The moment a volunteer with a therapy dog walks into a room, you can instantly feel a change in mood. All eyes focus on them, as smiles spread across everyone’s faces. Therapy dogs are NOT service dogs. Service dogs are dogs who are specifically trained to perform a task or tasks to assist a person with a disability or impairment. A service dog must be with their person at all times and has special access privileges in public places.
Therapy Dog is an AKC program which recognizes the necessary therapy work performed by dogs through accepted organizations based on the number of visits. Therapy work involves volunteers who schedule visits to various facilities and locations such a nursing homes, classrooms, libraries, assisted living centers, hospices, funeral homes, schools, shelters even courtrooms.
Whether they’re working with a child who is learning to read, visiting a patient in a hospital or a senior in assisted living, therapy dogs and their owners work together as a team to improve the lives of other people. A dog can provide a valuable sense of reassurance, joy, or calmness to people experiencing stressful, lonely or depressing situations or general times in their life.
To earn an AKC Therapy Dog™ title, you and your dog must:
Therapy Dog is an AKC program which recognizes the necessary therapy work performed by dogs through accepted organizations based on the number of visits. Therapy work involves volunteers who schedule visits to various facilities and locations such a nursing homes, classrooms, libraries, assisted living centers, hospices, funeral homes, schools, shelters even courtrooms.
Whether they’re working with a child who is learning to read, visiting a patient in a hospital or a senior in assisted living, therapy dogs and their owners work together as a team to improve the lives of other people. A dog can provide a valuable sense of reassurance, joy, or calmness to people experiencing stressful, lonely or depressing situations or general times in their life.
To earn an AKC Therapy Dog™ title, you and your dog must:
- Be certified/registered by an AKC recognized therapy dog organization.
- Perform the required number of visits for the title for which you are applying.
- 600 visits to earn the AKC Therapy Dog Supreme (THDS) title.
- 400 visits to earn the AKC Therapy Dog Distinguished (THDD) title.
- 200 visits to earn the AKC Therapy Dog Excellent (THDX) title.
- 100 visits to earn the AKC Therapy Dog Advanced (THDA) title.
- 50 visits to earn the AKC Therapy Dog (THD) title.
- 10 visits to earn the AKC Therapy Dog Novice (THDN) title.
- AKC Registration Number -This number is provided to a dog owner via a registration certificate received from the previous owner or via a puppy registration paper given to the new owner by the breeder.
- Purebred Alternative Listing Number (PAL) -If a dog is purebred but an AKC Registration Number is not possible owners can apply for PAL number.
- Foundation Stock Service® (FSS) Number -This number is used for breeds whose status is currently in the foundational stage of being recorded into our registry and requires a copy of the dog’s pedigree.
- AKC Canine Partners Number -This number is given to either mixed breed dogs or a purebred.