Therapy and Facility Dogs.
How trained dogs support people in care, schools, hospitals and beyond.
Therapy dogs and facility dogs bring trained, calm support to people across a wide range of settings. This is everything you need to understand how they work, who they help, and how they differ from assistance dogs.
A therapy dog visits people in hospitals, care homes, schools and other settings - working alongside a handler to provide comfort, calm and connection. Unlike assistance dogs, therapy dogs don't live with the person they support. They visit, and then go home.
A facility dog goes further. Embedded with a professional - a counsellor, a courthouse coordinator, a school therapist - a facility dog works within that professional's ongoing role, supporting multiple people over time. The distinction matters because the training, the deployment and the relationship look quite different.
New to therapy and facility dogs? Begin with these.
Three articles that explain what therapy and facility dogs are, how they differ, and what makes a programme work.
Therapy dogs in hospitals, schools, care homes and more.
Trained therapy dogs support people across a wide range of settings. Here's what the evidence shows and how programmes actually work.
Facility dogs - embedded, professional, purpose-built.
Facility dogs work within a professional's role - in courthouses, hospitals, schools and workplaces. These articles explain what they are and how they differ from therapy dogs.
What does the research actually say?
The human-animal bond is well-studied. Here's what the evidence shows about why therapy dogs work.
Therapy and facility dogs in India - an emerging opportunity
India has hospitals, schools, rehabilitation centres and courts that could benefit enormously from structured therapy and facility dog programmes. Almost none exist yet. HeartDogs is building the foundation.
HeartDogs trains dogs for both assistance and therapy roles - including placement with institutions.
If you represent a hospital, school, care centre or institution, we'd like to talk about what a HeartDogs placement could look like.