Therapy dogs provide numerous uplifting benefits in hospitals and schools. Here are some key points:
- Emotional Support: Interacting with therapy dogs can help reduce stress, anxiety, and loneliness. Their presence alone can often provide comfort and a sense of companionship, which is particularly beneficial in environments like hospitals and schools where individuals may be experiencing heightened emotions or facing challenging situations.
- Physical Benefits: Petting or interacting with therapy dogs has been shown to lower blood pressure, reduce heart rate, and release endorphins, all of which contribute to a sense of well-being and relaxation. In hospitals, these physiological effects can aid in the healing process and contribute to overall recovery.
- Social Interaction: Therapy dogs can serve as a catalyst for social interaction, especially among individuals who may be hesitant to engage with others. In schools, for example, they can help shy or anxious students feel more comfortable and open up, leading to improved communication skills and socialization.
- Distraction and Relaxation: The presence of therapy dogs can provide a welcome distraction from pain, discomfort, or stressful situations. In hospitals, this distraction can be particularly valuable during medical procedures or treatments. In schools, it can help students relax and refocus, improving their ability to concentrate and learn.
- Boosting Mood and Morale: Therapy dogs have a unique ability to lift spirits and bring joy to those around them. Their playful antics and unconditional love can brighten the mood of patients, students, and staff alike, creating a more positive and supportive atmosphere in hospitals and schools.
- Promoting Responsibility and Empathy: Interacting with therapy dogs can teach important life skills, such as responsibility and empathy. In schools, caring for and interacting with a therapy dog can help students develop a greater understanding of compassion and empathy towards others, including their peers and animals.
Overall, therapy dogs play a valuable role in enhancing the well-being and quality of life for individuals in hospitals and schools, providing emotional support, physical benefits, social interaction, and a source of joy and comfort.
Sabrina Clark has been training dogs since 1986 and is the owner of Balanced Obedience and Founder of the World Dog Foundation. Have fun training your own dog at your own pace with no reliance on treat bribes or a shock collar.
Join the World Dog Foundation
Therapy Dog Program
The World Dog Foundation is hosting a Therapy Dog Program.
Dogs must be able to pass the American Kennel Club Canine Good Citizen Test and Therapy Dog Aptitude test given by the World Dog Foundation.
Join today for a monthly subscription of $25.
Subscription is waived for those that co-own a parent dog with the World Dog Foundation. These dogs will be creating the next generation of Service Dogs for those in need.
Co-ownership includes the dog at no charge, boarding at no charge and training at no charge. In exchange, the dog will return to breed and raise puppies for 1 litter. After spaying the dog, the co-ownership ceases. The Therapy Dog membership fees are waived for the life of the dog.
Dogs available include a Goldendoodles and Bernedoodles.
Male Poodles and Doodles are available to select homes with experience with in-tact male dogs.
Therapy dogs undergo specific training to prepare them for their roles in providing comfort, support, and companionship to people in various settings such as hospitals, schools, nursing homes, and disaster areas. Here's an overview of the training required for therapy dogs:
- Basic Obedience Training: Before beginning therapy dog training, dogs must have a solid foundation in basic obedience commands such as sit, stay, come, and down. This training helps ensure that they can reliably follow commands and behave appropriately in different environments.
- Socialization: Therapy dogs need to be well-socialized to interact positively with people of all ages, backgrounds, and abilities. They should be comfortable in various situations and environments, including crowded spaces, loud noises, and interactions with strangers.
- Temperament Evaluation: Dogs interested in becoming therapy dogs will undergo temperament evaluations to assess their suitability for the role. They should demonstrate calmness, friendliness, and a gentle demeanor towards people.
- Specialized Training: While therapy dogs don't require the same level of rigorous training as Service Dogs, they do receive specialized training to prepare them for their specific duties. This training may include learning how to approach people politely, remain calm in different environments, and tolerate various handling interactions.
- Certification and Registration: Once a dog completes the necessary training, they undergo the American Kennel Club Canine Good Citizen Test and also pass a temperament test to demonstrate appropriate behavior in real-world settings.
- Continued Education and Evaluation: Even after becoming certified therapy dogs, ongoing training and evaluation are important to maintain their skills and suitability for the role. Handlers may continue to work with their dogs to reinforce good behavior and address any areas needing improvement.
Overall, therapy dog training focuses on developing the dog's ability to provide comfort, support, and companionship in a variety of situations, while also ensuring the safety and well-being of both the dog and the people they interact with.
What if your dog needs training to be a Therapy Dog?
6 Sessions - 60 min each for $600
This is free for dogs in the Co-Ownership program with the World Dog Foundation.
Working in a group is a fun and easy way to train and socialize your dog. Included is a private Facebook community and weekly online coaching.
You will have everything you need to succeed:
in-person coaching,
online courses and written study guides, and
online coaching and community.
Choose the best session for your schedule daily, except Sundays, between 1 and 2 PM in Waimanalo. Join over Zoom if you prefer. Small class sizes ensure personalized training.
Flexible schedules.
Classes are open to those training their dog, fully vaccinated puppy or Therapy Dog Candidate.
Includes a special 50% discount for all of the other training programs at Balanced Obedience.
Includes access to our online community
Group Dog Training Classes are a fun and economical way to train your own Therapy Dog.
Aside from the weekly small group training sessions, you will received the online basic obedience course and coaching and a private Facebook group where you can connect with others on their dog training journey.
Class sizes are limited, so join today.
Puppies must be fully vaccinated to join, but young puppies are encouraged to enroll and can begin with the online puppy care and taining course and online coaching at no additonal charge.
Volunteers are needed to raise puppies and train Service Dog and Therapy Dog candidates. Help support the World Dog Foundation today.
"We are so grateful to Sabrina and the staff at Balanced Obedience for the care and hard work they put into our dog Bingo. Our goal is for Bingo to become a Psychiatric Service Dog to our son with ASD. We can’t thank Sabrina enough for helping our family with our goals. Before coming to Balanced Obedience, we were having trouble with training Bingo to become a Service Dog. Despite previous training efforts, Bingo still lacked the level of focus expected of a Service Dog.
He was easily distracted, sniffed around too much when he wasn’t supposed to, and would bark at other dogs and people. We enrolled Bingo in the Service Dog program as well as the three-week board and train.
There was a noticeable difference after his training with Sabrina! Bingo is now more calm, attentive, focused, and has a much better Heel. He also obeys eagerly without treats! Today we reintroduced Bingo to our children and followed Sabrina’s instructions in doing so. Instead of jumping up on them overexcitedly, Bingo was able to stay calm and display proper greeting manners. Sabrina’s training goes far beyond just teaching a dog how to do commands. Sabrina does not use treats and e-collars but reinforces using the bond and love and it really shows in Bingo’s enthusiasm to listen and please.
Bingo has real manners. For example, we used to put him in a Sit-Stay command before walking through a doorway or feeding him his meals. Sabrina’s trainings taught him to wait for us to walk through doorways first or to wait for meals without us telling Bingo to hold a sit command.
Sabrina emphasizes the importance of dog psychology and teaches you how to effectively communicate with your dog. She is very thorough in not only dog training but more importantly, people training. From correct posture to the way you make eye contact, to facial expressions, she really takes the time to educate you in becoming an effective handler and owner.
The difference in our relationship with Bingo was astounding. It’s hard to describe but the connection between us and Bingo feels stronger now that Sabrina has taught us how to communicate and understand him. This is a commonly overlooked part of dog ownership but is crucial and we are really blessed to have someone like Sabrina here on Oahu.
If you are looking to improve the quality of life for you and your pup and deepen your relationship/bond, then Sabrina and Balanced Obedience is perfect for you. Sabrina’s passion for helping others and their pups is priceless, we are fortunate to have her continued support throughout this journey together.
Sabrina’s training has improved the quality of life for Bingo and our entire family. Bingo is behaved and obedient in different environments. It really means so much to our family to have a service dog and a friend for our son. We can watch our son initiate interactions with Bingo and even improve on his social skills.
We are forever grateful to Sabrina for helping make all this possible."
— RICHARD M.- FACEBOOK REVIEW
Client Testimonials
SERVICE DOG
REACHER
"Sabrina provided me with the necessary tools and techniques to effectively communicate and work together with my dog, Reacher. By fostering a positive and supportive environment, Sabrina helped me overcome the challenges and build my confidence. As a result of our hard work and dedication, Reacher and I were able to pass the test. Our bond and mutual understanding allowed us to effectively navigate through the test's requirements and demonstrate our skills and abilities. Overall, the training program served as a transformative experience for both of us, ultimately leading to a successful outcome and a strong bond between us"
JAY R. - FACEBOOK REVIEW
PUPPY TRAINING
MO
"Our family first sought out Balanced Obedience because of a friend's recommendation. Our chocolate lab puppy was typically energetic but also getting into everything - eating rocks (and his poop), yanking us on walks, crying at night. Our family was stressed so we sent him to Puppy Boot Camp with Sabrina and she was a savior. Not only did she train our dog, Mo. She trained us. She gave us the tools we all needed to manage him. He can still be a rascal which is typical of his breed, but he's great in our 4 generation household. Gentle with the 84 year grandpa and 8 month old grandbaby. Socializes well with other dogs. All thanks to Sabrina and her team. We appreciate that the dogs that board at her Waimanalo space are all trained by her so they all know what the expectations and commands are. I've recommended many other families to her because of our experience. My cousin also had her service animal trained at Balance Obedience as well. I recently had to board Mo at another place when Sabrina was out of town, and although they were ok, it was nothing like Balanced Obedience. I could see it in his behavior. He wasn't happy at the other place. When Mo just hears Sabrina's voice on a video, he perks up and starts wagging his tail. When she picks him up, she jumps in the van with no hesitation. Mahalo to Sabrina and team for taking great care of our boy and all the other dog friends! "
CORY, KAWEHI AND ANELA A.-YELP REVIEW
FEARFUL AND REACTIVE DOG
BUDDY
"I first started using Balanced Obedience through their online training program. I purchased the program and began working through it with my dog, Buddy. While working through the program, I noticed that Buddy and I needed some extra support and counseling, so I reached out to Sabrina for guidance. She IMMEDIATELY responded, listened to my concerns, and set up a time for Buddy and I to train in person to solidify our leadership skills together. My dog was very fearful and could be reactive to strangers. After completing the training, and having support from Sabrina, we formulated a strategy to help Buddy overcome his fearfulness. This was I"NSTRUMENTAL" to his success with being placed with a foster family through Dogs on Deployment for my upcoming deployment. Buddy was able to meet a "stranger" family and trust both them, and me, enough to settle in. I can't say enough positive things about Sabrina, or Balanced Obedience!
ARIELLE L. - YELP REVIEW
In-person consultation
For Co-ownership, Therapy Dogs and Service Dogs
Come join me in Waimanalo to begin your training journey and transform the relationship you have with your dog. Consultations via Zoom or Facetime are welcomed.
clarify your top training objectives
create a customized plan
begin training and behavior modification
Interested in preparing your dog for taking the Service Dog Public Access Test? This is a different training route than tha taken for Therapy Dogs. Have questions? Please ask.
Join today and prepare for the Owner-Trained Service Dog Program.
Graduates of the small group training classes will receive a 50% discount on the other training programs at Balanced Obedience.
Online Doggie Boot Camp and Coaching
$800-included for free
Why Dog Owners Love Our Online Dog Training Course
After successfully training thousands of dogs in person at our facility in Hawaii, we have brought our program online, packed with the same training techniques, secrets, and expert insights, allowing more people to successfully train their dogs at an affordable price
Our online dog training course is founded on the balanced training approach which focuses on the language of commands, verbal praise, and physical touch, rather than relying on food bribes or physical correction.
Our dog training philosophy stems from understanding the nuances of a dog’s respect and love. We teach dog owners, like yourself, how to become a respected pack leader in the eyes of your dog.
36 Years of Training Knowledge In One Course
Learn the secrets, professional training techniques and strategies from a professional dog trainer who has spent a lifetime training puppies, dogs, and service dogs.
Results in 7 Days or Less
Our training approach is designed for efficiency. Most people experience their first improvements in their dog’s behavior within the first week of the course.
37 Course Lessons
Each lesson is fundamental to a happy, well-mannered pup. We show you everything you need to teach your pup so that you can be a stress-free pet parent.
6 Small Group Coaching Sessions with Sabrina
Learn all the basics of dog obedience training including: sit, sit-stay, down, down-stay, heel, wait, off, leave-it, come, drop-it, and more.
No e-collars. No treat bribes. Easy homework. Ample Support.
Class sizes are small so you can get personalized instruction.
Classes are held daily between 1 and 2, so you can choose the day that fits your schedule best.
During our training sessions, we will cover a wide range of obedience commands, behavior modification, and socialization skills. We also provide guidance on basic manners, crate training, and other essential aspects of responsible dog ownership in Hawaii.