Dog Training Services
Therapy Dog Training & National Registration
Prepare you and your dog for Alliance of Therapy Dogs® national registration. Ira is an ATD national tester/observer and arranges the membership testing and required visits when your team is ready.
Therapy dogs are trained to help and comfort people other than their owner. Those they help and comfort may or may not be disabled. They can teach, lift spirits, assist with physical and emotional rehabilitation and more.
The K-9 Handler® trains and prepares your dog and you for the national registration program. When a therapy team is ready, we arrange the membership testing and required visits through Alliance of Therapy Dogs®, headquartered in Cheyenne, Wyoming. Ira Smith is an ATD national tester/observer.
Therapy dog team certification through ATD is listed at no charge on our rates page. It is the natural next step for a dog who has completed fundamental obedience and enjoys people.
What the therapy dog track includes
- Fundamental obedience and reliable manners around strangers, wheelchairs, walkers and medical settings
- Socialization in public places and group gatherings
- Preparation for the Alliance of Therapy Dogs® membership test
- Arrangement of the ATD test and the required supervised visits when the team is ready
- Ongoing guidance as you begin visiting facilities
Why owners choose The K-9 Handler®
Tested by an ATD tester
The person preparing your team is a national tester/observer for the registration you are working toward.
A national registration, not a certificate mill
Therapy teams can register through legitimate national organizations such as Alliance of Therapy Dogs®.
Starts with obedience
Therapy teams are built on the same fundamental obedience as every other K-9 Handler® dog, so the calm holds up in a busy hospital hallway.
For dogs who love people
If your dog lights up around strangers, therapy work turns that into something meaningful for others.
Related training
Therapy Dog Training: common questions
What is the difference between a therapy dog and a service dog?
A service dog is trained to perform tasks for one person with a disability and has public-access rights under the ADA. A therapy dog is trained to comfort other people in hospitals, schools and care homes, and visits by invitation. Therapy dogs have national registrations; service dogs do not.
How does Alliance of Therapy Dogs registration work?
Once your dog is ready, Ira arranges the ATD membership test and the required observed visits. Passing those, along with ATD’s membership requirements, registers you as a therapy dog team.
Is there a charge for the team certification?
The K-9 Handler® lists therapy dog team certification through ATD at no charge on the rates page. ATD sets its own membership terms.
Ready to start therapy dog training?
Tell Ira what you’d like to change. The in-home evaluation and first lesson take 2–3 hours and cost $199, included in every package.
Questions? Email Ira