Alliance of Therapy Dogs Blog
The Importance of a Therapy Dog: Saving a Life
An important part of being a therapy dog handler that is often overlooked is your ability to interact with people. A good therapy dog handler is an engaged listener, taking time to listen and process [...]
Teamwork Without Ownership: Preparing for the ATD Certification Test with Someone Else’s Dog
Did you know Alliance of Therapy Dogs (ATD) allows you to test with a dog you have had a relationship with for at least 6 months? Being the dog’s owner is not a requirement to [...]
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 [...]