As a pet owner, you don't need us to convince you how wonderful dogs can be. A properly socialized dog can provide unconditional love, protection, and companionship. If you have a dog that has brought you so much joy, you may want to consider having him or her become a therapy dog.

Not to be confused with service dogs, owners bring their therapy dogs to places, such as schools, hospitals, and nursing homes to lift the spirits of other people. Service dogs on the other hand, are specially trained to help people with disabilities.

For example, a service dog would help guide a blind owner across the street, and it would navigate its owner through stores and other public establishments. Service dogs stay by their owner's side, and they have special access to places, such as on planes and at restaurants that therapy dogs do not have.

Testing Requirements to be a Therapy Dog

Since therapy dogs often visit vulnerable individuals, such the young, sick and elderly, they must meet rigorous testing before they can become certified. Here are some examples of the standard testing requirements to become a therapy dog:

• The dog must be in good health
• The dog's handler must be a person of good moral character
• The dog must be at least one year of age

One organization, Therapy Dogs International (TDI) requires that the dog passes the TDI evaluation to become a potential therapy dog.

To pass this evaluation, the dog must have had an annual check-up by their veterinarian in the past year, they must have received the mandatory rabies vaccine, a negative fecal exam and heartworm test in the past year, and received their core vaccines for distemper, parvovirus, and hepatitis.

If you're interested in becoming a therapy dog/handler team, have your pet visit a veterinarian to ensure they have a clean bill of health!