Resources

Standards and Best Practices in Animal-Assisted Interventions

• Standards of Practice in Animal-Assisted Interventions (Pet Partners)

• International Association of Human-Animal Interaction Organizations (IAHAIO)

  • IAHAIO White Paper: Definitions for Animal Assisted Intervention and Guidelines for Wellness of Animals Involved

• Animal Assisted Intervention International (AAII)

• Tips & Best Practices for School Visits (PAL)

• Assistance Dogs International (ADI)

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Training Resources

• Heeling House in Sterling, VA offers preparatory classes for therapy dog work

• Your Dog’s Friend in Rockville, Maryland offers training classes and free webinars

• Humane Rescue Alliance in Washington, DC offers virtual training classes.

• Humane Domain in Mariottsville, MD offers therapy dog with AKC CGC classes

• Mount Vernon Dog Training Club in Alexandria, VA offers Basic II/AKC CGC classes
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Teaming with your dog in animal-assisted activities​

• Highly recommended for prospective and current PAL handlers: Teaming With Your Therapy Dog by Ann R. Howie

• The ABC's Of Hershey the Reading Therapy Dog Award-winning book for children and adults by Dr. Donna J. Snyder, PAL Board member and therapy handler teammate of PAL Hershey. Meet PAL Hershey and join him as he prepares for a school visit! Fun and educational, The ABC's of Hershey includes a large resource section for volunteer handlers, parents, guardians, and para-educators, with tips and best practices for reading therapy dog sessions. All proceeds to PAL. 

• Therapy Dogs Today: Their Gifts, Our Obligation by Kris Butler

• Becoming a Therapy Dog Team: Guidance and Advice by Katha Miller-Winder, Ph.D.

• Definitions (AAII)

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Professional Development in Human-Animal Interactions (HAI) and Animal-Assisted Interventions (AAI)

• Institute for Human-Animal Connection

• Society for Companion Animal Studies

• Human Animal Bond Research Institute

• American Psychological Association-HAI section - (free to join)

• Association of Animal-Assisted Intervention Professionals

 

Your dog and you

• Inside of a Dog and other materials by Alexandra Horowitz, scientist, author, audio storyteller, and Senior Research Fellow at the Dog Cognition Lab at Harvard

• Bones Would Rain From the Sky - Deepening Our Relationships With Dogs by Suzanne Clothier

 

Canine Body Language

• Canine “consent test,” aka “Does Your Dog REALLY Want to be Petted?”​

• ​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​Good Dog! - Kids Teach Kids About Dog Behavior and Training by Evelyn Pang & Hilary Louie

• Pat, Pet, Pause - teaching kids (and adults) how to greet a dog

• Calming Signals - The Art of Survival

• Animal behavior resources from artist Lili Chin

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Humane Education

• RedRover offers a training program and curriculum to be used in classrooms to teach children empathy and compassion for each other and animals

• HEART provides humane education resources for teachers and communities
   

Pet Loss/Grief

• Chicago Veterinary Medical Association offers a free hotline and online support group that meets monthly

• Friendship Animal Hospital pet loss resources

• Pet Partners loss of a therapy animal

• Coping with sudden and unexpected pet loss

• Pet Loss Support Page find support groups and counselors
   

Additional therapy dog groups

• AKC Recognized Therapy Dog Groups

• Alliance of Therapy Dogs - Nationwide

• National Capital Therapy Dogs, Inc - Washington DC, Baltimore, eastern MD, southern VA, Delmarva region

• Pets on Wheels - Maryland

• Pet Partners - Nationwide

• Therapy Dogs International - Nationwide