I am looking to train my oldest girl for therapy at childrens hospitals, nursing homes, etc. She knows basic commands and is very very gentle and tolerant! She would make for a great therapy dog I just don't know of a good program to go to to get certified. Does anyone know god programs? Does it cost anything? TIA

I should probably mention I am in NH!!!

Check with your local Kennel Clubs & Vets offices. I do work here in CT with our Veterans Hospital/Home. I am wondering if you possibly contact a nursing home in your area and ask if they allow therapy dogs, if they could tell you who the organization is.

As for the cost, sometimes there is a minimal cost to get certified (it was $25 for me), but it all depends on the group

Hope this helps

Thats a good place to start! Just ask! How come its the simple answers I can never figure out?! Thank you!

Therapy Dogs International and Delta Society.(I think that I heard that they changed their name?) Both websites give you a copy of the test and who/where in your area you can go for training, practice and the actual test. You can not be certified by both organizations. It's a good idea to get your CGC also.
Good luck and have fun. There is so much good that a therapy dog can do!!

https://www.petpartners.org/sslpage.aspx?pid=452 Try this site - Pet Partners, formerly Delta Society. A long list will come up but you can search for programs in NH

Just make sure, if you're thinking of Pet Partners aka Delta Society, that your dog never eats any raw food! Their chairperson is the marketing director for Purina and they don't allow raw fed pets. Now they're trying to get the AMVA to come out with a policy against raw. I wouldn't go near them, personally. Do call around to your local hospitals and nursing homes to find out which organizations they work with.

And, if you and your dog like kids, see if your school system participates in the CARE or READ programs. Dogs in the schools are so very helpful to kids struggling to read.
Both programs are easy to start up if not already in place, just need some administrators who will think outside the box!!!
Good luck!

Thank you all very much! We saw the pet partners site and it seems like a great program. I think I will call some of the local hospitals and schools to see who they use. I would hate to get involved with Delta and find out I can't bring my dog to the local hospitals and that I would have to travel! :) We don't feed raw but if Delta wants to regulate the food you feed they must have strong opinions regarding everything you choose to do with you dog!!

The reason therapy dogs are not supposed to be fed raw has absolutely NOTHiNG to do with who works for Purina. It is because of the risk of transmitting salmonella, e-coli, etc to the elderly/infirm/immune compromised individuals in the nursing facilities, etc.

Yup, that's what they claim. Only problem with that argument is...it isn't true. There have been zero cases of raw fed therapy dogs causing illness in patients. And studies have shown that pathogens shed by raw fed vs. kibble fed dogs are virtually the same. Kibble can carry salmonella. If a dog licks his butt and then licks a human, theoretically the human could get sick. Same thing if you don't wash your hands after a bathroom break and then shake someone's hand. It probably isn't safe for ANY dog to be around immune compromised humans but that has nothing to do with what the dog ate. So what's their real motive? Seems a little fishy to me. Just sayin'...

This is not some arbitrary position of any therapy group, but the position of public health researchers. Here is an excerpt from the Canadian Veterinary Journal:

"To minimize the risk of canine and human salmonellosis, regulations governing the manufacture and sale of commercial raw food diets should be established and enforced. Better labels should be placed on packages containing commercial raw food diets warning dog owners of the probability of the products being contaminated with harmful bacteria. Organizations that take dogs to seniors’ homes, long-term care hospitals, or other hospital areas for therapeutic visits should not feed these diets, because of the risks posed by bacterial pathogens and antimicrobial resistant bacteria. Dog owners, especially those at higher risk of developing acute salmonellosis, should be warned about the risks of handling raw food diets."

Read the entire article before spreading rumors.
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1716752/