Our Northampton Area Bright Spot Therapy Dog Training Class for the month of March started today with a two-hour session. The workshop-style course is taught in two parts and his held at the True Blue Dog Training facility on Rte. 9 in Haydenville, Massachusetts. The course is designed to teach people and their dogs the skills and techniques they need to know to make therapy dog visits in a healthcare facility or educational program.
Oscar practices interacting with a row of patients
Five teams are participating in our March course. They are off to a terrific start. The Basics were covered in today’s class. We use an interactive format where some participants role play the part of the patients while others work on developing the skill by performing it for the patient (i.e. positioning the dog next to the wheelchair so the patient can easily pet the dog, asking permission to move a patient’s walker so the dog can come in close to visit). Plenty of time is given for questions and answers. Participants leave with a hand-out covering the skills and techniques taught in class and homework is assigned with two weeks given to practice, practice, practice until part two of our workshop series is held on March 24th.
Mya approaches a patient with a walker.
If interested in training to become a Bright Spot Therapy Dog, visit our website for details about the classes offered, and dates and times they are held. The website also takes you through the steps necessary to become certified through Bright Spot and the costs involved with training, evaluation, and certification. Once on our website, click on THERAPY DOG TRAINING and CERTIFY YOUR DOG.