Therapy - Information

Therapy Dogs are dogs that visit hospitals, schools, and other facilities and institutions to give their time and affection to people in need. Our group, Puerto Rico Therapy Dogs, coordinates and organizes activities with those institutions from a group of members who have been tested to have met the necessary requirements to visit. We regularly visit the Puerto Rico Children's Hospital in Bayamón, the Auxilio Mutuo Hospital in Hato Rey, and the Hogar Plenitud Dorada in Carolina. We also receive invitations from other organizations, schools and elderly care facilities. The members of our group are volunteers, who give of their free time to help and share their pets' love.

Every volunteer visits with their own dog and is responsible for their care and preparation for each visit. To be a part of the group, every dog and owner must be tested and certified as a therapy dog through Therapy Dogs Inc., an international organization dedicated to evaluating and registring these dog/owner teams through their certified Tester/Observers. To be able to be evaluated and registered, your dog must fulfill a series of requirements:

1. Be at least 1 year old

2. Behave well in the presence of strangers

3. Behave well in the presence of strange dogs

4. Let itself be touched, petted and manipulated by strangers

5. Walked in a controled manner on leash even on environments full with distractions

Training is not required, but it is encouraged for your and your dog to attend a Basic Obedience course to learn basic commands like sitting, lying down, and walking on a leash. This will help you to practice managing your dog in an environment full of distractions (other dogs and people), and at the same time, give you the opportunity to socialize your dog with strangers and other dogs. At the same time, the owner needs to understand and agree on following very specific rules and procedures specific to this type of activity. If your understand you and your dog fulfill the requirements stated above and are interested in certifying your dog, i suggest you Contact Us to learn more about the process.

If you understand that your dog needs a Basic Obedience refresher course, please visit our training page at www.PuertoRicoDogs.com.

Thank you for your interest in our program! Any other question or comment please contact us at therapy@puertoricodogs.com.