What is a Therapy Dog in the UK?

Therapy dogs are trained to provide comfort, support, and emotional assistance to people of all ages in various settings. Unlike assistance dogs, which are trained to perform specific tasks for individuals with disabilities, therapy dogs are focused on improving people's emotional well-being and overall quality of life.

Here are some key points about therapy dogs also known as Animal Assisted Therapy (AAT) and Animal Assisted Interventions (AAI)

Purpose: The main purpose of a therapy dogs is to offer emotional support and companionship to people of all ages who may be experiencing lack of confidence, stress, anxiety, loneliness, or other emotional challenges. The presence of a therapy dog can help reduce feelings of isolation and provide a sense of comfort and joy in a non-judgmental and fun way.

Settings: Therapy dogs can visit a wide range of settings, including hospitals, care homes, schools, colleges, residential care settings, hospital/ hospice services and rehabilitation centres, libraries, homeless services, forest schools and private practices. A well mannered dog presence in these environments can have a really positive impact on patients, residents, students, young and old.

Training: Therapy dogs and their guardians undergo training to ensure the dog has good manners, is well-behaved, and can remain calm in various situations. Training also helps to build early confidence, and the unique bond and understanding between handler and companion animal essential for the safety and well being of everyone involved.

Therapy dogs need to be comfortable around different people, including children, elderly individuals, and those with disabilities and mental health challenges.

Training focuses on socialization, obedience, and manners, but it's generally less task-specific and intensive than the training for assistance dogs. The recommended level of training for a Therapy Dog in the UK is a Silver level.

Certification and Registration: Even though unregulated in the UK still, therapy dogs are certified or registered through therapy dog organizations, whether pet therapy charities or training centres, such as Therapy Dog Training UK. These organizations assess the dogs' temperament, behaviour, and suitability for therapy work. Certification may involve passing evaluations related to obedience, behaviour around strangers, and handling various environments. Therapy Dog Training UK take this one step further by ensuring that any therapy dog undergoing training and assessment is happy and confident and clearly shows they will be happy to be approached by strangers and to take on a working role. Some dogs may find being in a setting albeit with their human stressful and challenging as a world away from the familiarity of home!

Interactions: Interactions or interventions with therapy dogs are often facilitated by trained volunteer guardians practising in fields such as educational or general psychology, speech therapy, health and social well being and outdoor facilitators who want to be accompanied by their dogs. These dogs are always their own pet and companion animal and have lived with them for at least a year. Handlers ensure that interactions are safe and positive for both the dog and the individuals they're working with or visiting. Therapy dogs are typically encouraged to interact with people in a gentle and non-intrusive manner and consideration should be placed on the type of work they will be doing related to their size, personakity traits breed and age.

Benefits: Research has shown that interactions with therapy dogs can have a range of benefits, including reducing stress and anxiety, lowering blood pressure, improving mood, enhancing social interactions, engaging with learning, attendance and even reducing pain perception in some cases.

Types of Therapy Dogs: There are several types of therapy dogs, including:

Visiting Therapy Dogs: These dogs visit places like schools hospitals, nursing homes, and hospices to provide comfort and companionship.

Animal-Assisted Therapy/Interventions: These dogs work alongside well-being and healthcare professionals to assist in therapeutic interventions, such as physical therapy, talking or speech therapies.

Crisis Response: These dogs provide comfort and support in crisis situations, such as ambulance and homelessness services and helping individuals and first responders cope with stress and trauma in disaster incidents.

Access Rights: Unlike assistance or medical assistance dogs, therapy dogs do not have the same legal rights of access to public places. They are only allowed in facilities or locations where they have been formally invited or where specific therapy dog programmes are in place.

Overall, therapy dogs play a crucial role in promoting emotional well-being and providing comfort to people of all ages in many various situations, contributing to a positive and supportive environment where truly magical moments can happen.

If you are considering your own pet dog for helping others via visiting therapy work, Therapy Dog Training UK can provide everything you need to certify, assess, and train your dog for a role in an education or healthcare setting or where animal assisted therapy may be helpful for professionals in their private practice. The Therapy Dog Training workshops 1&2 provide essential resources for dog guardians to help them deliver a safe, compliant service as well as 48 bite size video- based tutorials to help bring a companion animal to the recommended silver level working at your own pace and in your own time. Courses are CPD accredited.

http://www.therapydogtraining.co.uk

Carol Lincoln TDT UK

© TDT Canine Services UK LTD 2025