What is your and your dog’s name? My name is Aubrey Hanger, and my beautiful 7-year-old golden retriever’s name is Pearl! She got her name from her silky, white coat. How old were you when you became a Junior Handler? How old are you now? I started training with Pearl when I was 16 and [...]
An important part of being a therapy dog handler that is often overlooked is your ability to interact with people. A good therapy dog handler is an engaged listener, taking time to listen and process what someone is telling you while on a visit. They offer a smile when they approach and can hold a [...]
Did you know Alliance of Therapy Dogs (ATD) allows you to test with a dog you have had a relationship with for at least 6 months? Being the dog’s owner is not a requirement to become an ATD therapy dog team. There are instances when a person may want to get certified with a dog [...]
If you’ve been visiting with your therapy dog long enough, you’ve probably run into someone who doesn’t want to say hi to your therapy dog. There are a variety of reasons someone may not want to say hello to your dog; they’re in the middle of a task, they don’t want to get covered in [...]
A question that is often asked by Members new to therapy dog work is when is it OK to end a therapy dog visit early? The short answer is always. As volunteers, we feel obligated to fulfill our duties to those we are visiting, but the most important thing to remember on a therapy dog [...]
Alliance of Therapy Dogs (ATD) is first and foremost a 501c3 nonprofit. We are an international registry of certified therapy dog teams. At ATD, we provide testing, certification, registration, support, and insurance for Members who volunteer with their dogs in animal-assisted activities. Our objective is to form a network of caring individuals and their special dogs who [...]
What are Alliance of Therapy Dogs’ (ATD) Retesting Requirements? ATD requires teams to be retested if they have not made and logged a visit within 3 months of their previous visit. If you have gone over 3 months, but less than 6 months since your last logged visit, you are required to complete the ATD [...]
Alliance of Therapy Dogs (ATD) has an exceptional registry of committed, loyal Handlers who follow through on their commitments and ATD applauds each and every one of you. But sometimes a facility or an event falls short in some way, making our visits difficult. What to do? Start with a conversation with your contact person. [...]
A Successful Therapy Dog Visit Starts with You! Therapy dog visits can be a great way to brighten someone’s day. The magical effect dogs have on humans is undeniable, but we cannot forget about the other end of the leash. The handler is a big part of a successful therapy dog visit. In order for [...]
Why did you want to bring therapy dogs into your facility? This training command is a service member's first stop after boot camp, so they are often missing home and working to adjust to this new lifestyle. With the high stress environment they are in, one of our goals is to provide our service members [...]
