Alliance of Therapy Dogs Blog
Teaching “Go Say Hi”: Level Up Your Therapy Visits with This Cue
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 [...]
The 2-foot Rule: Why is it important and when do I need to follow it?
Alliance of Therapy Dogs (ATD) has a set of Rules and Regulations that Members are expected to follow on all ATD visits. Every year, our insurance backs our Rules and Regulations and as long as [...]
When is it okay to end a therapy dog visit?
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 [...]
Let Sleeping Dogs Lie: Advocating for Your Sleeping Dog on a Therapy Dog Visit
The old saying, let sleeping dogs lie, is an important message to remember when it comes to therapy dog visits. There are various reasons your dog may be sleeping on a visit: they get comfortable [...]
Breaking Down The Emotional Connection Between Therapy Dogs and Their Handlers
Therapy dogs are often superheroes to those they visit. Through tactile interaction, kind eyes, and friendly presence, these amazing dogs bring comfort to people in places like hospitals, nursing homes, schools, and workplaces. While therapy [...]
Canine Body Language: What is your therapy dog saying to you?
The human end of the leash is just as important as the dog when it comes to therapy dog visits. Our job, as the handler, is to keep eyes on our dog at all times [...]