Off Leash K9 Training, Fort Lauderdale · Certification Preparation
Therapy Dog Training in Fort Lauderdale
Hospitals, schools, nursing homes — a certified therapy dog opens doors most dogs never walk through. This specially designed 8-lesson course prepares you and your dog for therapy dog testing and certification, and many of our former clients pass easily. Upon successful completion, we can evaluate and certify you and your dog through Therapy Pets Unlimited.
- ★ 4.9 rated — our South Florida team
- 8 private lessons
- Evaluation & certification path included
From Family Dog to Certified Therapy Dog
One-on-one work with a professional trainer builds the rock-solid, calm obedience therapy work demands — around wheelchairs, strangers, sudden noises, and other dogs.
Upon successful completion of the program, we can evaluate and certify you and your dog through Therapy Pets Unlimited. Many of our former clients easily pass their therapy dog certification after training.
Therapy work is a team sport — the lessons train you as much as your dog, because the handler is half of every therapy visit. And in a city with no shortage of hospitals, senior communities, and schools, certified teams have plenty of places to serve.
What the Lessons Actually Build
Therapy testing is less about tricks and more about temperament under pressure: a dog that stays settled while strangers reach for them, walks politely past food and other dogs, tolerates clumsy petting, and recovers instantly from a dropped tray or a squeaky wheelchair. The eight lessons work those exact scenarios deliberately — first in quiet settings, then around escalating real-world distraction — while coaching you on reading your dog, positioning during visits, and knowing when your dog needs a break. If a gap shows up along the way, your trainer tells you plainly what to practice before test day rather than letting you walk into an evaluation unprepared.
The Fort Lauderdale Therapy Dog Package
Therapy Dog Preparation
8 Lesson Course
$1,000
- 8 private lessons preparing you and your dog for therapy dog testing
- Handler coaching throughout — you learn the work too
- Evaluation and certification available through Therapy Pets Unlimited upon successful completion
or call: (754) 900-3885
All training packages must be paid in full before scheduling lessons. Call or email us for more information about our Military/Emergency Services "Hero Discount" and our Multiple Dog discount!
Not sure your dog’s obedience is ready? Many teams start with Basic & Advanced Obedience or the 2-week board & train first, then move into therapy preparation.
Therapy Dog, Service Dog, or ESA? Know the Difference.
Therapy dogs — what this page trains — visit facilities like hospitals, schools, and nursing homes to comfort many different people. They work by invitation and with the facility’s permission; certification tells those facilities your team is tested and reliable.
Service dogs are individually trained to perform specific tasks for one handler’s disability, and federal law grants them public-access rights that therapy dogs do not have. A therapy dog certification is not a public-access pass — and no honest trainer will tell you otherwise.
Emotional support animals (ESAs) provide comfort to their own owner by presence alone. They need no specialized task training, and they also carry no public-access rights.
This program prepares therapy dog teams. If what your dog really needs first is reliable, calm obedience — the raw material of any working role — start with the obedience programs and build from there.
Calm Dogs, Happy Handlers
“Off Leash K9 trained our MILO, and they were GREAT! Not only did they give us an excellent trainer, but he was a very nice and respectful person. Our dog loves him, which I think is super important as well. I highly recommend them if you ever need help with your dog.”
“We were assigned a great trainer who really worked with us and what we needed to focus on. Highly recommend this program!”
Therapy Dog FAQs
What's the difference between a therapy dog and a service dog?
A therapy dog visits facilities — hospitals, schools, nursing homes — to comfort many people, and works with permission rather than public-access rights. A service dog is trained to perform specific tasks for one handler's disability. The Off Leash K9 Training, Fort Lauderdale program on this page prepares therapy dogs.
How much does therapy dog training cost in Fort Lauderdale?
The Therapy Dog Preparation course at Off Leash K9 Training, Fort Lauderdale is $1,000 for 8 private lessons, with evaluation and certification available through Therapy Pets Unlimited upon successful completion.
Who certifies my dog at the end?
Upon successful completion of the program, Off Leash K9 Training, Fort Lauderdale can evaluate and certify you and your dog through Therapy Pets Unlimited. Many former clients easily pass their therapy dog certification after the training course.
What kind of dog makes a good therapy dog?
Temperament matters more than breed — steady, people-loving dogs of any breed can succeed. If your dog's basic obedience isn't solid yet, Off Leash K9 Training, Fort Lauderdale recommends building it first through the obedience programs, then entering therapy preparation.
Somebody Out There Needs Your Dog
Eight lessons stand between your good dog and a certified therapy dog. Start with the quiz or a free phone consultation.
Take the Free Dog Training Quiz
(754) 900-3885Prefer email? [email protected]