Want to brighten the lives of others by visiting them with your certified therapy dog?
At Bright Spot, our therapy dog training classes prepare you and your dog for the evaluation you must pass to become a certified therapy dog team. Our classes are specially designed by people with years of experience visiting with their own dogs in a variety of settings, both in healthcare and education. They know firsthand what it takes to have a meaningful visit with your dog.
At Bright Spot, you and your dog are trained as a team. We emphasize the importance both ends of the lead play in making visits. In our Bright Spot Therapy Dog Training classes, you and your dog will learn the basic skills and techniques needed for visiting.
If you are thinking of pursuing therapy dog work, it is important to remember that you must have a dog with a friendly, outgoing personality who enjoys going into new places and interacting with strangers. A shy or boisterous or yappy dog isn’t going to work well as a therapy dog. Nor is a dog that jumps up on people or growls. You know your dog best and you are the one who makes the initial assessment. The process of becoming a Bright Spot certified therapy dog team, from start to finish, is a time consuming endeavor and comes with initial fees involved, as well.
If you are taking the step to register for a therapy dog training class, you are 
saying to yourself: I have a sweet, gentle, friendly dog that is well-trained in basic obedience skills that I want to share with people who may not have a dog of their own, who make be living in a nursing home, or are hospitalized. If you are saying these things to yourself, you should sign up for our upcoming therapy dog training class being held at Animal Alliances in Northampton, Massachusetts on April 3 and April 10, 9:30-11:30.
For information on how to register for classes and the steps involved to become certified through Bright Spot, visit our website.