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Training your dog to work in a therapy setting is beneficial for both you and your dog. It provides your dog with an outlet to work and be social, and you receive the benefit of bringing happiness and enjoyment to others. To begin the therapy-dog process, you must take your dog through basic obedience classes. Besides that, a rigorous socialization program should begin. As a therapy team, you and your dog will be introduced to many different situations. You want your dog to handle these episodes with grace and as little reaction as possible. If you are at a hospital and suddenly a group of nurses run by, you want your dog to sit calmly next to you and just take in the scenery.

After your dog has a solid base of commands and socialization, you can look into the next steps, as outlined by the Delta Society. The Delta Society is a national organization that offers support and information regarding animal assisted therapy. They created the Pet Partners program, and every detail can be found on their website: www.deltasociety.org. In order to become a Pet Partner, owners and animals must pass a screening process that includes both a test for owners and a behavioral assessment for animals. You can register as a Partner without your animal.

First, the owner must go through a course, whether local or at-home study. There is a part of the website where you can locate a trainer in your local area. These classes cost between $50 and $150 for a 2-day course. Owners MUST complete this education before they can be registered as a Pet Partner. The class is only for humans, no dogs allowed.

The animal behavioral screening process has two parts. Part 1 is called the Pet Partners Aptitude Test. It can only be performed by Certified Evaluators who are trained in the proper ways to handle animals and what to look for in each step. There are 10 parts to the test and each item is scored as "Pass," "Fail," or "Needs Work." Animals must earn a "Pass" or "Needs Work" on each item in order to be considered as a Pet Partner. The steps are:

1. Overall exam: Animal must be comfortable and accepting of examination by a stranger. The inspection may include grabbing their tail or poking in their mouth or ears similar to ways children may handle an animal. NOTE: You can work on this throughout your dog's life. Practice handling constantly, especially with new people your dog meets. Always keep handling exercises positive, so your dog never fears or shys away from it.

2. Exuberant and clumsy petting:

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