Therapy Dog Class
Pickles’ Therapy Dog classes are designed to empower you and your dog to provide much needed love and support to those in your community. Providing canine therapy to others is an honor and we can’t wait to see you and your dog bring smiles to more peoples’ faces.
We are very particular about who passes this class. Not every team will achieve certification, but we will do our best to get you to that graduation!
As with every kind of event at Pickles Playland we are not able to accept people under 21yrs old in our building. This is a state law, not our rule.
Class Details:
Duration: 5 weekly sessions. 1 hour or more per class. The 1st session is class room style with minimal dog to human interaction, on purpose, and to focus on teaching your dog to stay calmly on a target while in public.
Cost: $250 per dog
Open to: Adult dogs and puppies 6 months of age or older. Your dog must have confidently completed a basic obedience class (does not have to be through Pickles) in order to qualify for this class. This class is for pet professionals and pet parents.
Awards: Pickles Playland certificate, 5 free daycare visit package (for dogs 35lbs or less), & an amazingly well behaved dog.
Upcoming dates: Kirkland: Wednesdays April 9th - May 7th 7pm. Redmond: TBD. Issaquah: TBD.
How to register: Request via the ‘Special Services’ location in the client portal, ‘Add booking’, ‘Training’, & ‘Courses’. Or email us PicklesPlayland@gmail.com. You must have a profile in the client portal. So if you don’t yet, feel free to click the ‘Client Portal’ button above.
Skills Covered:
Introductions: (1st week)
Q&A
what it does and doesn’t mean to be a therapy dog team
identification of body language
grooming relaxation and requirements
avoiding potentially dangerous situations with medical equipment
when and how to use silent communication (we will integrate this into every class)
The basics: (2nd week)
(testing your dog on these items) basic & advanced: sit, down, off, stay, come, leave-it
you need to bring a 10-15ft leash to practice ‘come’. If you don’t have one we have some for purchase, also available at Eastside Dog & Cats Too in Redmond Town Center.
approaching or avoiding potentially ‘scary’ people, places, and things
extended eye contact
Leash manners: (3rd week)
walking on a loose leash and when to walk at your side, in front, or behind you
responding appropriately to all distractions while ‘working’
responding appropriately to untrained ‘therapy dogs’ in a public setting
navigating through crowds politely
Calmly: (4th week)
ignoring other dogs and people
being approached by out of control dogs and people
staying in one place
advanced stay without interactions
‘tucking’ into smaller spaces
Welcoming guests in your space / room: (5th week)
Test Day!
Your dog will be tested on their ability to perform SOME of the skills from class without treats. Therapy dogs need to be reliably well behaved without bribery.
What to Bring:
Your dog
A small bed, towel, or blanket (this is important for every class)
A list of questions for the Q&A session at the end of each class
A way to take notes if you’d like
A standard leash (non-retractable leashes. If you show up with a retractable leash we will not be able to proceed with that day’s training.)
Your dog’s collar or harness (harnesses are not recommended unless medically necessary)
Three types of tiny training treats (about the size of a kibble). We also have treats available for purchase if needed.
A treat bag or dispenser that clips to your pants.
For the recall class: a 10-foot leash (non-retractable)
Join us to build a strong bond with your dog and achieve certification that highlights your commitment to responsible pet ownership!
The fine print:
Therapy dogs w/ their people are called a ‘team’. This means 1 specific dog and 1 specific human have passed a class and test, which means you must come to every class together.
What will disqualify your dog? Not having any basic obedience skills, your dog should have confidently passed a basic obedience class before coming to this class. Any aggression towards people or dogs, around food or objects, and/or barking. Any jumping on people (this is something we can work on in class, but will fail them if they do it during the test).
If your dog does not pass you’re welcome to re-take the test at no additional cost, during a future class series. Just tell us that you’re coming so we can plan accordingly. You can also re-take the test if your dog does pass (this can be fun as a refresher for you and your dog).
Puppies and dogs must have at least ONE clean fecal test within the last year, TWO bordetella, TWO distemper, and ONE rabies vaccine before registering for class.
These classes are for people 21yrs+ only (it’s a state law, not ours). Please register in the client portal (see client portal button on this website) to reserve your dog’s spot in class.
Additional private sessions available upon request at $200/session. These can take place in your home, in public, or at one of the Pickles Playland locations.
Please refrain from recording our classes. The information in these classes is not widely distributed on social media and/or recorded because we have chosen not to. If you have questions or want to record a specific training technique for you and your dog we can schedule a private session to do so.
Cancelation policy: We only accept 7 dogs per class. Reservations are non-refundable for any reason. If you miss a class you can choose to schedule a private training session if you’d like, at the standard rate of $200 per private session.
