What Are the Basic Obedience Commands for Therapy Dogs?

Dogs have been known for their loyalty, love, and affection toward their owners. So it's not surprising that they make wonderful companions and can also serve as therapy dogs. Therapy dogs, in particular, are trained to provide comfort and support to people in need, such as the elderly, people with disabilities, and individuals with mental health conditions.

To be effective, therapy dogs need to be well-behaved and obedient, which is why it is important to train them in basic obedience commands.

Below, we list some of the basic obedience commands that therapy dogs should learn:

Sit

This is one of the most basic obedience commands that every dog should learn. It is a foundation for other commands and helps in controlling the dog's behavior. To teach your therapy dog to sit, hold a treat above its head, and say "sit" while gently pushing its back down. Next, reward the dog with the treat after following your command.

Stay

The stay command helps in keeping the dog in one place for an extended period. It's beneficial for situations where the dog needs to be still, such as during therapy sessions. To teach your dog to stay, command it to sit and say "stay" while moving a few steps away. If it stays, offer a treat.

Come

This command helps in calling the dog back to you. To teach your dog to come, hold a treat in your hand, and say "come" while backing away from the dog. When the dog reaches you, reward it with a treat.

Heel

The heel command helps in keeping the dog close to your side while walking. During therapy sessions, the dog needs to walk alongside the person it is helping. To teach your dog to heel, hold a treat in your hand and walk with the dog by your side. Say "heel" and reward the dog when it stays close to you.

Leave it

This command helps in preventing the dog from picking up or eating things it shouldn't. To teach your dog to leave it, place a treat on the ground and say "leave it." Wait until the dog ignores the treat, and reward it with a treat from your hand.

Down

Get your therapy dog to calm down or lie down using this command. All you need to do is state the command — say "down" while moving your hand toward the ground. If the dog lies down, give a treat.

Off

This command helps in getting the dog off furniture or people. To teach your dog to get off, gently push it off while saying "off." When the dog gets off, reward it with a treat.

Final Thoughts

These basic obedience commands will help in making your therapy dog well-behaved and obedient. However, keep in mind that training your dog takes time and patience.

You should begin training your dog when it is young and reinforce the commands regularly. Also, keep training sessions short and fun. Dogs learn best through positive reinforcement, so reward your dog not just with treats, but also with praise and affection when it follows your commands correctly.

As a final note, therapy dogs have a different role than service dogs. While service dogs are trained to perform specific tasks for their handlers, therapy dogs provide emotional support and comfort to people in need. Therefore, therapy dogs should be trained to be calm, gentle, and friendly around people of all ages and backgrounds.

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