Therapy Visits

Therapy visits through Paws and Boots for Good provide comfort, encouragement, and meaningful connection to children, seniors, and individuals in care.

How Our Therapy Dog Teams Are Prepared

Dogs in our program are carefully screened before working with youth and continue to receive training throughout the program. Youth participants learn safe handling and training skills under the guidance of experienced instructors, while the dogs’ families are trained to work with their dogs during therapy visits. Only dogs and handlers who demonstrate the appropriate temperament, control, and reliability take part in community visits.

Our goal is to ensure that every therapy visit is safe, positive, and beneficial for both participants and those receiving visits.

Types of Visits We Offer

Our therapy dog teams may take part in visits such as:

• Reading support programs for children
• Classroom visits
• Library reading programs
• Senior and long-term care visits
• Community events
• Wellness and support programs

Visits are planned in collaboration with the facility to ensure they are appropriate for the setting.

What Makes Our Program Unique

Paws and Boots for Good uses a full-circle training model:

• Youth help train dogs from local families
• Families continue the training after the youth course
• Dogs go on to provide therapy visits in the community
• Youth, dogs, and families all gain confidence, skills, and purpose

This approach allows our program to support both youth development and community well-being.

Safety & Supervision

All visits are conducted with trained handlers, and dogs are required to demonstrate calm, reliable behaviour before participating in community settings. We work closely with each facility to ensure visits are safe, respectful, and appropriate for the individuals involved.

The safety and comfort of both participants and visitors is always our first priority.

Why Therapy Visits?

Therapy visits are an important part of our program, allowing youth, dogs, and families to give back to the community while providing comfort, encouragement, and connection to those who benefit from time spent with a calm, friendly dog.

Through therapy visits, the work done by youth, dogs, and families continues beyond the training program, creating lasting good in the community.