Expert Therapy Dog Certification and Training Services
Transform your dog into a certified therapy animal that brings comfort to hospitals, schools, and care facilities across Northwest Florida.
Why Therapy Dogs Make a Difference in Our Community
Therapy dogs are changing lives throughout the Emerald Coast. Unlike service dogs trained to perform specific tasks for handlers with disabilities, therapy dogs visit facilities alongside their handlers to provide comfort, affection, and stress relief to people in need. When properly trained and certified through recognized organizations, these dedicated animals become powerful tools for healing.
Emotional Support
Therapy dogs reduce anxiety and fear in hospital patients, helping them feel calm during difficult medical procedures and recovery periods.
Stress Relief
Regular visits from therapy dogs lower blood pressure and promote relaxation in medical settings, schools, and rehabilitation centers throughout Santa Rosa Beach and Panama City.
Social Connection
These patient animals bridge communication gaps, encouraging children and elderly residents to engage with others and build confidence in social situations.
Healing Assistance
Therapy dogs support recovery processes in hospitals, nursing homes, and rehabilitation centers, giving patients hope and motivation during challenging times.
Educational Benefits
Reading programs pairing children with therapy dogs improve literacy skills and confidence, making learning fun while reducing performance anxiety.
Professional therapy dog training ensures your family member can safely and effectively serve the Santa Rosa Beach and 30A community while meeting all facility requirements for volunteer work.
Our Therapy Dog Training Services
Individual Therapy Dog Preparation
Off Leash K9 Training 30A offers private lessons focused specifically on therapy dog certification requirements. Our trainers work one-on-one with you and your dog to develop the advanced obedience, calm behavior, and social skills needed for therapy work in hospitals, schools, or assisted living facilities.
Our therapy dog testing and certification prep program addresses the specific behaviors evaluated during formal assessments, including polite greetings, handling by strangers, and remaining calm around medical equipment like wheelchairs and walkers.
Institutional Therapy Dog Programs
We support organizations throughout the 30A area seeking to establish therapy dog programs. Whether you’re a school administrator in Defuniak Springs, a hospital coordinator in Fort Walton Beach, or manage a care facility in Destin, our team provides professional consultation and training support.
Our group classes and ongoing guidance help multiple therapy dog candidates prepare together while building the handler skills necessary for successful facility visits.
Top 10 Therapy Dog Breeds We Successfully Train
- Golden Retriever: Gentle, patient, and naturally intuitive with people experiencing health challenges
- Labrador Retriever: Friendly, calm demeanor makes them excellent with children and elderly patients
- Poodle: Intelligent and hypoallergenic, adapting easily to various therapy environments
- Cavalier King Charles Spaniel: Naturally affectionate with the perfect size for bedside visits
- Border Collie: Highly trainable and excellent for educational therapy programs in schools
- Bernese Mountain Dog: These gentle giants excel at emotional support work with their calm presence
- Therapy Mutt: Mixed breeds often become best friends to patients with proper training and assessment
- German Shepherd: Loyal and dedicated, ideal for PTSD support therapy with veterans
- Beagle: Small and friendly, perfect for pediatric therapy work with children
- Australian Shepherd: Intuitive and responsive, excellent for active therapy programs
Any breed or mix can potentially become a therapy dog with the right temperament, proper training, and certification through recognized organizations.
Our Therapy Dog Training Process
Step 1: Initial Assessment
Our trainers conduct a comprehensive evaluation of your dog’s temperament, social skills, and therapy potential. We assess basic obedience commands and discuss your therapy dog goals, whether you hope to visit hospitals, schools, senior living communities, or first responder facilities in Northwest Florida.
Not every dog is suited for therapy work. Dogs must genuinely enjoy human contact—not simply tolerate it—and remain calm around strangers, medical equipment, and other animals.
Step 2: Foundation Training
Strong obedience forms the foundation of all therapy dog work. Our training programs build skills including:
- Reliable responses to Come, Sit, Down, and Heel commands
- Extended Place for remaining calm beside hospital beds or classroom chairs
- Loose leash walking through crowded hallways
- Off command to prevent jumping on patients or clients
Step 3: Certification Preparation
Our therapy dog preparation focuses on skills evaluated during formal testing:
- Accepting handling by strangers touching paws, ears, and tail
- Remaining calm around wheelchairs, walkers, carts, and medical equipment
- Ignoring dropped items, sudden noises, and other dogs
- Polite greetings without jumping, pawing, or mouthing
Step 4: Testing and Ongoing Support
Off Leash K9 Training 30A prepares teams for evaluation through recognized therapy dog organizations like Alliance of Therapy Dogs and Pet Partners. These organizations provide the official certification and liability insurance coverage required by most Florida facilities.
Our lifetime guarantee includes free refresher training, ensuring your therapy dog maintains certification standards throughout their career. When skills need polishing, handlers can schedule a free 1-hour in-person refresher session.
Client Success Stories
Frequently Asked Questions
How long does therapy dog training take?
Most dogs require several months of consistent training before they’re ready for therapy dog evaluation. Dogs typically need to be at least one year old for testing, with strong foundational obedience and extensive socialization. Our 2-week and 3-week Board & Train programs accelerate skill development, while private lessons allow flexible scheduling for handlers throughout the Miramar Beach, Niceville, and Seaside areas.
What are the requirements for therapy dog certification?
Therapy dog organizations require dogs to demonstrate reliable obedience, calm behavior around distractions, and comfort being handled by strangers. Most recommend or require passing the AKC Canine Good Citizen test. Dogs must have current vaccinations and no history of aggression. Handlers complete supervised visits before receiving full certification.
Can any dog become a therapy dog?
Not every dog has the temperament for therapy work. Ideal candidates are naturally social, patient, and genuinely enjoy interacting with people of all ages and abilities. Dogs showing significant fear, aggression toward people or other animals, or discomfort being touched by strangers typically aren’t suitable candidates. Our initial assessment helps determine whether therapy work is a realistic goal for your dog.
Do you provide ongoing support after certification?
Off Leash K9 Training 30A’s lifetime guarantee means handlers can return for refresher training whenever needed. Active therapy teams visiting facilities in Florida must maintain consistent behavior standards, and our ongoing support helps ensure your dog remains a pleasure to work with throughout their therapy career.
Start Your Therapy Dog Journey Today!
Ready to help your dog bring comfort to those who need it most? Our team of trainers—including owner Ciarra Elle along with Allison, Megan, and Monica—is committed to helping you succeed.
Serving: Scenic 30A Area, Destin, Santa Rosa Beach, Miramar Beach, Fort Walton Beach, Niceville, Freeport, Eglin AFB, Seaside, Shalimar, and surrounding communities
Photo: A&E
Nick White is the Owner and Founder of Off Leash K9 Training. Nick is a former US Marine and former US Secret Service. He currently has over 130+ dog training locations throughout the United States.
Nick is globally recognized as being one of the top dog trainers in the world. He has 2 official world records in off leash obedience, named on Wikipedia as one of the top 20 dog trainers in the world, recently named top 10 trainer in the world by bestdogtrainers.org, has been featured in many magazines and shows, and he is regularly requested by the top celebrities and athletes! He has been called upon by people such as actor Ryan Reynolds, WWE’s John Cena, MLB All Star Max Scherzer, UFC World Champion Jon “Bones” Jones, and many more!
You can visit our YouTube Channel and watch over 1500+ before/after videos of Nick and his team’s work! Off Leash K9 Training has more documented videos than any dog training business in the entire world!