Our Bright Spot Therapy Dogs training classes will start up in both our Northampton and Greenfield locations next week. If you have been thinking of getting your dog certified as a therapy dog, the fall is a great time to get started. Your dog must be at least one year old (if a rescue dog, he must have lived with you for at least one full year). Your dog must be well-trained, knowing how to sit, stay, down, come, leave it, and heel, on command.
Our therapy dog training classes are designed to teach the dog and the handler the skills and techniques they need to know to perform successful therapy dog visits. We offer two special class formats. Our Northampton course is taught in two workshop sessions that run for two hours each session. Homework is given between the classes and students leave with a hand-out covering what has been taught in each class. Our Greenfield course runs for 8 weeks, each class is one hour in length. Both courses cover the same material – one condensed, the other parceled out in smaller segments with much reinforcement. This course is especially good for those not 100% sure of their dog’s obedience skills and abilities.
I receive wonderful comments from class participants about our two instructors Dawn Kimball, who teaches the Northampton course, and Pam Murphy, who teaches the Greenfield course. They are pros and have been training dogs for many years. You will love taking either class – and you will leave having learned a lot. To read more, and to sign up, visit our website.