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ANGEL PAWS' PET PARTNERS THERAPY TEAM APPLICATION
* a password will be provided for Angel Paws volunteer candidates to receive a 10% to 20% Animal Training discount   
with one of our recommended trainers after we receive your application - Easy to submit right here!   
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PLEASE READ CAREFULLY BEFORE COMPLETING APPLICATION
THANK YOU!  for your interest in ANGEL PAWS ANIMAL ASSISTED ACTIVITIES & THERAPY.  We would love to have you volunteering with us and it is our pleasure to guide you through the process of becoming a safe & effective registered Angel Paws Pet Partner therapy team with your pet!   Angel Paws is a Community Partner of Pet Partners, a Reading Education Assistance Dogs (R.E.A.D.) affiliate and 501 (c) (3) non-profit organization serving central Ohio since 2003.  Click HERE for more information about the Benefits of volunteering with Angel Paws.

Please tell us about yourself by completing the following questionnaire – AFTER you have read Angel Paws Pet Partners documents below*.  We are eager to speak with you directly of course, and meet for a pre-evaluation if necessary, but this information will help you make an informed decision about training for Angel Paws and help us, and you, decide your most appropriate next steps.  Please contact us with any questions you may have after you have read & considered this information &/or if you need any clarification.  Your contribution to our commitment to excellence is very much appreciated!  And we look forward to guiding you through the process of preparation to safely and effectively share your pet's love with others in need as an Angel Paws Pet Partner Volunteer!  
The Following Steps are Required for all Angel Paws Therapy Animal Handlers.  Please see below for more details:
#1.  This Application (NOTE:  Dog Training for Dog Handlers!)
#2.  Pet Partners Handlers Course (Handlers only, no pets)
#3.  Pet Partners Skills & Aptitude Test  (both animal & handler)
#4.  Pet Partners Registration (includes animal health screen by veterinarian)
#5.  Angel Paws Training & Orientation (includes 1 on 1 on-site training)
#6. * R.E.A.D. Training Workshop & Registration (*required for R.E.A.D. Teams only)
Click here for Benefits of Volunteering with us
16_training___registration_process.pdf
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Pet Partners Team Prerequisites in a nutshell
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    *If you would like more details on any of our requirements please click on highlighted text to open a new window & review additional information and links at Training & Registration Process  

    If you plan to volunteer with a dog: Does My Dog Need Special Training to be a Therapy Dog?  and Therapy Dog Training Courses.  

    Please don't hesitate to email [email protected] for clarification or discussion.
    TRAINING COLLARS, EQUIPMENT & METHODS
    15 SKILLS & APTITUDE QUESTIONS FOR THERAPY TEAM CANDIDATES
    This is not a test! Your candid answers to these questions will simply provide us, and you, with the information we need to assess your readiness and to help you best prepare to succeed in our program.

    Please remember that there is a big difference between having a fabulous dog (or other pet) that will make an exceptional therapy pet and being ready to pass the skills and aptitude test as a TEAM right now – and continue on to be a safe and effective Therapy Team.  Chances are, you do have the perfect pet but may not be ready yet.  So don’t despair if you can’t answer “Always”, to all or even most of these questions.  We are here to help you!

    If you can answer a solid “Always” to all of the following SKILLS & APTITUDE questions you are indeed exceptional and may already be ready to pass the Skills & Aptitude Test and continue on to be a safe and effective therapy team.  However it’s very important to be objective and try these things with complete strangers in UNFAMILIAR indoor locations - on a loose leash with acceptable equipment - before assuming the answer is “Always”.  Be sure to review all the Skills & Aptitude Test purpose, process and scoring information on our web site.

    If you are able to answer “Always” or “most of the time” to most or all of the APTITUDE questions but NOT all of the SKILLS questions you are like most candidates who inquire about being a therapy team and are very fortunate to have a dog who will probably make a wonderful therapy dog with more training.  VERY few teams come to us already able to answer “yes/always” to all or even most of these questions, and many who do are not as reliable with those behaviors as they may assume.

    If you are able to answer “Almost Always” or “Often” to most of the APTITUDE questions you may still have a wonderful therapy pet with a little extra help but it will be important not to push your dog too far into challenging social situations too soon. Please contact us for more information to learn how we might be able to help you prepare for the next step. 

    ALL dogs need training to be able to willingly respond to the necessary verbal/visual cues we require on a loose leash (a loose leash shows obvious slack from handler's hand to dog's collar or harness.  If there is a straight line from the dog's collar or harness to the handlers hand the leash is not loose).  Can you imagine how your children would behave in a restaurant or even at home if they had never been taught manners?  Didn’t it take a lot of repetition before they could reliably be counted on to behave well at the dinner table, in public and with guests?  Dogs are no different except that they don’t speak English.  And try to think of the various levels of manners required for children.  The manners expected at McDonald's are quite different from the manners expected at Bob Evans or eventually in a fancy restaurant with white linen table cloths.  ALL dogs need systematic training to learn the level of reliable manners required to be a therapy dog - without punishment for undesired behavior but with a lot of consistent reinforcement for desired behavior.  

    Similarly, most dogs (especially young dogs) need a fair amount of exercise in order to learn and behave well in public.  Can you imagine how difficult it would be for children to learn and behave well in public if they weren’t allowed to run and play outside to drain all that energy?  Dogs are no different.  Various forms of mental stimulation and diverse interests make wonderful therapy pets!  The happier and more fulfilled they are the more they have to give others. 

    So, here goes… Remember, please be completely objective about your animals behavior while practicing in unfamiliar locations with unfamiliar people …
    SKILLS
    Please choose 1 from drop down menu - Remember, THIS IS NOT A TEST! but please be as objective as possible and remember to answer questions based on behavior using only a flat buckle collar & leash or other acceptable equipment.  Loose Leash means visible slack in the leash - a curved rather than straight line from your hand to your animal.
    *** Please click on highlighted text to visit our Does My Dog Need Special Training to be a Therapy Dog? , Recommended Therapy Dog Training and other related Dog Training pages for more information.
    APTITUDE
    Please choose 1 from drop down menu - Remember, THIS IS NOT A TEST! but please be as objective as possible and remember to answer questions based on behavior using only a flat buckle collar & leash or other acceptable equipment.  The questions are not meant to refer to how often you and your pet participate in these interactions but rather about how your pet experiences these interactions when you do participate in them.