Therapy Dog Training Class (Gaithersburg, MD)

This class is for potential volunteers and their pets who would like to prepare for therapy work.

Class Goals:

• Get to know more about NCTD
• Meet other NCTD volunteers, and learn from their visiting experiences
• Become prepared for therapy visits
• Get your pet exposed to hospital equipment
• Improve control and communication with your pet
• Practice team reaction to distractions
• Practice with successful therapy animals
• ... and much more!

Prerequisites:

• Dog must be at least 9 months old at start of class
• A copy of a current rabies vaccination must be provided by the first day of class
• Dogs must currently have reliable basic obedience skills:
• • Sit, Down, Stay on command
  • Walk on loose leash (no pulling handler, or dragging behind)
• Dogs must have passed the AKC Canine Good Citizen test sponsored by the American Kennel Club
• Dogs may be pre-evaluated on the first day of class. If a dog does not pass the pre-evaluation, course costs will be refunded.

Attendance Requirement:

• Teams must attend 5 out of 6 classes to be eligible for evaluation
• The sixth class is generally a "mall visit" to practice visiting skills in a public setting
• Please do not sign up for a set of classes if you cannot commit to the schedule