The Good Dog Difference

Good Dog is unique in that it does not register therapy dog teams; Good Dog teams are certified and there is an important difference between registration and certification. Good Dog is the only organization in New York City that offers true therapy team certifications. Certification means that Good Dog has fully participated in its teams’ therapy training and that Good Dog certifies that each of its teams is trained to a specific high standard. Good Dog holds its human handlers and dogs to the highest standards in the field. Good Dog’s therapy dog-handler teams undergo up to eleven weeks (with a minimum of five weeks) of Good Dog’s one-of-a-kind and copyrighted training program so that Good Dog's highly-skilled trainers may evaluate teams in a variety of settings throughout the training program.

Good Dog's partner facilities and the patients and clients that it serves are of the utmost importance. It is Good Dog's philosophy that it trains and serves teams, not just dogs, and that a true relationship with a therapy team must be established and continually evaluated over many weeks. A one-time evaluation, which cannot even grant a true certification status, is not in the best interest of the patients and clients served by Good Dog.

Once teams become certified Good Dog teams, they have the full support of Good Dog trainers and staff who coordinate therapy dog visits and maintain constant communication with its teams. Teams are also required to go through a full re-certification process every year in order to continue making animal-assisted therapy visits. This ensures that only teams who continue to meet Good Dog’s high standards are able to continue visiting people in need on official Good Dog visits.  Because Good Dog can stand behind its teams with full certification backing, it offers not only general liability insurance for the organization, but also volunteers are covered under a separate volunteer liability insurance policy while on official, pre-approved Good Dog visits.  Good Dog never requires animal-assisted therapy exclusivity from any of its facilities as it believes that there is no shortage of people in need of the love and healing of therapy dogs.

The Good Dog Foundation:

• Invests in its handlers and therapy animals by fully certifying its teams after they receive extensive therapy training from Good Dog trainers;

• Commits to the growth and development of therapy teams by providing ongoing feedback from trainers and re-certifying teams annually;

• Provides exclusive access and coordinates visits to more than 290 facilities, while under supervision;

• Places handler and therapy dog teams in facilities that cater to teams’ strengths and abilities;

• Offers specialty programs in disability assistance, disaster relief and anti-bullying;

• Advances research and promotes awareness about the benefits of the human-animal bond;

• Hosts support groups and networking events for teams to share their knowledge and experiences;

• Employs staff devoted to volunteer support; and

• Boasts the resources of the largest certifying animal-assisted therapy organization on the East coast of the United States.

For more information

The Good Dog Foundation
PO Box 1484
New York, NY 10276
Toll-Free: (888) 859-9992
Fax: (888) 861-7312
info@thegooddogfoundation.org

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