CIC Therapy Dog Training Class

About CIC’s Therapy Dog Training Class

This 8-week class prepares your dog and you to become a badged CIC social-emotional therapy dog team! Throughout the training your dog and you will:

  • Learn how to provide social-emotional learning opportunities following CIC’s innovative therapeutic curriculum

  • Work through skills like loose-leash walking, sit, stay, come, and leave it with consistency

  • Utilize calming techniques to support yourself, your dog, and your community

  • Apply trauma-informed practices to dog training and therapy dog visits

We will meet every week for 1 hour in person at the CIC offices in St. Paul, MN for a total of 8 weeks.

During the final session your dog and you will complete a CIC Therapy Dog evaluation.

Class cost is $250, scholarships are available.

To register for class, connect with the CIC team by clicking here. Our team must verify your prerequisite from the list below.

Requirements for dogs & humans

Participants must be able to tolerate being in proximity to other dogs.

Participants must be able to tolerate the presence of a variety of different people; including physical ability, race, sex and age.

Proof of vaccination is not required at the start of class, however it is expected that all canine participants will be up-to-date on their canine parvovirus, distemper, canine hepatitis, rabies, and Bordetella. Vaccinations will be verified after a successful evaluation on the final class session.

You are required to attend week 1 & week 8, and cannot miss more than 1 class session during weeks 2 through 7.

You must be able to pass a background check in order for your dog to pass Therapy Dog certification.

Prerequisites to join the class

Upcoming CIC Therapy Dog Training Dates & Times:

Fridays 1pm - 2pm

April 3, 10, 24, May 1, 8, 15, 22 & 29th (skip 4/17 due to event at CIC)

or

Tuesday 6:30pm - 7:30pm

April 7, 14, 21, 28 & May 5, 12, 19 & 26th

or

Saturdays 11:30am - 12:30pm

May 2, 9, 16, 23, 30, June 6, 13 & 20th

or

Tuesdays from 6:30pm - 7:30pm

June 2, 9, 16, 23, 30, July 7, 14 & 21st

Important information for CIC Therapy Dog Training class:

  • According to the American Kennel Club: Therapy dog certification organizations are the experts in this field. It is their dedication that has organized and advanced the work of therapy dogs and their efforts should be acknowledged and appreciated. Canine Inspired Change is pleased to be an AKC Recognized Therapy Dog Organization.

  • We offer financial assistance for both private training and training classes. Scholarships are available to help cover part or all of your training. Click here to apply!

  • Therapy Dog Training:

    Attendance at the first and final class sessions are mandatory. You will not bring your dog to the first session. Evaluations will be held on the final day of class. In order to be eligible for evaluation participants can miss no more than 1 class session. Anyone who wishes to volunteer as a CIC therapy dog team must be present with their dog throughout training.

  • Upon successful completion of therapy dog training and evaluation, CIC will conduct a criminal background check before you volunteer with your dog in schools and community organizations.

  • National therapy dog organizations, like Pet Partners or Alliance of Therapy Dogs, set broad, standardized criteria for therapy teams. Their programs work well for settings like hospitals or airports, but those environments often require very strict standards. That means many wonderful dogs who love people and have great temperaments aren’t always a fit for those specific roles.

    Unlike those national programs, CIC not only trains and certifies our own therapy dog teams, we also run all of our own therapy programs. That means we can match each dog’s personality and skill set to the right environment, whether it’s a school, mental health center, or community shelter. A dog who’s a little too wiggly for a library reading program might be perfect for helping a student practice emotional regulation in school.

    Our certification meets AKC’s national therapy dog standards, but it’s designed specifically for the work we do in our communities. While not every outside organization automatically accepts CIC certification, many do! Including the University of Minnesota’s PAWS program! They’ve seen the quality of our teams in action.

    In short: national programs certify therapy dogs for general volunteer work, while CIC trains, certifies, and supports therapy dog teams for our own mission-driven programs that change lives right here in our community.

  • CIC’s Therapy Dog Training Class costs $250. Scholarships are available to help cover part or all of your training. Click here to apply! Our scholarships are available thanks to those in our community that take our existing classes and to our donors at CIC. If you wish to make a donation for our scholarship fund, reach out to Kate via email.

  • Dogs 16 weeks of age and older are required to have their DA2PP(or equivalent), Bordetella, and rabies. We strongly encourage discussing other vaccinations with your veterinarian, including but not limited to leptospirosis, canine influenza, lyme.

    Proof of vaccinations are not required to be submitted before the start of class, however CIC may request records at anytime.

    Dogs completing Therapy Dog training are required to complete an Annual Health form, click to view all required veterinary items.

  • Training class participants may receive a full or partial refund if they are no longer able to

    participate in class. Refund requests must be made via email to Taylor at taylor@canineinspiredchange.org.

    Request received prior to the first day of class:

    • 7 or more days: Full refund of enrollment fee; or transfer payment to future class

    • 6 - 3 days: Partial refund of enrollment fee minus $25; or transfer payment to future class

    • 2 or less days: Partial refund of enrollment fee minus $50; or transfer payment to future class

    • Withdrawal after class session has started: Transfer payment to future class

    Training teams that are unable to complete a training class due to trainer recommendation may receive a full refund based on trainer and CIC staff discretion.

  • As our team needs to verify your prerequisites to enter the course, you will need to reach out to our team directly to register. Click here to connect with us!

  • When you become a certified Therapy Dog through Canine Inspired Change you will become eligible to volunteer at CIC’s many contracted schools and organizations in which CIC provides a 6 to 10 week long program. On occasion, CIC will host reading programs or provide one time sessions for different facilities such as a hospital or nursing home. Outside of CIC programming, your badge can be used to become a volunteer with the University of Minnesota’s PAWS team or with Interim Hospice. Other organizations may accept CIC’s badge for you to become a volunteer with them, however, this is often a case by case basis. You will need to check with the organization you wish to volunteer with to find out what their requirements might be. We are happy to answer any questions the organization might have for you. Please note, any volunteer sessions done outside of CIC’s programs are not covered by CIC’s insurance.

  • Each training class will have different recommendations for training tools, treats, and equipment. CIC will reach out to you about 1 week before the start of your class with more information and what to expect. If you did not receive this email, check your spam folder.

What people say about our training classes