Therapy Dog Work
&
AKC Titles
Golden Retrievers are one of the most willing and trainable breeds and training is a way that you can spend time with your dog doing things that you both enjoy. Therapy dog work is something that Golden are wonderful at. Therapy dogs are NOT service dogs, but dogs that are well trained and go to places like hospitals, schools libraries, etc to help comfort people. Therapy dogs can visit nursing homes to cheer up residents, go to hospitals to make patients smile, or even go to the library or schools and sit with children while they read to help build confidence. There is no specific training required to be a therapy dog, just basic obedience and good socialization.
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My dogs are certified through Therapy Dogs International (TDI). More information about TDI and testing can be found here.
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Mariah loves doing therapy visits...in these pictures she is at Thompson Library at The Ohio State University helping student de-stress during finals.
In addition to therapy work Golden Retrievers excel in a variety of dog sports including Obedience, Rally, Dock Diving, Field Work, and even Agility. You can choose to train in any of these disciplines and never show or you can consider competing in AKC competitions. A great way to start out with training or competing is with a great trainer. Look for trainers that have titled dogs, contact your local kennel club, or even ask your veterinarian if they have clients that train or anyone in the office that knows a good trainer. More information on AKC events and training can be found on AKC's website here.