💛 What Exactly Is a Therapy Dog?

Therapy dogs are professional feel-good specialists. They visit hospitals, schools, senior living centers, libraries, airports — anywhere comfort is needed.

Their job? Bring joy, soothe nerves, and make humans smile.

Unlike service dogs (who work for one handler), therapy dogs volunteer alongside their humans to help everyone. They’re emotionally steady, people-loving, and beautifully polite — the dogs that make people say, “I wish mine acted like that.”

🧬 Choosing the Right Dog for Therapy Work

The secret isn’t pedigree — it’s personality.

When you’re choosing a future therapy dog, look for these key ingredients:

1️⃣ Temperament Comes First

Therapy dogs must adore people. Look for outgoing, resilient puppies who recover quickly from new experiences and genuinely seek human connection.

2️⃣ Happy Homes Raise Happy Puppies

Choose breeders or foster homes that raise puppies inside the home, not isolated in kennels. Confident, well-handled moms raise confident puppies.

If you want to see what ethical, emotionally intelligent breeding looks like, check out the brilliant work of my friend and colleague Jane Killion, founder of Puppy Culture. Jane and I share the same science-based education under Jean Donaldson, and she’s the gold standard for early puppy development. Her program demonstrates how purposeful early handling, play, and positive exposure create the emotional resilience that future therapy dogs need.

3️⃣ Breed Matters (But It’s Not Everything)

Labs, Goldens, Poodles, and Doodles often excel, but plenty of mixed breeds shine just as bright. What matters most is optimism, curiosity, and a deep love of people.

Red-flag breed descriptions: “aloof,” “watchdog,” or “independent.”
Translation: “Probably not a therapy dog.”

🐶 When to Start Training a Therapy Dog

Right away. Seriously.

From the moment your puppy toddles into your home, learning begins. Every interaction shapes who they become — so start early, keep it fun, and protect that natural curiosity like gold.

At Go Anywhere Dog, we train through play, trust, and developmental readiness — never intimidation or force. Puppies learn best when they feel safe.

🐾 Where to Begin

• Under 16 weeks? → Puppy Classes (off-leash, small-group, developmental socialization)

• Over 16 weeks? → Life Skills 101

• Prefer 1:1 coaching? → In-Home Puppy Training or Private Dog Training

We serve Minneapolis, Edina, Minnetonka, Richfield, Hopkins, St. Louis Park, Bloomington, and Eagan.
Classes are held at our Eden Prairie training center — the Twin Cities hub for raising “Go Anywhere Dogs.”

🎓 How Long Does Therapy Dog Training Take?

It depends on age, temperament, and consistency.

Expect roughly 12–18 months of structured training and social exposure to build confidence, reliability, and emotional regulation.

Start early → make it steady → keep it joyful.
You can’t rush maturity — but you can absolutely guide it.

🧠 Core Skills Every Therapy Dog Needs

Therapy work is emotional athleticism. Your dog must be able to handle sensory overload while staying calm, gentle, and engaged.

Confidence & Comfort

• Calm around medical equipment, wheelchairs, and unpredictable movement

• Comfortable with strangers touching, hugging, and sudden noises

• Recovers quickly from surprises

Manners & Obedience

• Loose leash walking

• Sit, stay, leave-it, come (even in chaos)

• No jumping, barking, or licking sprees

Social Savvy

• Reads human energy well

• Moves politely through crowds

• Enjoys being handled by kids, seniors, and everyone in between

Our curriculum builds these naturally — one developmental stage at a time.

🌟 Certification & Therapy Dog Organizations in Minneapolis

Once your dog has the skills, you’ll need evaluation and registration through a recognized therapy organization.
We recommend:

• Pet Partners

• Therapy Dogs International

They provide testing, insurance, and volunteer opportunities throughout Minnesota.

🕐 At What Age Can a Dog Become a Therapy Dog?

There’s no strict rule, but most dogs aren’t emotionally ready until 1–3 years old.
By that age, they’ve developed the impulse control, maturity, and confidence required to pass evaluations.

Every dog’s timeline is unique — that’s why our training focuses on readiness, not rushing.

📍 Where Therapy Dogs Make a Difference in Minneapolis

Therapy dogs can be found comforting people all over the metro:

• Hospitals and nursing homes

• Libraries and schools (including reading-buddy programs)

• MSP Airport’s “Animal Ambassadors”

• College stress-relief events

• Courtrooms and funeral homes

• Corporate wellness programs

Wherever humans need comfort — dogs answer the call.

❤️ Tips for Aspiring Therapy Dog Parents

• Love your dog fiercely. Your relationship is the foundation of all training.

• Protect their confidence. Never force exposure — guide them gently.

• Socialize smart. Create positive experiences with kids, mobility aids, noises, and surfaces.

• Use play as learning. Joy equals retention.

• Partner with pros. Our Dog Life Coaches specialize in building calm, confident dogs without ever breaking trust.

Therapy dogs bring healing because they’ve experienced safety first.
That’s what “Boundaries Without Trauma” is all about.

 

✨ Ready to Make the World Brighter?

Raising a therapy dog is a labor of love — but when you see that first smile your pup sparks, you’ll know it’s worth every treat, class, and car ride.

Start your puppy’s therapy-dog journey →

We’ll teach you how to raise a dog who can go anywhere, love everyone, and make Minneapolis an even kinder place to live.

🔗 Helpful Links

• Puppy Culture by Jane Killion

• Pet Partners

• Therapy Dogs International

• MSP Airport Animal Ambassadors

• Puppy Classes

• In-Home Puppy Training

• Life Skills Dog Training