What Do Therapy Dogs Do?
By Laura Trapani, LCSW Mar 12, 2025
Meet “Link” the Therapy dog for TherapyLink
Link the Therapy Dog, is a Cavapoo (Cavalier King Charles/ Poodle mix) He weighs about 40 lbs and is about 1.5 years old. Having him join you for a therapy session is a choice you make as a client. He is happy to come to work but also enjoys a day at home napping if you are not a dog person. He does not shed, and is a very hypoallergenic breed. This bread was chosen for our first Therapy Dog at TherapyLink because they are known to be “cuddle dogs”. Link will enjoy sitting on the couch next to you or at your feet during a session. He can always be found in the office somewhere during virtual telehealth sessions and has been known to walk past the camera unexpectedly.
What do Therapy Dogs Do?
A therapy dog brings comfort to those feeling anxious, depressed or stressed. Some therapy dogs go into schools or hospital settings to reduce cortisol spikes in patients and students in distress. A therapy dog might even sit with children with disabilities and teach them how to practice good hygiene like brushing hair and even brushing teeth. A gentle therapy dog can help students notice how their energy may affect the therapy dog. For example, if a student is struggling to sit still a handler may point out that the dog cannot be pet or lay down until they have a calm body. Small interactions allow for teaching students proximity and how their energy may impact those around them. If you’d like to try therapy with a therapy dog, reach out to Laura Trapani at Therapy Link Colorado to schedule an appointment today!
“Sometimes the best medicine is a dog who thinks their love can cure you.”
— Katie Baron
Why do people need service dogs?
A service dog and a therapy dog are trained differently and needed for different services. A service dog may be trained to help people with mobility issues, vision and hearing disabilities, and medical alerts such as a change in blood sugar in a diabetic. A therapy dog is not necessarily trained to help perform common daily tasks or recognize when a medical problem may arise. Many therapy dogs help individuals with PTSD by knowing common triggers and providing comfort and support. Freedom Service Dogs, here in Colorado, is an amazing organization that provides service dogs to a variety of individuals in need. Sometimes those service dogs may not be built for a service job and they are great candidates for a therapy dog position. Some therapy dogs may be trained to retrieve tissues when prompted if a client is crying, or may know basic commands like “go say hi” or know to respond to the sounds of crying. If you would like to see what Link can do during your session, please indicate that you would like him present when scheduling your appointment at TherapyLink.
How are therapy dogs trained
A therapy dog is trained to pass the following 10 tests:
- Test 1 : Accepting a friendly stranger
- Test 2 : Sitting politely for petting
- Test 3 : Appearance and grooming
- Test 4: Out for a walk (walking on a loose lead)
- Test 5: Walking through a crowd
- Test 6: Sit and down on cue and stay in place
- Test 7: Coming when called
- Test 8: Reaction to another dog
- Test 9: Reaction to distraction
- Test 10: Supervised separation
Training can be done by a professional, or by the owner. The dog and owner are then able to locate an American Kennel Club near them and be tested to become a Therapy Dog. Link was professionally trained by Blackpaw Dog Training in Colorado. Bernadette and her team did an amazing job training Link, who they reported was an easy boy to train!
Therapy Dog Benefits
The benefits of Therapy Dogs are endless. Petting a dog releases oxytocin in the brain which is our “love” hormone. Studies have shown that petting a dog or sitting with a beloved pet can decrease blood pressure. Naturally, uncomfortable feelings may arise in therapy. When someone is not used to speaking about difficult topics, sitting with a dog helps lessen the heavy feelings that are associated with therapy. Past traumas being discussed can bring up a variety of symptoms in a client, a therapy dog can help bring that client back to the present moment and decrease physiological symptoms of stress response.
For any inquiries on working with our Therapy Dog, please contact:
Laura Trapani
Info@therapylinkcolorado.com
