Therapy Dog Training in Waterford, MI | Clever Canine Dog Training
4
National Certifications We Prep For
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Family Owned & Operated
Who This Is For

Is Your Dog Ready to Give Back?

Therapy dog work isn’t for every dog — but it might be perfect for yours. The best therapy dogs are calm, friendly, and genuinely enjoy meeting people. No previous certification required. No experience needed. No judgment.

Dog Owners Who Want to Give Back

You have a calm, people-loving dog and you’ve always thought about volunteering at a hospital, school, or senior center. This is how you start.

Educators, Counselors & Healthcare Workers

You work in a setting that could benefit from a therapy dog and you want to bring your own well-behaved dog to work — certified and ready.

Pet Owners Whose Dog Already Passed CGC

Your dog has basic obedience skills down. You’re ready for the next challenge and want a meaningful purpose for all that good training.

Families with Naturally Gentle Dogs

Your dog is naturally calm and seems to sense when someone needs comfort. We’ll channel that gift into a certified skill set.

Owners of Older, Settled Dogs

Older dogs often make exceptional therapy dogs. Calm energy, minimal reactivity, and a gentle presence are exactly what facilities want.

Anyone Who Tried Training Before Without Results

If it didn’t stick before, the approach wasn’t right for your dog — not the dog. We’ll figure out what works and build from there.

What Our Students Say

Real Teams. Real Results.

★★★★★
“Our golden, Biscuit, passed his ATD certification on the first try. The trainers helped us practice every scenario until we were both confident. The amount we learned about reading our dog was priceless.”
Sarah & Biscuit
Alliance of Therapy Dogs — Certified Team
★★★★★
“I’m a school counselor and wanted to bring my lab mix to work. They walked me through the exact Pet Partners test requirements and we passed. She visits the counseling office twice a week now.”
Amanda & Clover
Pet Partners — Certified Team, Elementary School
★★★★★
“I was nervous about the distraction tests — staggering strangers, angry voices, all of it. The trainers simulated every single one in class. By the time we tested, nothing surprised us. Passed TDI on the first attempt.”
Kevin & Remy
Therapy Dogs International — Certified Team
The Curriculum

What You’ll Work On

Our curriculum is built from the actual test requirements of ATD, Pet Partners, Love on a Leash, and TDI. Every skill we train has a direct certification payoff. Click any category to see what’s inside.

  • Sit, down, and stay on a single cue in distracting environments
  • Loose-leash walking on a flat collar or harness
  • Recall from 10 – 20 feet with distractions present
  • Supervised separation (dog left with a stranger)
  • Entering and exiting doorways calmly beside the handler
  • Walking through crowds without pulling, jumping, or shying away
  • Accepting petting from multiple people simultaneously
  • Calm response to full-body hugs and awkward handling
  • Remaining still while being examined (ears, paws, teeth)
  • Gentle treat acceptance (or polite refusal on command)
  • No jumping when greeting people of any age
  • Appropriate dog-to-dog neutrality when passing other teams
  • Response to angry or raised voices without flinching or reacting
  • Calm behavior near medical equipment (walkers, wheelchairs, crutches, IV poles)
  • Unfazed response to staggering, unusual gait, or moaning strangers
  • Leave It around food, toys, and objects dropped on the floor
  • Steady response to children at play — yelling, running, sudden movements
  • Composure on different floor surfaces (tile, linoleum, carpet, elevators)
  • Reading your dog’s stress signals in real time
  • Guiding interactions and advocating for your dog’s safety
  • Communicating with patients, residents, and facility staff
  • How to set up interactions so your dog is always positioned to succeed
  • Knowing when your dog needs a break — and how to exit gracefully
  • Handling protocol and facility etiquette
  • Mock evaluations built around the specific certification you’re targeting
  • Full run-through of ATD, Pet Partners, LOAL, and TDI test sequences
  • Practice with live evaluator scenarios: healthcare worker simulations, stranger approaches, treat refusals
  • Handler coaching on evaluator communication, body language, and timing
  • Guidance on selecting the right certification for your intended visit setting
  • Help scheduling your evaluation and navigating the registration process
Choose Your Certification Path

Four National Certifications. We Prep for All of Them.

Different facilities recognize different certifications. During your discovery call, we’ll help you choose the right one based on where you want to volunteer and what the facility requires.

ATD

Alliance of Therapy Dogs

One of the most widely recognized organizations. ATD requires 3–4 visits at medical or educational facilities before certification. Includes liability insurance and a national registry. Great choice for most hospitals and long-term care facilities.

Widely Accepted Insurance Included Supervised Visits Required
Pet Partners

Pet Partners

The gold standard for clinical environments. Pet Partners uses the YAYABA™ handler assessment, which evaluates the team together rather than just the dog. Excellent for hospitals, VA facilities, and mental health settings. Requires a background check for handlers.

Clinical Gold Standard Handler & Dog Evaluated Together Background Check Required
LOAL

Love on a Leash

AKC-recognized and widely accepted. LOAL requires two separate evaluators to sign off and a minimum of 10 supervised volunteer hours before certification. No treats during the test. Good fit for schools, libraries, and community programs.

AKC Recognized 10 Supervised Hours Required Two-Evaluator Process
TDI

Therapy Dogs International

One of the longest-running therapy dog organizations. TDI uses a rigorous 13-item test in two phases and is strict about no treats. Note: TDI has an exclusivity rule — registered dogs cannot also be registered with another therapy dog org. Great for dedicated therapy-only teams.

Rigorous 13-Item Test No Treats Policy Exclusivity Rule Applies
Not Sure Which Certification is Right for You?

During your free discovery call, we’ll ask where you want to volunteer and help you select the certification most likely to be accepted there. Most Metro Detroit hospitals and schools have a preferred organization — we’ll help you find out before you commit.

The Process

What Happens After You Call

1

Free Discovery Call (15 Minutes)

We talk through your dog’s current skill level, temperament, and where you want to volunteer. We’ll tell you honestly whether your dog sounds like a therapy dog candidate — and recommend the certification path that fits your goals and intended facility.

2

Initial Assessment

Your first session is an honest evaluation of your dog’s temperament, obedience foundation, and behavior around strangers, distractions, and other dogs. We’ll tell you where you are and what needs work before we map out the path to certification.

3

Group & Private Training Sessions

You train with us in small groups (max 6–8 dogs) with two certified trainers present. Group sessions build real-world distraction skills — you practice with other dogs, strangers, and simulated facility environments. Private sessions address your specific gaps.

4

Certification Mock Evaluations

Before you sit for your official test, we run full mock evaluations that mirror the actual certification experience — including the scenarios that trip most teams up. Most of our students have no surprises on test day.

5

Certification & Your First Visit

We help you schedule and navigate your official evaluation. Once certified, we’ll help you connect with local facilities in Oakland County and Macomb County that are actively looking for therapy dog teams.

How to Enroll

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Prefer to talk first? Schedule a free 15-minute discovery call  ·  (248) 618-3258

Common Questions

Frequently Asked Questions

Not necessarily — but your dog should have a solid obedience foundation: reliable sit, down, stay, recall, and loose-leash walking. If your dog doesn’t have those skills yet, we can build them as part of your program. For some certification tracks (like Love on a Leash), CGC is effectively required. We’ll discuss this on your discovery call.
Any breed can be a therapy dog — temperament matters far more than breed. We’ve seen golden retrievers and labs thrive, but also pit bulls, poodles, German shepherds, small mixed breeds, and more. The key traits: calm under pressure, enjoys being touched by strangers, doesn’t startle at unusual sounds or movements, and no history of aggression. If you’re unsure whether your dog is a candidate, that’s exactly what the discovery call is for.
Most teams complete the Therapy Dog Cohort in 8–10 weeks. Dogs entering with strong CGC-level obedience often test-ready within 8 sessions. Dogs that need more foundation work may take a few additional private sessions before the group course. After your initial assessment, we’ll give you a clear timeline.
That depends on where you want to volunteer. Many Oakland County and Macomb County hospitals and long-term care facilities prefer ATD or Pet Partners. Schools and libraries often accept ATD, LOAL, or TDI. We always recommend contacting your target facility before committing to a certification — and we’ll help you do that during the discovery call.
Yes — significantly. Service dogs are trained to perform specific tasks for a person with a disability and are covered under the ADA. Therapy dogs are trained to provide comfort in structured volunteer settings. They do not have public access rights under the ADA and must always be accompanied by their certified handler during visits. Therapy dog training is typically much shorter and less intensive than service dog training.
Yes — all programs offer flexible payment options. See the full details on our Therapy Dog Programs & Pricing page, or call us at (248) 618-3258 and we’ll talk through what works best for you.
We will always be honest with you. If after the initial assessment we don’t believe your dog is suited for therapy work — because of temperament, reactivity, or stress indicators — we’ll tell you directly. We’d rather be upfront than put a dog in a situation where they’re not comfortable. Not every good dog is a good therapy dog, and that’s okay.
Ready to Start?

Your Dog Has the Heart for This.
We’ll Build the Skills.

See what each program includes, check the pricing, and apply when you’re ready. No obligation to browse.

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