Comfort dog training is training that helps your dog become a therapy dog, providing you or others with comfort, companionship, and therapy dog assistance. If you are interested in training your dog to be a comfort dog, or you want to train a dog to act as a therapy dog for others, you may be wondering where to start and what kind of dog makes a great comfort dog.
Our article tells you more about comfort dogs, who can benefit from a comfort dog, and the basics of comfort dog training so you know where to start your comfort dog journey with your loyal pup.
What Is a Comfort Dog?
A comfort dog is a type of support animal that is trained to help perform therapy services. There is some confusion between comfort dogs and emotional support animals, as these animals can have very similar duties. However, most people recognize that comfort dogs are trained to perform therapy services, and they travel outside in public, while many ESAs stay at home with their owners and provide their benefits at home.
A comfort dog will be trained to be tolerant of people, and they will love attention and exploring new places. These dogs may perform grounding therapy, deep pressure therapy, or encourage others to play with them, boosting positive emotions and providing an enjoyable moment to those who may need it.
Is a Comfort Dog the Same as an Emotional Support Animal?
Emotional support animals (ESA) and comfort dogs are often thought of as the same thing and lovable comfort dogs can be registered as ESAs. However, there are a few differences that set emotional support animals and comfort dogs apart.
To start with, ESAs can be any type of animal, including dogs. Your emotional support animal does not need to be trained, and the only law that federally protects your ESA’s rights is the Fair Housing Act (FHA). Under this law, your emotional support animal must be accommodated and allowed to live alongside you, even if you are living in a housing complex that doesn’t typically allow pets or the kind of animal that your ESA is.
On the other hand, comfort dogs are typically trained to remain calm in the presence of new people while keeping a positive attitude and providing therapeutic benefits. This makes therapy dogs much like emotional support dogs but rather than only comforting one owner, they provide emotional support, companionship, and comfort to strangers with a handler in various settings, such as hospitals, nursing homes, schools, and disaster zones, typically by volunteering.
Who Can Benefit From a Comfort Dog?
Many different individuals may benefit from a comfort dog, as these pups provide support, companionship, and a playful energy wherever they go. If you are adopting and training a comfort dog for yourself, they can help with the symptoms of many mental health conditions, such as anxiety, depression, chronic stress, PTSD, and OCD. These dogs can be trained to perform additional tasks more related to these conditions, further solidifying their role as service dogs.
If you are adopting a comfort dog so you can provide therapy dog services outside the home, you can speak to local organizations about which facilities might accept and benefit from a comfort dog. Typically, nursing homes, hospice care facilities, children’s hospitals, and schools benefit greatly from regular visits by a comfort dog.
How Can I Get a Comfort Dog?
If you want to add a comfort dog into your life, your first step is to adopt a dog that would be a good fit for this type of role. You can adopt a smaller dog if you don’t need them to learn skills such as deep pressure therapy, though larger dogs like golden retrievers are often more sought-after for comfort dog roles.
Once you have your dog adopted, you can go through the process of training them for the skills you need. This can take several months to a year or two, depending on what you are training and how quickly your dog learns. After your dog is fully trained, you can enjoy the benefits of owning a comfort dog or start taking your comfort dog around your local area to provide helpful therapy services.
What Makes a Good Comfort Dog?
Any dog can technically be a comfort dog or be trained to work as a comfort dog, but some pups are naturally more suited for this work than others. Good comfort dogs will have the following traits:
- Your dog will have a gentle, calm, and sociable temperament
- Your dog is intelligent, willing to learn, and enjoys the process of training
- Your dog has no problem visiting new areas and interacting with new people
Keep in mind that some dogs are simply not suited for comfort dog work. They may be too reactive, or they may have experienced abuse that makes them too fearful or anxious for comfort dog work. These dogs should be given a loving home, and while they could be an ESA for you, they are not the best candidates for therapy dog work.
Comfort Dog Training: Essential Considerations for Training Your Comfort Dog
As you start to think about training your comfort dog for therapy work, it’s important to keep the following considerations in mind. These factors will help you teach your dog essential skills that can help them as they undertake therapy duties inside and outside of the home.
Socialization Training
Socialization training is one of the most important types of training for your dog, especially if you want them to be a working therapy dog outside of the home. Comfort dogs need to be able to adapt easily to new surroundings and people, and they must react well to being handled, touched, hugged, and even picked up.
Your dog must be used to people accidentally being a little too rough with them, as children interacting with a therapy dog can get excited, and they should be able to listen to your commands, even when a lot is going on around them.
You should start socialization training as young as possible by letting your dog meet new people and other dogs; work up to more complicated situations, like outdoor patios at restaurants and dog parks, as your dog becomes more socialized and more comfortable in different situations.
Canine Good Citizen Training
Canine Good Citizen training is an AKC skills test intended to help dogs master the skills they need to thrive in public and to encourage responsible dog ownership. If your dog can pass the Canine Good Citizen test, they will be well-behaved in public, responsive when you give them commands, and at a low risk for acting destructive or aggressive around others.
It’s a good idea to have your comfort dog complete this test and learn these important skills, even though it isn’t officially required as part of comfort dog training since there isn’t a governing body for therapy dogs. However, these skills can help your dog learn the basics of good manners and become suited to interacting with people every time you go into public.
Advanced Skills and Obedience
Once your comfort dog has learned the basics of manners and obedience, and they are socialized to where they can meet new people and explore new places easily, you can start to work on more advanced skills. This may include advanced obedience training to ensure your dog listens to your commands with intense distractions, like children running around or other dogs playing.
Always start small when teaching advanced skills and let your dog build on their existing knowledge; use positive reinforcement such as treats and praise when your dog does something correctly, and don’t hesitate to consult a professional if you need help with advanced comfort dog skills.
Do I Need a Professional to Help Me Train a Comfort Dog?
It is always possible to consult a professional when it comes to training your comfort dog, but it is not required for a professional to help you with your training. There is no regulated training plan or course that you will need to complete before your dog is recognized as a comfort dog, and you can train your pup to be a comfort dog by yourself.
However, if you need help teaching your dog more specialized skills or commands, or you want to make sure your puppy is properly socialized from a young age, you may want to attend local puppy obedience classes or reach out to a professional who specializes in comfort dog training for more information.
What Are Signs My Comfort Dog Is Unhappy?
When working with your comfort dog, it’s important to pay attention to their body language and signs that they are overstimulated. While most trained comfort dogs will generally not react poorly to overstimulation or annoyance, it’s important that you put your dog’s health and comfort first while they are providing therapy services to others.
If you have been working with your dog all day, make sure to take time for them to relax and take breaks. Ensure they go to the bathroom, hydrate, and have some snacks while you are out and about to keep them well taken care of.
The more you work with your comfort dog, the easier you will be able to pick up the signs that your dog needs a moment to themselves or needs a snack and water break before continuing their therapy work.
Should I Get an ESA or a Comfort Dog?
Deciding between an emotional support animal and a comfort dog is a very personal decision. You will need to take into account your treatment plan and your personal needs when it comes to owning a companion animal, and you should consider whether or not you want to bring your animal to others to help brighten their day.
If you only need a dog for your own comfort, companionship, and sense of routine, an emotional support animal is likely a much better choice. A comfort dog is a better choice if you have the time to dedicate to their training and you plan on taking your comfort dog to others for therapy services in addition to benefiting from your comfort dog around the home.
Comfort Dogs and the Benefits They Bring
Comfort dogs can be trained to work as animal therapists, often visiting hospitals or other facilities to brighten up the day of individuals receiving treatment. If you are interested in adopting a comfort dog for your own needs, or if you want to adopt a comfort dog to train and take on adventures with you, your first step is finding a dog with the right temperament and intelligence.
From there, you can undertake comfort dog training and ensure your dog has the manners and sociable nature needed to spread happiness with their presence as a therapy dog.