Could your dog be a therapy dog? Your step-by-step guide to therapy dog training in the UK

If your dog loves meeting new people and stays calm when things get busy, you might be wondering whether they could become a therapy dog. Visiting care homes, hospitals or schools with your dog can be incredibly rewarding for you, your dog and the people you meet.

Good therapy dog training starts long before any assessment. In this guide, we explain how to tell if your dog is suited to the work, how to train your dog to be a therapy dog, what therapy dog certification really means in the UK and how to register your dog as a therapy dog with a visiting charity.

Is your dog right for therapy work?

Not every dog is suited to therapy visits, and that's fine. Temperament matters far more than breed or training level. UK charity Pets As Therapy looks for dogs that are friendly, sociable and calm, and happy to be stroked and handled.

Ask yourself honestly whether your dog:
 

• enjoys meeting strangers, but doesn't get overexcited
• stays calm around noise, crowds and unfamiliar equipment
• is happy to be touched, including on the ears, paws and tail
• settles quietly when asked
• recovers quickly if something startles them

If your dog is anxious, reactive or easily overwhelmed, therapy visits probably aren't right for them. Pushing a dog into work it doesn't enjoy isn't fair on the dog or the people it visits.

How to train your dog to be a therapy dog

There's no single official course you have to complete, but most dogs need some preparation before they're ready. Here's how to train your dog to be a therapy dog, step by step.
 

1. Build solid basic manners. Your dog should walk nicely on a loose lead, sit, wait, come back when called and leave things when asked. The Kennel Club's Good Citizen Dog Scheme, the UK's largest dog training programme, is a useful framework. It has four levels: Puppy Foundation, Bronze, Silver and Gold.
2. Socialise widely. Gently introduce your dog to different people, including children, older people and people using wheelchairs or walking aids. Visit new places so busy, noisy environments feel normal.
3. Practise calm handling. Get your dog used to being stroked by lots of hands, sometimes clumsily. Reward calm behaviour.
4. Teach a reliable settle. Therapy visits involve a lot of sitting or lying quietly beside someone. A calm "settle" on a mat is one of the most useful skills you can teach.
5. Stop licking and jumping up. In health settings, the Royal College of Nursing's 2025 guidance, Working with Dogs in Health Care Settings, says dogs shouldn't lick patients or sit on beds without a protective pad.
6. Keep up with health care. The RCN says visiting dogs need up-to-date vaccinations and regular parasite treatment.

Therapy dog training is as much about you as your dog. You'll need to read your dog's body language, spot early signs of stress and know when to step in.

Therapy dog training in the UK: where to get help

For hands-on support, a local positive reinforcement trainer or training club is a great place to start. Many run classes that work towards the Good Citizen awards, which cover lots of the skills therapy visits need.

Therapy dog training in the UK is also about learning how visits work. Visiting charities run their own assessments, so it's worth reading their requirements before you start and training for the right things.

If you'd like to understand dog behaviour more deeply, our canine care, behaviour and welfare courses are a good way to build your knowledge.

Therapy dog certification: what you need to know

You'll see lots of websites offering therapy dog certification, sometimes for a fee. It's important to know that in the UK, a visiting dog like this has no special legal status. Bangor University notes that there's no legal status for therapy and emotional support animals in the UK. Unlike assistance dogs, they don't have access rights under the Equality Act 2010.

In practice, therapy dog certification usually means your dog has passed an assessment with a visiting charity or organisation and is registered with them. That registration is what hospitals, care homes and schools will usually ask about. For example, a 2016 Freedom of Information response from Maidstone and Tunbridge Wells NHS Trust said visiting pets had to be registered with Pets As Therapy.

So before paying for any online certificate, check whether the places you'd like to visit will actually recognise it.

How to register your dog as a therapy dog

The exact process depends on the charity, but here's how to register your dog as a therapy dog using Pets As Therapy's published requirements as an example.
 

1. Check the basics. Your dog must be at least 12 months old, and you must have known them for at least nine months.
2. Apply online. You'll need two character references and a copy of your dog's vaccination certificate.
3. Take the temperament assessment. A local accredited assessor meets you and your dog at a neutral location, not your home. The assessment takes about 45 minutes and checks that your dog is friendly, calm and happy to be handled.
4. Join the scheme. Volunteers make an annual contribution, which goes towards their liability insurance. You'll then be matched with places that would like visits.

 

How to qualify as a therapy dog: a quick checklist

If you're wondering how to qualify as a therapy dog team, here's a summary of what you and your dog will usually need:

•    a dog who's at least 12 months old, with a calm, friendly temperament
•    good basic manners, including a loose lead walk and a reliable settle
•    up-to-date vaccinations and parasite treatment
•    a successful temperament assessment with a visiting charity
•    a handler who can read their dog's body language and end a visit if needed

Look after your dog's welfare

Visits can be tiring, even for dogs who love them. The RCN guidance says active sessions should last no more than an hour, with no more than three active hours in a day.

Dogs should never be left alone with anyone other than their handler.

Watch for signs that your dog has had enough, such as yawning, lip licking, turning away or trying to leave. Ending a visit early is always the right call if your dog isn't comfortable.

Take the next step as a handler

Once you've started visiting, you might find you'd like to do more. Our guide on how to become a therapy dog handler explains the paid and voluntary roles in this field. If you'd like to understand the bigger picture, our guide to therapy dogs explains how they differ from assistance and emotional support dogs.

The Level 3 Diploma in Animal Assisted Intervention is a great way to build your knowledge as a handler. It's an Ofqual regulated qualification that you study online and at your own pace, with tutor support. It covers your legal duties, how to pair the right animal with the right person, the health and wellbeing benefits, and how to conduct canine sessions. There's also a two-day practical with a dog, which you arrange yourself.

It's a qualification in animal assisted intervention, not therapy, so it won't make you a therapist. And it isn't a charity registration for your dog. What it will give you is a solid understanding of how to plan and deliver sessions safely, with your dog's welfare at the centre.

As a learner, you'll also get access to the learndirect: Community Hub app, a space just for learners and alumni of the learndirect Digital Group. It's a friendly place to ask questions and connect with other dog lovers.

Ready to find out more?

Visit the Level 3 Diploma in Animal Assisted Intervention course page for full details, including fees and payment options. Or call our course advisors on 01202 006 040, or send us an enquiry.