Canine Therapy Corps - Related Organizations

Interested in Testing Your Dog?

The CANINE THERAPY CORPS Certification Test is PASS/FAIL. This means your dog must successfully complete ALL test exercises in order to become a CANINE THERAPY CORPS certified therapy dog.

Test dogs must be on a flat, buckle collar during the certification test and a six-foot lead during both the practice session and the certification test. NO training aids (collar, harness, food, clicker, etc.) of any sort may be used during the certification test, though aids are permitted during the practice session. The following collars are expressly prohibited during testing: electronic, prong, choke, and martingale/limited slip. If you have a question regarding permissible equipment, please ask.

The Handler must exhibit verbal control over the Test Dog, meaning the Test Dog responds to the Handler's voice commands - come, sit, stay, heel, down, etc. - without the necessity of using the leash, training aids or body language (hand commands excluded) to encourage the required behavior. The Handler must be upright when commanding the Test Dog.

Watch two of our dogs, Gemma and Prada, navigate the CANINE THERAPY CORPS certification test. Both videos are also posted on YouTube. Here are Gemma and her handler, CANINE THERAPY CORPS Test Evaluator Mary Dellorto, and Prada and her handler, Program Leader Michelle Schwartz, taking our test - with the help of some CTC veterans.

Gemma, our "big" dog: