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Join Our Therapy Dog Teams!

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Therapy dogs are dogs who go with their owners to volunteer in settings such as schools, hospitals, and nursing homes.

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Therapy dogs are not service dogs. Service dogs are dogs who are specially trained to perform specific tasks to help a person who has a disability. An example of a service dog is a dog who guides an owner who is blind or a dog who assists someone with a physical disability. Service dogs stay with their person and have special access privileges in public places such as on planes, restaurants, etc. Therapy dogs do not have the same special access as service dogs.

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It is unethical to attempt to pass off a therapy dog as a service dog for purposes such as flying on a plane or being admitted to a restaurant.

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If you think that you and your four-legged companion are good candidates to provide joy and comfort to the community you live in, come on out and get tested and join the K-9 Country Inn Team. 

 

 

Prospective Dogs

 

• Must be a minimum of 1 year or older.  

• Have lived with the handler in the home for at least six months

• House trained

• Have current vaccinations, including rabies

• Have no history of aggression towards people and animals. 

• Demonstrate good basic obedience skills, including: sit, down, stay, recall, heel, and leave it. 

• Obedience commands are to be given and maintained without food. 

• Dogs are to have a good heeling position and walk on a loose leash. 

• Dogs are to be well groomed, coat and nails maintained. 

• Acceptable equipment - flat collars, martingale collars with no chain, harnesses, haltis or gentle leaders.  Leashes can be a maximum of 6ft in length.  

 

Prospective Handlers

 

• Must be a minimum of 18 Years or older.  (Children age 10 or older are allowed to participate with an approved team with parents' consent in writing)

• Handlers must agree to a screening process

• Handlers must show good interactions with their dog, instructing, cueing and rewarding as necessary.

• Recognized if their dog is stressed, nervous, anxious or concerned

• Be able to have a casual conversation with those people they meet during the visit.

• Be able to guide the dog's interactions with others in a professional manner.

• Wear professional attire for visits. 

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All of our Therapy Dog teams are certified through Pet Partners.

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