six other dogs in class demonstrated great potential as future therapy dogs… sweet, friendly, outgoing, affectionate – and totally non-agressive. This group is definitely on their way to becoming well-trained, well-prepared therapy dog teams. Training is so important for both dog and owner.
Leave a Reply