Resources

Standards and Best Practices in Animal-Assisted Interventions

• International Association of Human-Animal Interaction Organizations (IAHAIO)

  • IAHAIO White Paper: Definitions for Animal Assisted Intervention and Guidelines for Wellness of Animals Involved

• Animal Assisted Intervention International (AAII)

• Standards of Practice in Animal-Assisted Interventions (Pet Partners)

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Training Resources

• Heeling House in Sterling, VA offers preparatory classes for therapy dog work

• Your Dog’s Friend in Rockville, Maryland offers training classes and free webinars

• Humane Rescue Alliance in Washington, DC offers therapy dog preparatory classes (on hold until 2024)

• Humane Domain in Mariottsville, MD offers therapy dog with AKC CGC classes

• Mount Vernon Dog Training Club in Alexandria, VA offers Basic II/AKC CGC classes

• Patrick's Pet Care in Washington, DC offers both an AKC GCG test as well as a class bundle
   

Learn more about the AKC Canine Good Citizen (CGC) test and/or find an evaluator.

If you have trouble locating an evaluator, you can email the AKC for help finding one. 

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Teaming with your dog in animal-assisted activities

• Highly recommended for prospective and current PAL handlers: Teaming With Your Therapy Dog by Ann R. Howie

• Therapy Dogs Today: Their Gifts, Our Obligation by Kris Butler

• Becoming a Therapy Dog Team: Guidance and Advice by Katha Miller-Winder, Ph.D.

• Definitions (AAII)

 

Professional Development in Human-Animal Interactions (HAI) and Animal-Assisted Interventions (AAI)

• Institute for Human-Animal Connection

• Society for Companion Animal Studies

• Human Animal Bond Research Institute

• American Psychological Association-HAI section - (free to join)

• Association of Animal-Assisted Intervention Professionals

 

Your dog and you

• Inside of a Dog and other materials by Alexandra Horowitz, scientist, author, audio storyteller, and Senior Research Fellow at the Dog Cognition Lab at Harvard

• Bones Would Rain From the Sky - Deepening Our Relationships With Dogs by Suzanne Clothier

 

Canine Body Language

• Canine “consent test,” aka “Does Your Dog REALLY Want to be Petted?”

• Animal behavior resources from artist Lili Chin

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• Good Dog! - Kids Teach Kids About Dog Behavior and Training by Evelyn Pang & Hilary Louie

• Pet, Pat, Pause - teaching kids (and adults) how to greet a dog

 

Humane Education

• RedRover offers a training program and curriculum to be used in classrooms to teach children empathy and compassion for each other and animals

• HEART provides humane education resources for teachers and communities

 

Additional therapy dog groups

• AKC Recognized Therapy Dog Groups

• Alliance of Therapy Dogs - Nationwide

• National Capital Therapy Dogs, Inc - Washington DC, Baltimore, eastern MD, southern VA, Delmarva region

• Pets on Wheels - Maryland

• Pet Partners - Nationwide

• Therapy Dogs International - Nationwide