Frequently Asked Questions

Therapy dogs are privately owned pets that go with their owners to visit people in hospitals, retirement homes, rehabilitation facilities, libraries, schools, courtrooms, and any place where there are people in need of emotional support. Therapy dogs are for everyone, and work to bring comfort, companionship, and entertainment to patients, families, and staff in these facilities. It is volunteer work where you get paid in satisfaction, knowing you and your dog made a difference for someone. Therapy dogs are meant to be petted by large numbers of people at places they visit, so must be calm, friendly, highly trained, obedient, and well-behaved, no matter the situation.

No. Service dogs assist only one person, their owner. The owner has a legitimate disability (blind, deaf, diabetic, prone to seizures, etc.) and the service dog is highly trained to provide certain services to the owner. Service dogs are not to be petted when they are working as they need to focus on their owner. They have legal rights under the American Disabilities Act (ADA) and may go with their owner wherever their owner is legally able to go to help them lead a normal life. If you have a disability and are looking for certification or training so that your dog can help you, you are in the wrong place. You would need to seek a service dog training organization. We can recommend a few places that train service dogs if you are looking for that type of canine assistance.

No. An emotional support animal (ESA) is also for only one person, their owner. They don't necessarily need as much training as a service dog, but should be well-mannered. Their job is to assist their owner with psychological issues, such as PTSD, anxiety, depression, etc. They are usually allowed on airline flights and in housing that wouldn't otherwise allow pets, but are NOT able to go wherever their owner goes as they are not protected under the ADA. If you are in need of an emotional support animal, you are also in the wrong place. However, we can recommend a few trainers that can help you train a dog to perform this service for you.

No. Therapy dogs must be invited into places that we visit, or we can ask to visit. Each venue has the right to tell us that we cannot visit there and we must honor and respect that decision. Therapy dogs have no legal right to public access, so we can't take them to places where other companion dogs are not allowed to go, such as in most restaurants. While therapy dogs are highly trained to be well-mannered, obedient, and friendly in any social situation, they are considered companion animals in terms of access to public areas. Don't be discouraged: many venues are happy and excited to host our dogs. Venues therapy dogs typically visit can include anything from a crowded hospital waiting room, a classroom full of kindergarten students, an Alzheimer's ward at a retirement community, or on the stand helping someone testify in a courtroom. If you are looking for certification so you can take your dog with you everywhere, you are in the wrong place! While I'm sure all of us would love to take our dogs everywhere, remember that it is unlawful to pass off a companion dog or a therapy dog as a SERVICE dog if you do not have a legitimate need for one.

We are a group of dog lovers who are committed to assisting others who are interested in volunteering in the community with their dogs. We offer free-to-the-public group sessions where we work on the different obedience commands and behaviors necessary to become a therapy dog. Some of these include:

• Basic obedience - "sit," "stay," "lie down," and "come" on the first command

• Loose-leash walking - walking with your dog where they don't pull you and you are not pulling them

• Being comfortable in unusual situations - medical equipment, loud noises, being around other dogs, exiting a room

• Separation anxiety and confidence building

• Leaving food and water alone

• Good manners - not jumping up, not approaching unless allowed, visiting from the side of medical equipment

We can work on these areas as a group and offer tips and tricks to help your dog learn these behaviors. It is important to remember, though, that it takes a very special dog to become a therapy dog. You can teach them to do the behaviors, but it is up to you to determine if your dog has the outgoing personality required to become a therapy dog. Another thing to remember is that therapy dog work is you and your dog as part of a TEAM. Often, it's us the people that need just as much training as the dogs! Communication between the dog and handler and positive reinforcement methods are key in making sure that everyone has a fun and rewarding experience training and visiting.

For a list of requirements to join our club, please visit our "Join Our Club" page HERE.

As we only have limited space in the Community Room, we are limited to the first 7 dogs/handler teams that sign up for any given session. We keep the dogs 8' apart from one another for safety reasons and to limit distractions during class sessions. To see what dates are available and to sign up, please visit our "Training Dates" page HERE.

You will need to bring the following to each training session you attend:

• Training treats or your dog's favorite food reward. If your dog is not food-motivated, bring what motivates your dog, such as a favorite toy

• A blanket or mat for your dog to lay down on the floor. This will limit the amount of hair or fur that will be shed in the room, as well as provide your dog with a more comfortable location to lie down on between training topics. It will also give your dog a visual and tactile cue for where they should be when visiting. Blankets will need to be rolled inward upon the conclusion of each session to easier remove any fur or hair on it from the Community Room.

• Doggie bags in case your dog needs to go potty outside (dogs must be housebroken and are not allowed to soil in the room)

• Non-retractable leash

• Flat buckle or snap collar AND/OR harness (training harnesses are fine for class sessions, but keep in mind that training collars or harnesses are not permitted on the therapy dog tests

• Water bowl for your dog if he/she is picky about what bowl they will drink from

You do not need to bring any medical equipment, 20' leashes for recalls, or other equipment seen in therapy dog testing, as that is provided by the club. We also have club-owned cleaning supplies to ensure that the Community Room remains clean both before and after our training sessions.

Once you and your dog have mastered the skills, temperament, and behavior requirements to become a therapy dog team, it is time to become certified. Alliance of Therapy Dogs is a nationally-recognized therapy dog organization that certifies dog and handler teams to visit in places such as hospitals, libraries, retirement homes, etc. Once a dog and handler team is ready, visit the Alliance of Therapy Dogs website at the link HERE. Register for a background check, fill out the required forms, and then contact the evaluator operating in Fresno.

Each prospective team will go through three separate evaluations, which will test your dog on many things, including sit/stay and down/stay, meeting new people and dogs, visiting with medical equipment, loud noises, loose-leash walking, and more. The friendly evaluator will check off how you do on each visit. If you and your dog pass the three tests, send in your paperwork to Alliance of Therapy Dogs with a registration fee and vet records form. They will process your paperwork and send you a collar tag for your dog to wear on visits. Your dog is also backed by five million dollar insurance policy, should any incidents occur on visits. From there, you can work with the Fresno Alliance of Therapy Dogs volunteers to find places to visit for you and your dog.