Schedule & Registration   

Therapy Dog Workshops

Group Class In Person, On Zoom, or Private Lessons

Instructor: Elizabeth M. Simpson

Workshops are practical, 1-hour events, each focused on a different topic related to volunteering as a Therapy Dog Team.

Therapy Dog Workshop:
How to Start Volunteering – 1-hour in-person group

Ever thought that you and your dog might become a Therapy Dog Team? Perhaps brightening the life of seniors in a care facility or children in the BC Children’s Hospital? This Therapy Dog Workshop is a single 1-hour class for you and your dog. The format will be primarily presentation and discussion, designed to answer your questions about the Therapy Dog process. However, training towards one important therapy skill for you and your dog, using positive reinforcement, will be presented.

Therapy Dog Workshop:
Canine Good Neighbour Preparation – 1-hour zoom group

The Canadian Kennel Club Canine Good Neighbour Program is a 12-step test that encourages owners to have a better and richer relationship with their dogs. Success in this test is used by some BC hospitals and societies as the criteria for allowing dogs and their handlers to volunteer. Other organizations have designed their own Therapy Dog test based upon the Canine Good Neighbour. Thus, passing the Canine Good Neighbour Program is an important step for many therapy dog teams. This Therapy Dog Workshop is a single 1-hour zoom class for therapy dog handlers. The format will be presentation and discussion, designed to prepare you for, and answer your questions about, the Canine Good Neighbour test.

Typical group workshops in person: 1 Class | 60 Minutes | 4 dog teams maximum
Typical group workshops on zoom: 1 Class | 60 Minutes | 6 dog teams maximum
Typical private lessons: 1 Class | 60 Minutes | 1 dog team maximum

Prerequisites: There are no prerequisites, except that you think you and your dog have Therapy Dog potential.

Please equip your dog with a flat buckle collar, and an approximately 6-foot leash. Collars, including pinch, choke, martingale, and shock, as well as retractable-leashes are not permitted.

Cancelations or Refunds: One-week notice prior to the date of the class/private lesson is required for cancellation or refund. Dates and times of classes are subject to change.

Contact Us:

To be added to our waitlist call DOGSmart at 604 267-9500.

For classes visit our website for more information and to check timing and availability www.dogsmart.ca/. For specific information and private lessons, email

the instructor