Ellie’s Two-Year Therapy Dog Anniversary 🐾
Ellie is celebrating her two-year anniversary as a therapy dog! That means it’s time for us to renew our credentials through Pet Partners.
Every two years, therapy animal teams complete a renewal process. For us, that includes:
A veterinary evaluation for Ellie
An online quiz for me
An in-person “team evaluation” together
During the evaluation, Ellie will be asked to demonstrate several skills:
Sit, down, and stay on cue
Come when called
Comfortably accept petting
Those are her strong suits—she’ll be a rockstar there.
She’ll also be exposed to more challenging scenarios, like:
Receiving a hug from a stranger
Walking past someone who is unsteady
Hearing raised or angry voices across the room
One part I anticipate being tricky is right at the beginning. When we enter, I’ll shake hands with the evaluator while Ellie sits beside me. Over the past two years, she has grown very accustomed to greeting everyone she meets—so sitting calmly while not saying hello may take some extra focus!
A Quick Refresher (for Both of Us)
Although it’s not required, I’ve decided to retake the online training through Pet Partners as a refresher before our evaluation. It’s been helpful to review the material, especially since some guidelines have evolved over time.
“Can My Dog Become a Therapy Dog?”
This is one of the most common questions I get!
If you’re curious about training your own dog, Pet Partners offers helpful resources—including guidance on building a positive and successful training experience.
It’s also important to understand that animal-assisted work falls into four distinct categories:
Therapy animals
Emotional support animals
Facility animals
Assistance animals (also called service animals)
What Kind of Dog Is Ellie?
Ellie is a therapy dog, which means she provides comfort and affection to others in structured, invited settings.
Unlike service animals, therapy dogs:
Do not have public access rights
Cannot enter businesses that have “no pets” policies
Cannot fly in airplane cabins simply because they are therapy animals
Ellie is only allowed in places where she has been explicitly invited. For us, that includes my office in Jackson, Michigan—with permission from the building owners.
This can make everyday errands a bit tricky (no quick stops at the grocery store or appointments after work with her in tow), but it’s important to respect local businesses and their policies.
Practice Makes Progress
To keep Ellie sharp and confident, I maintain a list of pet-friendly locations where she can practice her manners and continue building her socialization skills.
She truly loves her work, and I’m grateful for the comfort she brings to others every day.
Wish us luck on our upcoming evaluation! 🐶💛
