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Definitely look into the above resources. In north Jersey there is a place called St. Huberts. They do testing and certifications. Then you're free to apply to different groups that use therapy dogs. St. Barnabas Health Care System has a group called Paws for Patients, it's connected to the hospitals and hospice services in their network.
If you live in a small town or rural area it can be as simple as contacting a hospital or nursing home and offering to volunteer.
I wanted to get involved with Sophie several years ago but realized she wasn't going to pass the obedience tests and isn't really too enthusiastic about strangers touching her. One part of the test that would have been impossible for her-the dog has to sit/stay while the handler walks to the other end of the room. Another command important for passing the test is "leave it".
The dog has to be willing to walk past a food item without approaching it.
If your dog knows basic commands already you'd probably do fine though.
If you live in a small town or rural area it can be as simple as contacting a hospital or nursing home and offering to volunteer.
I wanted to get involved with Sophie several years ago but realized she wasn't going to pass the obedience tests and isn't really too enthusiastic about strangers touching her. One part of the test that would have been impossible for her-the dog has to sit/stay while the handler walks to the other end of the room. Another command important for passing the test is "leave it".
The dog has to be willing to walk past a food item without approaching it.
If your dog knows basic commands already you'd probably do fine though.
