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 — all the prep that makes a certifying-org evaluation a formality instead of a coin flip.

If your dog isn't suited, you'll know early — and we won't waste your money pretending otherwise. We'll redirect to better-suited goals: AKC Canine Good Citizen, advanced obedience, scent work, fun. WUDOG provides the foundation training and prep; final certification happens through established organizations like Pet Partners or the Alliance of Therapy Dogs. We get you ready for their evaluation.

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.

Prep for certifying-org evaluations

Pet Partners, Alliance of Therapy Dogs, AKC Canine Good Citizen as the foundation step. We map the prep to the test the dog will actually take.

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, scent work, fun.

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. →