I Am A Therapy Dog

You may remember that last month I took my canine good citizen and therapy dog test….and PASSED!

Ammo the Dachshund - Certified Therapy Dog

Well just last week a package from Therapy Dog International came in the mail for me! I was so excited to see that now that all the paperwork is complete, I am an official certified therapy dog.

Ammo the Dachshund - Certified Therapy Dog

Not only did I get my own id card (complete with a photo of me), but I also got some super cool gear to wear during my therapy dog visits.

Ammo the Dachshund - Certified Therapy Dog

The bandana and id tag seem to be made for dogs much bigger than me, but I’m pretty sure what I can’t make up for in size, I can certainly make up for in personality.

Ammo the Dachshund - Certified Therapy Dog

I am a Therapy Dog – and proud of it! Ammo the Dachshund

Therapy Dog Harness

One of the rules when taking your Therapy Dog Test through TDI is that dogs must be tested on a plain buckle collar or harness. Training collars, training harnesses, halties, or any other corrective training devices are not permitted during testing or visiting as a TDI-registered Therapy Dog. And on their website they make note that Therapy Dogs don’t wear vests, so as not to be confused with service dogs, and also for the fact that they cut down on the area where people can pet you.

ammo the dachshund therapy dog harness from arja's art

Even though I ended up taking my test in a plain buckle collar, mom knew that were I to become an official Therapy Dog I would need to wear a different harness when I was making visits.

ammo the dachshund therapy dog harness from arja's art

Mom ended up ordering me a custom made harness from Arja’s Art all the way in Finland!

ammo the dachshund therapy dog harness from arja's art

These harnesses come in a variety of colors that all include reflective piping with each one being handmade to your own dog’s measurements. Designed to fit any breed, they are especially great for dachshunds as they put less stress on our sensitive necks and chest.

I chose the grey color in super soft sheep napa and mom helped me get my measurements sent over to Arja.

ammo the dachshund therapy dog harness from arja's art

When my new harness arrived from Finland a couple weeks later Arja had even included a sweet little gift for me in the package. While I personally don’t have a use for a coin purse (being that I’m a dog and also I am not a girl) it was a super sweet gesture – and mom was happy to keep it for herself.

ammo the dachshund therapy dog harness from arja's art

I suggested storing cookies inside the coin purse, but mom didn’t seem too thrilled by that.

ammo the dachshund therapy dog harness from arja's art

After a week of wearing my harness out and about I’m loving it. It’s great to for the hot summer weather too as it gives me a little more breathability. I still love my custom made harnesses from Kalyxcornucopia (that I wear with my Super Hero capes), but they just won’t work as well for my therapy dog work. 

If you are interested in ordering a harness from Arja, you can check out the website and Facebook page – and they are available to ship to the US.

 

Dachshund Certified Therapy Dog

If you follow along with my adventures on Facebook, then you probably already heard that on Sunday I became a Certified Therapy Dog! Yippee!

ammo the dachshund takes his cgc and tdi tests

For the past 6 weeks I have been taking classes at the Dog Training Center of Chester County to prepare to take my Canine Good Citizen and Therapy Dog International tests. One of my goals this year was to pass both tests and my Mom was super happy when I did so on my very first try!

As you can see in my testing video I was SUPER excited to be performing. What can I say, I’m just an overly happy guy! I may have forgotten a bit of my heeling a few times, but I was just so pumped to be meeting new people.

ludwigs corner horse show

One of the hardest parts of the Therapy Dog test is to walk past a pile of cookies and not eat them! Do you know how hard that is when your nose is 2″ off the ground!? I was very tempted to eat those cookies when I walked by them in the beginning of my test, but when my Mom said leave it I happily obliged and didn’t eat a single one. (Phew, close call, because mom said I would have failed had I eaten one).

ammo the dachshund valentines day treats

Even though I’ve passed my tests, my training will never be done. Mom and I continue to take agility classes and I know I’ll never stop learning and improving. I’m excited to see what comes next for me – I just hope that for any future tests they let me wear my Super Hero Cape – because we all know I look WAY cooler with my cape on!

ammo the dachshund super hero

If you would like to check out all the requirements to pass a CGC and TDI test, you can check it out here.

P.S. Thanks to all my pals on my Facebook page who congratulated me on passing my tests, you guys totally make me blush!