Training with therapy in mind

How we Train with Therapy in mind

Not every dog is suitable for therapy work due to their temperament, however, we breed with the intention that some of our doodle puppies dogs will mature to be excellent therapy dogs. Therapy dogs bring many physical benefits to those they interact with. Therapy Dogs may help lower blood pressure and heart rate, reduce anxiety, and increase levels of endorphins and oxytocin. As part of our Our Mission, our dream is that people’s lives will be transformed and dogs in schools and places of learning will be an expectation, not an exception! In addition, we want to work directly with therapists, counselors, and facilities to improve their outcomes and bring lasting joy to their clients through the power of a dog!

We recommend our 12-Week Program as a precursor to future Therapy Training with a certified instructor. We are not certified therapy dog trainers, however, both are working toward their hours of certification.

  1. We socialize your doodle puppy to new people, places, objects, and surfaces with our Puppy Socialization Checklist to the best of our ability. COVID-19 has made some of these things challenging.

  2. A robust Sound Training Protocol

  3. We train necessary behaviors for therapy work including “leave it”, & loose-leash walking, and not jumping on people (“four on the floor”).

  4. We refer your puppy for therapy dog class which will prepare you and your dog for a future in therapy work. Locally this is who we recommend: MAPLE CREEK

  5. After 12 weeks of Doodle School and a formal external evaluation, we recommend connecting with a national therapy dog organization to begin making visits and brightening lives. It’s your responsibility, however, to stay on top of your dog’s training and make sure they’re the best therapy dog they can possibly be.

  6. Certification is the final hurdle in a dedicated process toward becoming a therapy dog, however, which includes temperament assessment, additional training, and more.

F1 Bernedoodle Passing Therapy Training
 
“Therapy dog candidates should be naturally calm, friendly and affectionate to strangers. They also need to be well trained in basic obedience, able to easily adapt to novel noises, places, smells, and equipment.”

What makes for a Good Therapy Dog?

  • If they allow strangers to pet them

  • How easily they allow strangers to check them

  • Ability to be held or touched for long periods of time

  • Ability to walk on a leash

  • Ability to walk through a crowd with good behavior

  • Ability to follow basic commands

 

Our Trainers

 
 

HOW Doodle School WORKS

 

4 Week Doodle Pre-School

  • Beginner Crate Training

  • Beginner Potty Training

  • Group Socialization

  • Stair Training

  • House Manners

8 Week Doodle School

  • Advanced Crate Training

  • Advanced  Potty Training

  • Beginner on and off-leash training & socialization

  • Basic obedience

  • Stair Training

  • House Manners 

12 Week Doodle School

  • Complete Potty & Crate Training

  • Intensive Socialization

  • Exclusive Excursions

  • Intermediate obedience

  • Beginner on & off-leash training

 
 
 

Certified Therapy Dogs

Therapy dogs go through specific therapy training to be able to provide relief to those in anxiety-provoking situations, bring comfort to those who are grieving or lonely, and offer affection to people who are in institutions such as hospitals, nursing homes, and schools. Emotional support dogs don’t have the intensive and specialized training that a service dog receives. Therapy dogs need to have a calm and gentle disposition. They must be good around other dogs, calm when strangers pet them all over, not jump on others, walk on a leash without pulling, and not be startled by things such as strange noises, smells, and medical equipment. Certified Therapy Dogs are allowed in places where all dogs are allowed and in places that specifically allow therapy dogs, like those hospitals, schools, libraries, etc. that have therapy dog programs.

  • Dogs must be at least one year old to become therapy dog.

  • Puppies must complete 12 Weeks of Doodle School with one of our trainers until they are 20 Weeks Old.

  • They must successfully achieve all three AKC Good Citizen++ levels.

  • Working with the Alliance of Therapy Dogs and an additional training facility we work in tandem to complete these three steps over 35 weeks of training and care.

    Step 1: A certified therapy dog must be a friendly dog. Stokeshire Doodles and Poodles can be trained to provide comfort and affection to people in hospitals, retirement homes, schools, mental health institutions, airports, and many other settings. 12 Weeks of Doodle School helps ensure the passing of the next two steps.

    Step 2: We work with a certified tester/observer in the central Wisconsin area to test our candidate. This test includes a handling portion that tests your dog’s basic good manners, demeanor, and handling skills to become a Canine Good Citizen.

    Step 3: After the handling portion of the test, you and your dog are supervised by a tester/observer during three visits with residents of medical facilities. Upon successful completion of these visits and submission of your application paperwork, you and your dog may become a Therapy Team!

    Throughout this process, our trainers work with you, the future handler and teammate, to not only keep you in close contact with your puppy’s progress but also on our process \and to help educate you along the journey towards becoming a Therapy Dog Team!

 

12 - Weeks of Doodle School

AKC Community Canine is the advanced level of AKC's Canine Good Citizen (CGC) program. As with CGC, AKC Community Canine has a 10-step test of skills that dogs must pass to earn the official AKC Community Canine title

Join the Alliance of Therapy Dogs

Join the Alliance of Therapy Dogs & Become Certified as a Therapy Team

 
 

Disclaimer:

If you're looking for a perfectly trained puppy that always comes when called, never has accidents, and never barks or chews, this program, and our dogs are not a good fit for you! We don't promise perfection, but we do guarantee health and the highest level of love, care, and attention.

Our clients have done their research and understand the ongoing commitment and hard work required for raising a puppy, even after Twelve Weeks of Doodle School.

At Doodle School, we set a foundation and a framework that requires around-the-clock care and attention that starts with our Puppy Potty Training Solution. The focus is on crate training and socialization for the first 8 to 16 weeks of life. At the end of 16 weeks, think of your puppy as a 4-year-old child. After 12 weeks of Doodle School, think of your puppy as a six-year-old. Our goal is to have them potty trained, much like our expectations for our children sending them to Kindergarten. Are they able to play well with others? Are they afraid of new things? Can they walk in a line to the bathroom or cafeteria? Maybe, but they can't do it alone. They still need guidance, support, and encouragement for the behaviors we want to see in them. They need routine and structured patience and kindness every step of the way.

After each 4-Week Session, owners understand and agree to additional training; either professional or otherwise. We help to manage your expectations and give you valid and honest feedback about the progression of your pup weekly via email with additional phone/email support post-graduation.

Upon arriving home, expect regression. The spaces, new people, new smells, new routines. We aid you in setting up your spaces to mimic the routines they have become accustomed to. Schedules and reward systems are crucial to overall success.

Lastly, we want you to enjoy every moment with your puppy, even when they make mistakes. They love you more than they love themselves. They are always watching and learning from you and their environment; looking to you for positive feedback (R+). The whole process is a sensory-rich journey! We want you to have confidence as you continue building on the blocks that started with the end in mind, long before conception.