It takes hard work and commitment to become a Divine Canines therapy team, but as any of our volunteers will tell you, the reward is worth it!

Training Prerequisites

To register for Divine Canines training, your dog must have a Canine Good Citizen certificate. You can be evaluated by any of the CGC evaluators in Austin, including Divine Canines trainers, who offer CGC preparation classes through the Canine Center for Training and Behavior. More information about the Canine Good Citizen program can be found at these links;

• CGC Resources
• CGC Requirements
• CGC Evaluators

Therapy Dog Training

After passing the CGC and completing an interview with our executive director, prospective volunteers must attend our five-week training class, which prepares you for the types of clients and unique situations you will encounter during site visits. You’ll learn about working with people who may have mental and emotional differences, physical disabilities or are facing other challenges in life. Your dog will be exposed to various equipment, scenarios, and clients during training. You will be coached about how to properly handle your dog and maintain control during visits.

Divine Canines therapy dog training is offered for a $290 fee. A $100 partially nonrefundable deposit is required (after the interview with our executive director) to reserve a space in an upcoming class. A limited number of partial scholarships are available to applicants with financial need. Several training opportunities are provided each year, over five-week sessions on Saturdays.

Here are our upcoming training dates:

• Saturday, June 8 -- Openings
• Saturday, August 10 – This class is full
• Saturday, September 14 – Many openings
• Saturday, October 19 – Many openings

If your dog already has CGC certification and you would like to register for any of these classes, please Contact Us for more information.

Divine Canines suggests that volunteers with dogs make at least two visits (1-1.5 hours each) per month. This ensures that our volunteers and their dogs maintain the high level of skills they achieved in training.