Question 1

What breeds of dogs make good therapy dogs?

Accepted Answer

Therapy dogs come in all breeds, shapes and sizes. One thing they all must have in common is temperament. Therapy dogs must be confident, friendly, patient and gentle in all situations.

Question 2

Does a therapy dog need obedience training?

Accepted Answer

While formal obedience training is not mandatory, your dog must have solid obedience skills in order to pass the evaluation.  We highly recommend completion of Puppy Kindergarten, Beginner's Obedience & Advanced Level 1 (or equivalent) and the Canine Good Neighbor course.

Question 3

Are there health requirements to be a therapy dog?

Accepted Answer

A therapy dog must be current on all vaccines and have a negative fecal test and annual health exam by your veterinarian every 12 months.  When a dog is unwell, visits will pause until a veterinarian clearance has been given.

Question 4

Do therapy dogs need a special diet?

Accepted Answer

There is not a special diet for therapy dogs, but therapy dogs cannot eat a raw diet. This is due to an increased risk of food-borne pathogens such as e-coli and salmonella. This also includes freeze-dried meat products.

Question 5

Can I volunteer with a dog that I just adopted from a rescue or another person?

Accepted Answer

As long as the dog has lived with you for at least one year, you can be evaluated to become a therapy dog team.  We may contact the Rescue organization for documentation before proceeding.

Question 6

How old does my dog need to be?

Accepted Answer

Dogs must be at least 2 years old and younger than 10 years old to be evaluated.

Question 7

Is a therapy dog the same as a service dog?

Accepted Answer

No. Upon successful completion of OTD's orientation, evaluation & mentoring process your dog will not have public access rights as a service dog would. Ottawa Therapy Dogs only wear their bandanas while visiting our approved facilities with the handler that was evaluated with the dog.

Completion of our application and evaluation process does not provide any special status or certification for your dog outside of Ottawa Therapy Dogs' operations and programs.

Question 8

What type of temperament should a therapy dog have?

Accepted Answer

Therapy dogs need to have a calm and gentle disposition. They should actively solicit interactions with people while maintaining their good manners.  Their behaviour must be reliable, and predictable. Their body posture should be relaxed and they must be able to sustain moments of eye contact.  Therapy dogs should be more people oriented than animal oriented.  A therapy dog enjoys being petted, touched and hugged by others outside their family unit. Therapy dogs must not jump on others and they need to walk nicely on leash without pulling.

Question 9

I don't have a dog of my own. Can I volunteer with someone else's dog?

Accepted Answer

If you do not own the dog, you must live with the dog and have a strong handler/dog relationship. (eg. taking obedience classes, participating in dog sports, etc). It is imperative that you know the dog as well as it's owner and that the dog works well with you by responding to commands and that you have built a relationship of trust with the dog.  You also need to be responsible for the grooming of the dog for visits.

Volunteer Requirements

Volunteer Therapy Dog Handlers must:

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