Therapy dog training · East Bay

Not every dog is a therapy dog. We'll tell you honestly — and train the ones that are.

In-home foundation training to prepare your dog for therapy work in the East Bay. We start with a free evaluation because the right temperament is non-negotiable — friendly isn't enough. We need calm, social, recoverable from surprise, and reliably handler-focused. If your dog has it, we'll build the foundation to bring it out.

60 seconds to start. The free in-home session is also the temperament evaluation — you'll know either way before committing to anything.

Or text Chris directly: (925) 400-8006

The honest version

The right dog is the foundation. Everything else builds on top.

Therapy dogs do real work — visiting hospitals, schools, care homes, hospice, libraries' read-to-the-dog programs, anywhere people need a calm, friendly animal nearby. The job sounds simple: be sweet, hold still, let strangers pet you. The reality is the opposite. The dog has to stay calm in a chaotic environment full of noises, smells, equipment, and people in unpredictable states.

That takes a specific temperament. Calm under novelty. Social without over-arousal. Recoverable from startle — clipboard drops, the dog resets in seconds. Handler-focused even when there's a food cart rolling by. Friendly isn't enough. Loving isn't enough. We need the whole package, and most dogs — even excellent pets — don't have it.

So we start honestly. The free in-home session is also a temperament evaluation. If your dog is suited to this work, we'll build the foundation: advanced obedience, neutrality around novelty, recovery from startle, polite greetings, manners around medical equipment and kids and elderly handlers — the foundation any therapy-dog goal is built on.

If your dog isn't suited, you'll know early — and we won't waste your money pretending otherwise. We'll point you toward better-suited goals: AKC Canine Good Citizen, advanced obedience, and everyday good manners. When therapy is the right path, WUDOG builds the foundation — the calm, obedience, and steadiness the work demands. The AKC Canine Good Citizen is a natural milestone to train toward, and if you're aiming for a particular standard, Chris will assess your dog and build a plan to help you work toward it.

Not sure which category fits? Service dog vs. ESA vs. therapy dog — the differences

What we work on

The therapy-dog foundation, in the order we usually build it.

Initial evaluation

Temperament, social tendencies, response to startle. Honest read on whether therapy work is a good fit.

Advanced obedience foundation

Bombproof sit, down, stay, recall — the prerequisites every certifying organization tests.

Neutrality around novelty

Wheelchairs, walkers, IV poles, kids' equipment — the dog learns to stay calm around things they've never seen.

Recovery from startle

Drop a clipboard. The dog resets calmly in two seconds and goes back to work. That's the standard.

Polite greetings under handler control

No jumping, no over-arousal, no nervous avoidance. Calm acceptance of a stranger's hand on their head.

Comfort across mixed environments

Hospitals, schools, care homes, hospice — different smells, different sounds, different vibes. The dog has to read all of them.

Handler-focus under distraction

Eyes on you, ignoring the food cart and the crying child and the beeping machine. The handler-dog connection has to hold under pressure.

AKC Canine Good Citizen as the milestone

The calm, obedience, and neutrality therapy work depends on — with the AKC Canine Good Citizen test as a clear goal to train toward. Aiming for a different standard? Chris will assess your dog and build the plan to work toward it.

Honest assessment if it isn't a fit

If therapy work isn't right, we'll tell you. Then redirect to goals that are — CGC, advanced obedience, and everyday good manners.

From Chris

"I won't promise to turn any dog into a therapy dog. The good ones come pre-loaded with the temperament — our job is to bring it out, not invent it. The free evaluation tells us if your dog is one of them."

— Chris · Lead trainer · WUDOG

Ready?

Let's see if your dog has what therapy work asks for.

Start with the quick assessment. Chris will text within 24 hours to schedule your free in-home consultation and temperament evaluation.

No credit card. No deposit. No obligation.

Different situation?

Pick the fit

Puppy

Got a puppy you're hoping will become a therapy dog?

We'll build the foundation now so you have options later. → Adult dog with rough edges?

Foundation obedience first

That's the prerequisite for therapy work — start there, decide on therapy later. →