A therapy dog walking in a park with their owner - contact Dog Training Elite to talk to a professional therapy dog trainer in West Palm Beach / Boca Raton, FL!

Therapy Dog Training

Dog Training Elite Palm Beach County

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Our Therapy Dog Training Could Help:

Those managing chronic pain
People looking to increase social interaction
Anyone seeking enhanced motivation and purpose
Individuals in need of emotional comfort
Those experiencing stress, anxiety, or depression
People wanting to boost overall optimism
Anyone feeling lonely or isolated

Therapy Dog Trainer in West Palm Beach / Boca Raton, FL

What is a Therapy Dog?

A therapy dog is trained to provide emotional support and comfort to people in need, often visiting hospitals, nursing homes, and schools. These dogs must be friendly with strangers, able to handle high levels of distraction, and understand personal boundaries like not jumping, licking, or mouthing. With proper training, therapy dogs can bring joy and emotional relief to those they interact with, offering companionship in stressful environments.

At Dog Training Elite, we offer programs to help your dog become a certified therapy dog. As a leading therapy dog trainer in West Palm Beach / Boca Raton, FL, we focus on developing the right temperament and skills so your dog can confidently provide comfort and support in various settings. With our professional guidance, your dog can become a valuable source of emotional care and connection for individuals in need.

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A therapy dog in training with Dog Training Elite Palm Beach County's expert handlers.

How Does a Dog Become a Therapy Dog?


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While the companionship your dog brings you may inspire you to share that with others, not every dog is suited to be a therapy animal. Beyond a friendly, loving personality, several important qualifications must be met for a dog to be considered for therapy work:

  • Age: Puppies are typically too energetic and lack the focus to be therapy dogs.
  • Obedience: A therapy dog must follow commands reliably. Dogs that have completed obedience training with Dog Training Elite have the solid foundation needed to begin therapy dog training.
  • Social Skills: Therapy dogs need to naturally enjoy meeting new people and must handle being petted and approached by strangers without anxiety. Their ability to remain calm and friendly, even in unfamiliar situations, ensures they can provide emotional support to those they interact with.

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You and your canine companion really can have it all. See how easy it can be to become a member of the elite pup society by requesting a free consultation today!

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FAQs

One of our trainers will visit your home to meet you and your dog and discuss any issues you're facing. We will then demonstrate one of our model dogs so you can see what you can expect after hiring our trainers. From there, we will discuss the various packages we offer and which we feel best suit your (and your dog's) needs.
We provide full obedience training that covers all basic commands, both on and off-leash. Our in-home visits target specific issues like counter-surfing, digging, and more. Unlike some trainers, we work with all breeds, including those often considered challenging.
Yes. You (and anyone in your family who wants to be involved) are integral to your dog getting trained. We need you to practice 5-6 days a week, about 15-20 minutes a day for optimal results.
Once a week. We come to you (with the silver, gold and platinum packages) once a week to start your dog off, then you come to park sessions which are held once a week in West Palm Beach / Boca Raton.
We train dogs of all breeds, sizes, and temperaments. Whether your dog is a tiny Chihuahua or a large Mastiff, we have the experience and expertise to work with them.

Hear From Our Customers

Learn Why Dog owners choose Dog Training Elite

  • Steven J. Callaghan
    Nov. 6, 2024
    We had struggled with our dogs behaviors and patience for years, but we never reached out looking for a professional training program. After having our training the dogs obedience, socialization, consistency, and behavioral issues had all drastically improved. The pulling, barking, and aggression all were handled. I would highly recommend this training to anyone with even a sight curiosity of dog training improvement!
  • Daniel Israel
    Nov. 3, 2024
    Chaos is definitely calming down. And he’s a different German Shepherd than back when we started the training! He’s very smart and learns quickly. Elite dog training has given us some excellent methods for controlling his behavior
  • Lena Jones
    Oct. 25, 2024
    Josephine is amazing! We started working with her when our boy Benny was just six months old. He was a rescue and the unknown carried with the “pit mix” name was something we took very seriously. Not only was she reassuring that she would help us create a happy environment for our three boys but also to made sure that Benny stayed safe and happy! Together we researched his breed and learned about his temperament as we navigated his training. She was so helpful, reassuring, and answered any call or text whenever we had questions! A year later, Benny is still training with Josephine and continues to amaze us with not only how smart he is, but how loving and sweet he is to any and all that meet him! We had an instance a few weeks ago that left me with some questions. As soon as I texted Josephine, she called me a few minutes later and helped me solve the issue and connected me to other great resources! Her wealth of knowledge is priceless! We highly recommend Josephine and her team for dog training (and human training)!
  • Krissy Weinhardt
    Sep. 30, 2024
    Josephine has been absolutely fantastic to work with! She has given us the tools to help our dogs become the best versions of themselves. The difference in just 4 sessions has been night and day for these dogs, we love practicing and working with them every day to get better. Our dogs were very reactive on leash and now family walks are much more enjoyable! Highly recommend taking the time and effort to work with her, she is wonderful!
  • Dwight Divine
    Oct. 11, 2024
    My daughter has a pure bred Corgi. She recently moved into a condo. She brought her dog to live there. She constantly barked The dog was not going to able to stay there. The dog is currently staying at our house. We decided to get a trainer She had several issues. She constantly barked, She jumped on anyone who came into the house and she was aggressive towards other dogs when she was being walked even though she likes other dogs We called and met with Josephine. We decided to give a try. She is making progress we did not think was possible. We have not finished the training but we are happy with the results so far. She still has a ways to go but we think she will continue to make progress and that will be able to live with our daughter. Josephine is very kind and patient and she knows what she is doing.
  • Randy Lebowitz
    Jun. 16, 2024
    Josephine is an awesome dog trainer. She is very easy going and really knows how to not only communicate with our dog, but even more important with the owners. Throughout the process, she’s not only teaching the dog what to do but teaching the dogs owners how to continue the training process, which is probably the most important part of this journey. Our 22 month old Bernadoodle has really progressed amazingly well over just 4 or 5-1 hour sessions. We have also put in the work necessary to make this successful and are constantly hearing comments about how well-behaved our puppy is. I highly recommend Josephine and Dog training elite to anyone Who has not made the commitment to train and learn the follow up for having a well-trained dog
  • Tina Donahue
    Jun. 1, 2024
    We got a rescue puppy who ended up being a completely different mix than we thought. We thought he was a small breed but ended up being a German Shepard/boarder collie mix and was timid and aggressive with age. I was feeling completely helpless and really didn’t think we could keep him but I wanted to try one more thing. Josephine came to our house and as much as she taught him, she taught me more. He gained respect for my authority and I gained control. I no longer have any fears from him! We have had parties with 20 people, multiple different dogs in and out of the house, doors left open and more. We are now confident he can be a part of our family forever. ❤️
  • Todd Morey
    Apr. 23, 2024
    Great so far, lots of progress with my German Shepherd. Excited to see how this develops going forward.
  • MB Davis
    Apr. 17, 2024
    I can’t say enough about Josephine, Gracie and Dottie! Josephine is helping us with our two little pups that we adopted during Covid. They are loving little guys, but were totally out of control whenever company came over or someone came to the door. So much so, that we would have to put them in a bedroom just to open the front door ! They were over excited to greet guests, jumping , barking for attention - absolute chaos! With Josephine’s help - we are able to control them so much better and they are more relaxed when company is over. They are definitely a work in progress, but in a short few weeks we have seen such an improvement in both of them !! I highly recommend Josephine for your dog training needs - you won’t be disappointed!
  • roger lawrence
    Apr. 16, 2024
    We have Cavaliers. Both reactive and one in particular, a large male, demanding and at times quite annoying. That was before a chance meeting with Josephine and her dogs Gracie and Dottie at the Wellington Amphitheater, after which we signed both Cavs up for training with Elite. After a few weeks with Josephine there is a marked difference in obedience and behavior allowing us more freedom to enjoy our pups. In the past we could not walk them if other dogs were around as they wound act like the hounds from hell. Now they pay attention to us and can remain calm which was the number one goal we had with the training. Importantly, the training is probably as much training us as it is our Cavs, but together we have learned how to drastically improve our dog owning experience, keeping all the good that comes with it and filtering out the bad. Josephine has the tools, techniques and knowledge that made it happen. We did not believe it could. But it did! Thank you.
  • Kayla Rogers-Callaghan
    Mar. 28, 2024
    Josephine is just the sweetest! She has done amazing work with our dogs and we are so grateful. We have 3 rambunctious pups (different sizes and different breeds) who don’t normally warm up to people quickly but they felt right at ease with Josephine. She treats them as if they are her own and I couldn’t be more appreciative. Everyone should sign up with Josephine! 😊
  • Lauren Schwal
    Mar. 13, 2024
    I was very nervous but Josephine explained everything and I was much calmer. She was able to work with me when we had to individualize my beagle's training regimen. Thank you!
  • Sandra Hoesley
    Mar. 9, 2024
    Josephine has done a great job in helping us train Dolly.. She is patient, soft spoken but provides us with the tools and lesson plans to train our puppy.. Walking was incredibly difficult with Dolly pulling and barking at other dogs and bikers… After one lesson, she is heeling, not barking or pulling !!
  • Danielle Jacobs
    Feb. 20, 2024
    Josephine is a great trainer. She really connects with the dogs and teaches you how to do the same. I loved the convenience of having her come to us for weekly appointments. She is extremely knowledgable and patient. Unfortunately we had to head back up north and could not spend more time or join a group. Thank you! Danielle and Leroy Brown
  • Thomas Carpenter
    Feb. 14, 2024
    We have a golden retriever. 4 years old. We had behavioral issues with her. She would pull on the leash and go after bicycles ect. My wife called the dog trainer to train our dog to correct the issues. We bought her best program and she met with us weekly . She sits, lays, heals, and comes to me on comand. Also she can stay in place when people come over instead of jumping all over them. We are now educated in what to do going forward and will continue to use her expertise in the future.
  • George Leef
    Feb. 10, 2024
    I've been working with Josephine on training my Shih-poo Louis. He was very willful when we started, pulling on the leash when we went for walks and barking incessantly when he heard the doorbell or any noise outside. He's gotten much better with the pulling and although he will still start barking when he heard a noise, he'll quite down when I tell him to stop. I'm very pleased with the progress he's made. Highly recommend if you have a dog with annoying or troublesome behaviors.
  • Alberto Pavon
    Nov. 22, 2023
    If you are looking for a dog trainer that is extremely knowledgable, will work with your schedule, and genuinely cares about the well-being of your pup, please look no further than working with Josephine! For context, my wife and I are out of the house for most of the day all week, and we quickly realized that our new puppy needed training. To keep it short, our evenings used to consist of coming home to a puppy who was seemingly off the rails, and we were completely overwhelmed. We found Josephine and she came for a consultation that same day which was huge because at that point we were really at our breaking point. From then on, our lives completely changed. She quickly identified actionable steps for us and enrolled us in the plan that she thought would fit our wants and the needs of our dog. She also did this in the calmest manner, and we left that consultation feeling excited for the future of us and our dog. Now, our evenings consist of coming home to a routine and a puppy who is thriving on that routine! We are now able to do things that I never thought would be possible, like grabbing a late night snack at the local diner and having our dog laying down next to us completely calm! We are eventually working towards having our dog trained to being off-leash reliable, and I am genuinely convinced that with Josephine's guidance our dog will get there! I cannot thank DTE for all of the support they have given us. I would recommend them to anyone with any type of dog!
  • Emily Rivas
    Nov. 22, 2023
    Josephine has been HANDS-DOWN the best investment that I have ever made! If you have a large breed high-energy dog or are finding yourself in the middle of the "puppy blues", I strongly urge you to look no further than Josephine as your dog trainer! As a brand new dog owner to a 6 month old German Shepard/Husky mix, I quickly became overwhelmed with all of the conflicting information available online about how to properly train your dog. Therefore, when searching for a dog trainer, I knew I needed someone who would not only train my dog, but also educate me on how to coexist and grow with my dog. I wanted someone who would work in partnership with me, give me lifelong skills, and see the bigger picture. Josephine not only exceeded this expectation, but also exceeded all of my other expectations! My dog Rocky immediately warmed up to Josephine, as she had a calm but strong presence about her. He thoroughly enjoyed the training sessions because he was always actively learning and bonding with us! As a German Shepard/Husky mix, this was a dream come true for Rocky! Within weeks, it was as if we had a completely different dog! Rocky was actively looking for ways to apply his new skills, and eventually, we had a new language in the house that was understood by us as his owners, and Rocky. This tremendously helped our relationship and transformed our house. Before training, we were inconsistent on expectations for Rocky. We were also lost on how to mentally stimulate him, and did not know how to communicate to him that certain behaviors were not what we wanted (stealing socks, jumping on guests, pulling on the leash, reactive towards other dogs). After training, I could drop a sock or shoe in front of Rocky and he wouldn't flinch, he knows to stay in "place" when guests come over, and our walks are actually enjoyable because he remains in a "heel" position until we give him the okay! Rocky can even ride up the elevator in our apartment building with another dog inside with him and remain completely calm! To anyone thinking about training, I would strongly urge you to use Dog Training Elite! I know trusting a new person with your fur baby can be scary, but I can honestly say that I will be enrolling any future dogs with them without hesitation. It is to the point where I have had neighbors who I have never spoken to before come up to me and praise Rocky for being so well-mannered. They truly saved my relationship with my dog and that is something that I can never repay them for!
  • Christina La
    Nov. 18, 2023
    Josephine was amazing with my Layla. Layla is a silver lab and was horrible on the leash. She has become a wonderful listener and walking buddy. 100% worth every penny.
  • Joely Tangarife
    Nov. 9, 2023
    Before training it was chaos. Panda was out of control, bad behavior, super noisy, bad with guests, our property manager gave us a warning letter with a notice regarding his disruption to peace with the neighbors. We knew we had to do something fast. So we contacted Dog Training Elite and started the program. Now I’m proud that I can socialize with people and not having my dog bothering anyone. We can go out now and we can stop his behavior before it starts. Everyone who knew him before training noticed the big change in Panda. Thank you Josephine & Gracie.
An obedient dog in a fran_territory_name} emotional support dog training program.

Benefits of Therapy Dogs

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Therapy dogs have a profound impact on individuals’ emotional and physical well-being. Research demonstrates that therapy dogs can improve a patient's mood, reduce stress, and even lower pain levels during hospital stays or medical treatments. Their calming presence provides comfort and relief in challenging moments.

Children, in particular, often respond well to therapy dogs. The companionship and playful interaction of a therapy dog can motivate children to engage more fully in treatments, helping them overcome fear or reluctance. With a therapy dog by their side, children tend to feel more optimistic and less anxious.

Beyond medical settings, therapy dogs also foster social interaction, especially in autism and mental health communities. These dogs offer non-judgmental companionship and serve as a bridge for individuals who may struggle with social connections. By reducing feelings of loneliness and anxiety, therapy dogs offer their owners comfort and companionship that enhances the overall quality of life.

A therapy dog handler with their dog trained by Dog Training Elite Palm Beach County.

Therapy Dog Handlers

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If you’ve ever wanted to make a meaningful impact in your community, becoming a therapy dog handler offers a unique opportunity to do so alongside your dog. You can choose where to volunteer based on your interests, such as schools, hospitals, or senior living centers.

Once you’ve decided, therapy dog training is the next step. Dog Training Elite Palm Beach County’s expert trainers will help your dog master essential behaviors like loose-leash walking, “leave it,” and not jumping on people. After completing training, you can apply for therapy dog certification, but it’s essential to keep up with ongoing training to ensure your dog remains well-behaved and ready to assist.

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A fully trained service dog from Dog Training Elite Palm Beach County.

West Palm Beach / Boca Raton Emotional Support Dog Training

Why Choose DTE for Therapy Dog Training?

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At Dog Training Elite Palm Beach County, our training programs prepare your dog for real-world situations where their presence can provide emotional support and comfort. Beyond just obedience, our training teaches your dog how to handle stressful or highly stimulating environments like hospitals, schools, or nursing homes.

We also place a strong emphasis on socialization and adaptability, making sure your dog can confidently engage with people of all ages and backgrounds. Therapy dog work requires attentiveness and empathy, and our training helps your dog develop these traits. With a foundation of trust, consistency, and patience, your dog will be fully equipped to offer comfort and companionship wherever it’s needed.

A group of dogs being trained by the expert team at Dog Training Elite Palm Beach County.
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ESA vs. Therapy vs. Service Animals

What's the Difference?

Animals that provide assistance and companionship can be classified into three main groups: service animals, emotional support animals (ESAs), and therapy animals. Each has different responsibilities, training requirements, and legal protections. Knowing the differences can help you choose the right type of support for a disability, emotional needs, or therapy purposes.

Here are the defining features of each type:

Service animals are trained to help individuals by performing tasks that meet their specific needs, such as:

  • Redirecting attention when an individual is beginning to feel overstimulated
  • Reminding owners to take medication
  • Waking someone who is having a nightmare

Service dogs are highly valued in the mental health and disability community and are protected under ADA laws, allowing them to accompany their owners anywhere. At DTE, we provide specialized training for service dogs that assist individuals with autism, diabetes, and PTSD.

The key difference between ESAs, therapy dogs, and service dogs is that service animals are protected by the Americans with Disabilities Act. This means they are allowed to go anywhere their owner goes. ESAs and therapy dogs do not have the same protections as service dogs, and public places can set their own rules about allowing them.

ESAs are prescribed by licensed mental health professionals to help individuals with mental health conditions such as anxiety or depression. These animals provide emotional support simply by being a comforting presence. Unlike service dogs, ESAs are not trained to perform specific tasks related to their owner's condition.

ESAs can be of any breed or age, and while they do not require the same level of training as service dogs, many owners choose to seek additional training. This can help strengthen the bond between the owner and the animal and improve the ESA's ability to provide consistent emotional support in different situations.

Therapy animals provide comfort and emotional support to individuals in need. They are not trained to assist a single person but are instead taught to be well-behaved and sociable around various groups of people. These animals help reduce stress, anxiety, and loneliness for those they visit.

Unlike service animals, therapy animals are not required to perform specific tasks. Their calming presence is what makes them valuable in therapeutic programs.