Paws 4 Hearts — Working Therapy Dogs

Become a team

What it takes to be a working therapy team

A therapy dog must be at least a year old by the time it's certified, be up to date on vaccines, be well socialized, willing to learn, love spending time with people and show a real bond with its handler and both human and canine must pass P4H certification and annual testing..

Ask about the next classText or call 210-325-3019

Join our pack

Paws 4 Hearts flyer: Changing lives one paw print at a time. Be the difference — be a volunteer. You and your dog can change a life.

Before you start

  • Your dog must be at least 1 year old to be certified as a therapy dog. Younger dogs can register and do the obedience training and complete therapy part of training.  Then when they turn a year old, can be tested.
  • All humans must be 18 or older to be part of a working therapy dog team.
A small white therapy dog looking up at the camera

At evaluation, your dog must demonstrate

  • Friendliness with people, allowing a stranger to approach and touch them
  • Basic obedience skills such as sit, down, here and stay
  • Polite leash skills
  • Acceptance of other dogs
  • A polite response to distractions such as loud noises

The path to certification

  1. 1

    Evaluation

    We meet you and your dog and assess temperament, obedience and handling. This tells us what training you'll need next.

  2. 2

    Obedience training

    Depending on your dog's experience, expect 6 weeks of positive obedience training geared specifically toward therapy work.

  3. 3

    Therapy training

    Hands-on training covering HIPAA rules for visiting, how to approach a child, soldier or patient, and how to safely handle your dog around others and around challenges.

  4. 4

    Testing

    You and your dog are tested on the obedience and therapy skills you have learned, and scored on how you guide people around your dog. A half-day class covers setting up visits and Paws 4 Hearts rules and policies.

  5. 5

    Mentored visits

    Once you pass, you begin therapy work with a mentor at hospitals, assisted living homes, libraries, military facilities and other approved organizations.

After certification

Therapy work is deeply rewarding. It is a unique experience to give back by letting others share the bond between you and your dog.
Paws 4 Hearts requires a minimum number of visits each month to maintain active status as a working therapy team. All visits are then logged monthly by team member.
Every therapy team recertifies yearly, so our teams maintain the standard our facilities rely on.

Training and evaluation classes

Classes and evaluations are held in the San Antonio or surrounding area and run over several weeks. Dates for the next class are confirmed by phone, email,  or text — contact Karen for the current schedule, location, cost and registration details.

Email paws4hearts@ymail.comText 210-325-3019