Therapy dogs are more than just friendly pets — they are trained companion animals who help people feel calmer, more connected, and supported. In this guide, we’ll explore everything UK readers need to know.
What is a Therapy Dog
A therapy dog is a specially trained pet dog that offers unconditional love, comfort, and support to people of all ages. They help those facing emotional challenges, recovering from a difficult surgery or bad accident, or living with conditions such as Alzheimer’s disease or autism. These dogs may visit patients in hospitals, sit with children in schools so they can read aloud, or help adults improve social skills and communication skills.
Therapy dogs are part of animal assisted therapy and animal assisted interventions, which aim to improve mental health, boost social interactions, and lower stress. Unlike assistance dogs or service dogs, therapy dogs do not have legal public access rights under the UK’s Equality Act 2010. This means they can only visit public places like schools, nursing homes, or care facilities when invited. Most therapy dogs are well behaved, calm, and happy to accept strangers hugging them. They enjoy meeting young people, adults, and even large groups, adapting to new environments at their own pace.
Types of Therapy Dogs
Therapy dogs can work in different ways, each bringing unique benefits in animal therapy:
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Therapeutic visitation dogs – The most common in the UK. Handlers take their own pet dog to hospitals, schools, and nursing homes for short therapy visits. These visits help lower anxiety, offer emotional support, and create positive social interactions.
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Animal assisted therapy dogs – These dogs work alongside healthcare professionals during a therapy session. They may help a patient recover after a bad accident, improve mobility after difficult surgery, or rebuild confidence after trauma.
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Facility therapy dogs – Often based full-time in care facilities, especially nursing homes, they provide regular comfort for residents, particularly those with Alzheimer’s disease.
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Reading therapy dogs – Specially trained to sit calmly while reluctant readers or children read aloud, improving confidence and communication skills.
From easing anxiety to lowering blood pressure, these dogs focus on wellbeing, offering many benefits to patients and communities across the UK.
Best therapy dogs
The best therapy dogs are not chosen purely by breed, but by their temperament and ability to handle a variety of environments. the best therapy dogs share the same traits:
1. Calm, gentle, friendly, and enjoys being around people of all ages.
2. They should be able to accept strangers hugging them, stay relaxed in busy public places, and adapt to situations like visiting a hospital ward.
3. therapy dogs shpuld be healthy, well behaved, and trained to perform specific tasks.
4. Calm and gentle around wheelchairs, crutches, and medical sounds.
5. Well behaved in crowds; steady with sudden noise after a bad accident or on a busy ward.
6. Enjoy handling and can accept strangers hugging or touching their paws or ears.
7. Happy to work at the own pace of adults, children, or young people.
8. Comfortable ignoring food, tubes, and clinical kit; able to settle on a mat during a therapy session.
While most dogs can be trained for therapy work, certain common breeds are naturally suited for animal assisted therapy due to their personality and love for people. Popular choices in the UK include Golden Retrievers, Labrador Retrievers, Cavalier King Charles Spaniels, and Poodles (including smaller sizes for visiting in tight spaces). These dog breeds tend to be easy to train, affectionate, and have the patience required for therapy visits.
What Kind of Dogs Can Be Therapy Dogs
Therapy dogs come in all shapes, sizes, and breeds — even mixed breed pet dogs can qualify. The most important factors are temperament, health, and suitability for therapy work.
A suitable therapy dog should be:
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Calm and gentle – able to relax in busy or unpredictable environments.
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Social and confident – enjoying social interactions with children, adults, and elderly patients.
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Healthy and well cared for – meeting the Animal Welfare Act 2006 standards for the Five Welfare Needs.
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Well trained – able to follow basic commands, walk nicely on a lead, and accept handling from strangers.
Not every dog is suitable. Dogs that are fearful, overly excitable, or aggressive may find therapy visits stressful and could cause emotional challenges for patients.
Even cats and other companion animals can sometimes take part in therapy work, but dogs remain the most common choice for animal assisted programmes in the UK.
Benefits of Therapy Dogs
Therapy dogs offer many benefits for patients, children, and adults alike. Scientific studies have shown that animal assisted therapy can:
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Lower blood pressure and reduce stress through calming physical contact.
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Improve mental health by reducing feelings of anxiety and loneliness.
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Help with recovery from difficult surgery or injury by encouraging gentle movement and boosting motivation.
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Enhance social skills and communication for people with autism or after a bad accident.
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Provide comfort for young people and adults during emotionally challenging times.
Therapy dogs are also known to bring less pain perception for patients during hospital stays, create more positive attitudes among healthcare professionals, and make therapy sessions more engaging. For children, reading to a dog can improve confidence and turn learning into a fun activity.
Whether it’s lowering blood pressure, encouraging social interactions, or simply providing unconditional love, therapy dogs make a real difference to people’s health and wellbeing in the UK.
How Therapy Dogs Boost Your Health
Therapy dogs don’t just make you smile — they can actually improve your health. Studies on animal assisted therapy show that spending time with calm, gentle therapy animals can lead to real changes in the body and mind.
Key benefits include:
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Lowering blood pressure and heart rate — Gentle stroking triggers the body’s relaxation response, which can reduce stress.
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Reducing anxiety and depression — People facing emotional challenges often feel more at ease during therapy sessions.
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Encouraging movement — Light activity, like walking or grooming the dog, helps with gentle exercise, especially after difficult surgery.
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Improving communication skills — For young people or adults with autism, a dog can be the bridge that starts conversation and builds social skills.
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Providing support for conditions like Alzheimer’s disease — Familiar therapy visits can help reduce agitation and bring comfort.
These many benefits explain why therapy work is valued in hospitals, schools, and care settings across the UK.
Where Therapy Dogs Help
Therapy dogs (and sometimes cats) can work in many UK settings where comfort dogs and companion animals make a difference. Popular locations include:
• Hospitals and clinics: Dogs visit patients before procedures, after a bad accident, or during long stays, helping them feel supported.
• Cancer centres: Providing emotional relief during difficult surgery or treatment, not just for patients but also for healthcare professionals.
• Schools: The Pets As Therapy (PAT) Read2Dogs scheme helps reluctant readers and young people build confidence, communication skills and social interactions by reading aloud to a calm, well‑behaved dog.
• Care homes and nursing homes: Offering companionship to adults living with Alzheimer’s disease or other memory conditions.
• Rehabilitation centres – Supporting recovery from injury, illness, or emotional challenges at the patient’s own pace.
In the UK, therapy visits are usually arranged through charities like Therapy Dogs Nationwide or Pets As Therapy, ensuring the dog is trained, well behaved, and safe for public interactions. Each visit is carefully planned so the dog and patient can interact at their own pace.
Can a Therapy Dog Go Anywhere
In the UK, therapy dogs do not have the same public access rights as assistance dogs. Under the Equality Act 2010, only trained assistance dogs that perform specific tasks for people with disabilities have a legal right to enter most public places.
Therapy dogs can visit hospitals, care homes, schools, and other places by invitation. They cannot automatically accompany their owner into shops, restaurants, or on public transport unless the location has agreed to the visit.
It’s important to understand this difference so that owners don’t face disappointment or conflict when planning therapy work. If you want your dog to participate in visits, you must work with an organisation that arranges animal assisted interventions in approved environments.
How to Train a Therapy Dog
Training a pet dog for therapy work is about building the right temperament, skills, and confidence.
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Teach basic obedience – Commands like sit, stay, and come are essential.
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Socialise early – Expose your dog to children, adults, wheelchairs, walking sticks, and public places. Visit lifts, busy foyers, mobility aids, and noisy corridors at your dog’s own pace.
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Encourage calmness – Practice accepting strangers hugging and handling paws, ears, and tail. Reward gentle behaviour and discourage jumping up.
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Health first – Keep vaccinations and parasite control up to date and maintain good grooming.
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Seek professional help – If you're struggling, don't hesitate to seek out professional help from a qualified trainer or behaviourist.
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Join a UK charity for therapy work – Pets As Therapy explains the application steps (age of dog, references, assessment, volunteer contribution).
Remember, most dogs can be trained if they are healthy, friendly, and confident, but not every dog will enjoy this work — it must suit their personality.
Health, Safety & Infection Control
Therapy dog visits in the UK follow strict health and safety rules to protect patients, healthcare professionals, and animals.
Key measures include:
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Hand hygiene – Patients and staff wash or sanitise hands before and after contact.
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Veterinary checks – Dogs must be fully vaccinated, flea-free, and in good health.
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Controlled access – No visits to intensive care or infectious disease wards unless approved.
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Animal welfare – Dogs are given breaks and water, and sessions are kept short to prevent fatigue.
Following these steps keeps therapy sessions safe and enjoyable for everyone involved. UK charities provide detailed guidelines, and NHS Trusts have their own policies for animal assisted visits.
Animal Welfare First
Therapy work should never compromise a dog’s welfare. In the UK, the Animal Welfare Act 2006 requires owners to meet their pet’s Five Welfare Needs.
Practical welfare rules for therapy work:
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Ensuring they get enough rest between visits and regular water.
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Watching for stress signs and Avoid overstimulation like yawning, licking lips, or turning away.
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Skip visits if the dog is tired, unwell, on new meds, or stressed by travel.
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Keeping visits within the dog’s comfort zone and providing proper nutrition, exercise, and healthcare.
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Ensure kind handling at all times (no rough petting; teach children to ask before they touch).
Wellbeing is a priority — a therapy dog that enjoys the work will provide better support, and patients will feel the difference.
Costs, Insurance & Safeguarding
Most therapy work in the UK is done by volunteers with their own pet dog, but there are still costs involved:
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Training classes to help your dog become calm, confident, and able to accept strangers hugging them.
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Health checks and regular vet care to keep them safe for visits.
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Travel expenses to and from therapy locations.
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A small volunteer contribution to charities like Pets As Therapy or Therapy Dogs Nationwide.
Insurance is also essential. Leading charities provide public liability cover (e.g., Pets As Therapy offers £10m indemnity) for registered teams, but handlers must follow charity and site rules.
For safeguarding, many hospitals and schools require an Enhanced DBS check and an induction before therapy visits. Policies often include consent forms to make sure every patient is comfortable with an animal in the room.
By following these steps, therapy dog teams can provide support safely and confidently, helping people across the UK improve their wellbeing and quality of life.
How to Get a Therapy Dog UK
There are two main ways to have a therapy dog in the UK:
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Volunteer with your own pet dog – Train your dog, pass the temperament assessment, and join a charity.
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Request visits – Schools, hospitals, and nursing homes can apply to charities for therapy dog visits.
FAQs
How do I qualify my dog as a therapy dog in the UK?
Work with an organisation like Pets As Therapy or Therapy Dogs Nationwide. Your dog must be over 9 months old, vaccinated, healthy, and pass a temperament test.
What breed of dog is best for therapy?
Breeds like Golden Retrievers, Labradors, and Cavalier King Charles Spaniels are common, but any friendly, well behaved dog can succeed.
Who qualifies for an emotional support dog in the UK?
There is no formal UK register for emotional support animals. Unlike the US, they do not have special access rights here.
Can my dog be a therapy dog for me?
Yes, your own pet dog can give you comfort and support at home, but to take part in public therapy work, it must be registered and approved by a UK therapy dog organisation.
Conclusion
Therapy dogs bring many benefits. If you have a well-behaved, calm, and gentle dog that loves people, you could make a real difference by volunteering. If you work in a hospital, school, or care home, inviting a therapy dog team can improve the atmosphere, help patients feel supported, and even make therapy sessions more effective.
