Therapy Dog Training in Tulsa, OK

Therapy dogs visit schools, hospitals, nursing homes and other places with their owners to bring comfort to the people there. In Tulsa, Oklahoma the path usually runs through solid obedience, the Canine Good Citizen test and then registration with a therapy dog organization, and several local trainers help at each step.

Six of the trainers written up here offer therapy dog training. This guide explains what makes a good therapy dog, how local programs work, and how to decide whether therapy work suits your dog.

What makes a good therapy dog

Therapy work suits a particular temperament more than a particular breed. The dogs that enjoy it tend to be:

• Relaxed with strangers and happy to be touched, including clumsy petting.
• Steady around medical equipment, wheelchairs, walkers and sudden noises.
• Calm with children and with other dogs at a distance.
• Able to settle for long periods and to recover quickly after a surprise.

Obedience matters, but temperament matters more. A dog that is anxious in crowds can be a wonderful pet without ever doing therapy visits.

The usual path

Most therapy dog teams follow three steps. First comes reliable basic obedience: loose leash walking, sit, down, stay, leave it and a calm greeting. Next many teams pass the Canine Good Citizen test, which checks manners with strangers, other dogs and distractions. Then the team registers with a therapy dog organization that carries out its own evaluation and supervised visits.

Therapy dog work is a team skill. The handler learns to read the dog, spot stress and end a visit early when the dog has had enough.

Local programs

The Tulsa-area trainers who offer therapy dog training take different approaches:

• Coaching toward certification. An Owasso trainer lists therapy dog preparation as one of its main focus areas, offers all levels of Canine Good Citizen testing, and helps teams toward therapy dog certification.
• A therapy dog package. A franchise territory sells a therapy dog package that it says trains a dog to become a certified therapy dog.
• Group classes. A Tulsa training business runs therapy dog classes alongside its puppy through advanced classes and Canine Good Citizen test preparation.
• Franchise and academy programs. A Tulsa franchise says its therapy dog trainers prepare dogs to provide comfort and emotional support, and a Claremore kennel’s obedience academy lists therapy training. A Tulsa boarding and daycare facility says it prepares dogs to volunteer as therapy companions in the community.

One of Tulsa’s volunteer dog clubs also supports a therapy visiting group whose dogs visit nursing homes, hospitals and group homes, which shows the kind of work local teams go on to do.

Choosing a program

• Ask about evaluation. A good trainer assesses your dog’s temperament honestly before selling a program.
• Ask where the dog practices. Therapy dogs need practice in busy, unfamiliar places, not only in a training room.
• Ask about certification routes. Find out which organization the trainer prepares teams for and what that organization requires.
• Ask about the handler’s role. The best programs spend as much time on handler skills as on dog skills.

It is also worth asking what happens if your dog is not suited to therapy work after all. A good trainer will say so honestly and suggest other ways to enjoy training together, such as tricks, rally or scent work, which give a dog the same satisfaction of working with its owner without the pressure of meeting many strangers. Some dogs are wonderful with their own family and simply do not enjoy being handled by people they do not know, and that is not a failure of training. Therapy work should be something both of you look forward to, so choose a program that treats your dog’s enjoyment as part of the assessment.

Practicing in public

Calm public behavior is the heart of therapy work. The leashed river trails and busy park paths around Tulsa are good places to practice walking past runners, cyclists and other dogs without fuss, once your dog is ready. Keep sessions short, reward calm attention, and leave before your dog is tired. A therapy dog that enjoys its outings will do better on visits than one that is merely obedient.

Skills therapy dogs need

• Loose leash walking through corridors, doorways and crowds.
• Calm greetings without jumping, even when people lean over or hug.
• Leave it for dropped food, pills and objects on the floor.
• Settling on a mat or beside a chair for long stretches.
• Tolerance of handling by many different people, some of them unsteady.
• Neutrality to other dogs in waiting areas and hallways.

These skills overlap heavily with good everyday obedience, which is why many teams start with a regular obedience class and add therapy-specific practice later. Trainers in the area describe therapy dogs going into schools, reading programs, airports, courtrooms, dental offices and medical facilities, and each setting asks something different of the dog, from lying still while a child reads aloud to walking calmly past medical equipment. Visits are hard work even for a dog that loves them, so keep them short at first, watch for yawning, turning away or restlessness, and end early when your dog has had enough.

Reviewed Therapy Dog Training Trainers in Tulsa

These reviewed Tulsa-area trainers from our directory handle therapy dog training. Each links to a full profile with specialties, certified credentials, reviews, and contact info:

• Dog Training Elite Oklahoma — 5.0★ (80 reviews)
• Marley’s Day Out Dog Training — 5.0★ (41 reviews)
• Your Dog’s Best Days — 4.8★ (78 reviews)
• Always Faithful Dog Training of Tulsa — 4.8★ (21 reviews)
• Spirit Ranch Dog Training, Inc — 4.7★ (268 reviews)
• Carmik Boarding Kennel & Grooming Salon — 4.2★ (94 reviews)

See all Tulsa therapy dog training trainers →

Frequently Asked Questions

Related: read our complete therapy dog training guide or the full Tulsa dog training overview.