Tyrone Public Schools I053

Begin by reaching out to local area breeders, explaining the purpose and use for the dog. In many cases the breeders would be interested in donating due to the use. Remember the school district can provide a tax receipt for tax donation purposes. The Goldendoodle is a great selection for a therapy dog due to the fact that they are highly social and extremely smart. They are great choices for allergy sufferers due to their non/low shedding coats. No dogs are truly hypoallergenic, but goldendoodles tend to shed less and be less reactive than most breeds.

The breed of Goldendoodle was selected early on in this idea of a school therapy dog. Goldendoodles are a specialty breed of a golden retriever and a standard poodle. By combining these breeds you produce a highly intelligent, great companion dog with a cheerful, calm and friendly personality. There is no dog that is truly hypoallergenic, but Goldendoodles are less likely to provoke allergic reactions than other dogs. Goldendoodles are easy to train, known to be friendly with strangers and other dogs and extremely social. When looking at dogs for the purpose of a therapy dog as opposed to a service dog you want a very social dog. When looking at dogs for therapy purposes, you definitely want the most social you can find.

After you receive the dog, reach out to local veterinarians in the area. They are more than willing to in most cases to sponsor the school dog.

When looking into liability insurance, check your district liability insurance. Most districts currently have coverage without even realizing it. That can be verified with your district insurance agent. Separate policies can be purchased for 175.00 annually through Petcare Affiliates Insurance that provide a 2 million dollar policy. Once the dog is certified through the Alliance of Therapy Dogs, a 2 million dollar policy is included in the annual membership.

Research training facilities in your area that adapt to what your schools needs are. There are many training facilities that offer weekly trainings to attend. That option is more reasonably priced but takes longer to achieve certification. Legacy will receive her training from Spirit Dog Ranch in Tulsa by utilizing their Therapy Bootcamp Program. While the cost is higher, the dogs reside for a period of 14 days for the first bootcamp and 18 for the second bootcamp. While residing with the trainers, the dogs are being worked with constantly for that period of time. The trainers come to our school for a limited number of private trainings as well as the handlers taking the dogs to Tulsa for private trainings in public. After completing both bootcamps and all private lessons, Legacy will attend two 6 week training courses for advanced therapy and Click N Treat. Upon completion of both, she will be tested and certified through the Canine Good Citizen Test. Once she passes, certification for Alliance of Therapy Dogs can occur.

We have already had a tremendous outpouring of support and help. The sponsors below have helped make this possible