Therapy Dog Training For South Florida
A Therapy Dog is a Pet that is Certified or Registered AND INSURED with an organization and INVITED into a place to engage children or adults.
If you are looking for Therapy Dog Training in the Broward (South Florida) area,
I can help – Contact Me Now!
I’ve been a Therapy Dog Handler since 2014 and doing dog training since 2019. I can help with all the basics of Therapy Dog Training and Advanced Therapy Dog Training you need for your qualified dog to become a successful Therapy Dog Team.
I can help with:
- Explaining the different activities for a Therapy Dog
- Preparing for the Canine Good Citizen Test
- Giving the test for the Canine Good Citizen Test
- Explain the differences between different Therapy Dog Organizations
I can explain the initial process and basics of what a Therapy Dog is, what they do and the most popular qualifications including some of the major and locate Therapy Dog organizations with offices in Broward. My favorite local organization is Canine Assisted Therapy (catdogs.org) located in Oakland Park (Fort Lauderdale, FL). If you are new to the activity, they are a great place to start.
Not all dogs are qualified to become Therapy Dogs, but there are so many different types of TD activities that you can usually find a place that would work for most dogs that can pass the minimum requirements.
Tom Savoca, Margate, FL
South Florida is a great place for dogs. The region has year-round sunny weather, which is perfect for pets that like to play outdoors. Additionally, there are many parks and outdoor spaces that welcome dogs, including dog-friendly beaches. The region also has a strong community of pet lovers, including many dog owners who enjoy socializing and spending time with their furry companions.
Tom Savoca, the owner of Dog Training Does Matter, is a well-respected dog trainer in South Florida. He offers a range of services designed to help dogs of all ages and breeds become well-behaved and obedient. Savoca’s training methods are based on the latest research in canine behavior and are designed to promote positive reinforcement and improve the bond between owners and their pets.
Overall, South Florida is a great place for dogs because of its warm climate, plentiful outdoor spaces, and strong community of pet lovers. With the help of trainers like Tom Savoca, dogs in South Florida can receive the training they need to become well-behaved and obedient pets.
Understanding the difference between a service dog and a therapy dog is extremely important, especially for dog owners who are considering advanced training or specialized roles for their dog. While both types of dogs provide meaningful support to people, they serve very different purposes, have different legal rights, and require different types of training.
A service dog is individually trained to perform specific tasks for a person with a disability. These tasks are directly related to that person’s needs. Examples include guiding someone who is visually impaired, alerting a person to a seizure or medical episode, retrieving items, providing mobility support, or interrupting behaviors related to conditions like PTSD. Service dogs are protected under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), which allows them to accompany their handler in public places where pets are normally not allowed. The key point is that a service dog is working for one specific individual and performs trained, task-based assistance.
A therapy dog, on the other hand, is trained to provide comfort and emotional support to many different people in a variety of settings. Therapy dogs visit hospitals, schools, nursing homes, first responder events, and community programs. Their role is not to perform specific tasks for one person, but to offer calm companionship, reduce stress, and bring a sense of peace to those they interact with. Therapy dogs must have excellent temperament, strong obedience, and the ability to remain calm and neutral in a wide range of environments.
The biggest difference between the two is purpose. A service dog works for one person and performs specific, trained tasks related to a disability. A therapy dog works with many people and focuses on emotional comfort and positive interaction. Because of this, service dogs have legal access rights, while therapy dogs do not have the same public access privileges unless invited to a specific location or program.
The training requirements also differ. Service dog training is highly specialized and task-specific, often taking a long time to develop reliability in real-world situations. Therapy dog training focuses heavily on temperament, social stability, obedience, and the ability to handle different environments calmly and confidently.
At Dog Training Does Matter, serving the Margate, Coral Springs, and Coconut Creek areas, we help owners understand these differences and guide them in the right direction for their goals. We can assist with the foundational aspects of service dog training, particularly environmental exposure. This includes teaching dogs to remain calm, focused, and neutral in public settings, around distractions, and in real-life environments—an essential building block for any potential service dog.
Where we truly excel is in therapy dog training. We specialize in developing the calm demeanor, reliable obedience, and social confidence required for therapy work. From controlled exposure to different environments to teaching polite greetings and emotional stability, we help prepare dogs to succeed in real-world therapy settings.
If you’re considering training your dog for a special role, it’s important to choose the right path and the right type of training. Whether your goal is a well-behaved companion, a therapy dog, or the early stages of service dog work, Dog Training Does Matter can help you build the foundation your dog needs to succeed.