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 to say hello to your dog; they’re in the middle of a task, they don’t want to get covered in [...]
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 to fulfill our duties to those we are visiting, but the most important thing to remember on a therapy dog [...]
Alliance of Therapy Dogs (ATD) is first and foremost a 501c3 nonprofit. We are an international registry of certified therapy dog teams. At ATD, we provide testing, certification, registration, support, and insurance for Members who volunteer with their dogs in animal-assisted activities. Our objective is to form a network of caring individuals and their special dogs who [...]
What are Alliance of Therapy Dogs’ (ATD) Retesting Requirements? ATD requires teams to be retested if they have not made and logged a visit within 3 months of their previous visit. If you have gone over 3 months, but less than 6 months since your last logged visit, you are required to complete the ATD [...]
Alliance of Therapy Dogs (ATD) has an exceptional registry of committed, loyal Handlers who follow through on their commitments and ATD applauds each and every one of you. But sometimes a facility or an event falls short in some way, making our visits difficult. What to do? Start with a conversation with your contact person. [...]
A Successful Therapy Dog Visit Starts with You! Therapy dog visits can be a great way to brighten someone’s day. The magical effect dogs have on humans is undeniable, but we cannot forget about the other end of the leash. The handler is a big part of a successful therapy dog visit. In order for [...]
Why did you want to bring therapy dogs into your facility? This training command is a service member's first stop after boot camp, so they are often missing home and working to adjust to this new lifestyle. With the high stress environment they are in, one of our goals is to provide our service members [...]
Ways Your Donation to ATD Can Make a Difference Alliance of Therapy Dogs (ATD) has been a charitable 501c3 organization since 1990. We are an international registry of certified therapy dog teams. ATD provides testing, certification, registration, support, and insurance for members who volunteer with their dogs in animal-assisted activities. Our objective is to form [...]
Fall is an enjoyable time; the weather cools off and everyone begins looking forward to the many holidays that occur in the last half of the year. Halloween is an especially enjoyable time with therapy dogs because many people love seeing dogs dressed up in cute bandanas and costumes. As volunteers, we should always make [...]
Benefits of Pet Therapy For Teens Growing up comes with a wide range of challenges and pet therapy for teens offers many benefits. The stress of academic performance, peer relationships, social media, physical appearance, and societal pressure can contribute to feelings of anxiety and depression. With these overwhelming pressures, teenagers may struggle to find coping [...]
