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Therapy Dogs in the UK: What They Do and How to Register

Therapy dogs bring enormous comfort to people in hospitals, care homes, schools and hospices across the UK. Unlike guide or assistance dogs, therapy dogs are not trained to perform specific tasks — their role is simply to be calm, friendly and reassuring. If your dog has the right temperament, you might consider registering as a therapy dog team.

What Therapy Dogs Do

Therapy dogs and their handlers visit places where human-animal interaction brings wellbeing benefits: hospitals, care homes, hospices, schools, universities, prisons, libraries and mental health facilities. The dog provides comfort, reduces anxiety, encourages social interaction and gives people something positive to focus on.

Research published by the PDSA and numerous academic institutions confirms the physiological benefits of human-dog interaction: reduced cortisol (stress hormone) levels, lower blood pressure, improved mood and reduced social isolation. For elderly people in care, regular visits from a therapy dog can significantly improve quality of life.

Therapy dogs are distinct from assistance dogs (which are trained to perform specific tasks for disabled individuals) and emotional support animals (a US legal concept with no direct equivalent in UK law). Therapy dogs work with many people, not a single registered handler.

Leading UK Therapy Dog Organisations

Pets as Therapy (PAT) is the largest therapy dog organisation in the UK, with over 5,000 active volunteers and their animals visiting more than 130,000 people per week. PAT registers dogs and cats following an assessment, provides volunteer support and maintains relationships with visiting venues.

Therapy Dogs Nationwide (TDN) and the Good Dog Foundation are among other organisations operating in the UK, though Pets as Therapy remains the most widely recognised and accepted by NHS trusts, care homes and schools.

Some organisations have their own therapy dog programmes — certain NHS trusts run 'Dogs on Wards' schemes, and Macmillan Cancer Support has used therapy dog visits in oncology settings. Registration with a national organisation provides credibility and insurance cover for visits.

Is Your Dog Suitable?

Not every dog makes a good therapy dog, regardless of how friendly they are at home. The key traits assessors look for are: calm and predictable temperament around strangers; tolerance of unpredictable handling (including by children or those with limited motor control); no food or toy aggression; no excessive barking; and comfort in unfamiliar, potentially noisy environments.

Dogs that are easily startled, reactive to other dogs, nervous in crowded spaces, or over-excited around strangers are unlikely to pass assessment. This isn't a reflection on the dog — many wonderful pets would simply find therapy visits stressful and therefore unsuitable for the role.

Your dog should be at least one year old, reliably trained in basic obedience, and fully up to date with vaccinations and flea/worm treatment before applying. Most organisations also require the dog to be regularly health-checked by a vet.

The Assessment Process

Pets as Therapy assessments are carried out by trained assessors who evaluate both the dog and the handler during a structured test visit. The assessment involves the dog being approached and handled by strangers, exposed to unfamiliar environments and unusual sounds, and required to demonstrate basic obedience.

Handlers are also assessed — your ability to read your dog's stress signals, manage interactions sensitively and maintain control throughout a visit matters as much as your dog's temperament.

A successful assessment results in registration as a PAT volunteer team. Registration includes public liability insurance cover for visits — this is essential and is one of the main reasons to register with an established organisation rather than visiting venues independently.

The Commitment of Therapy Dog Work

Therapy dog visiting is a rewarding but genuine commitment. Regular visits (typically weekly or fortnightly) to an established venue are most effective and most valued by the facility and its residents. Reliability and consistency matter — people look forward to visits and are disappointed by last-minute cancellations.

Monitor your dog carefully during and after visits. Signs of stress — yawning, lip-licking, trying to move away, refusing treats, flattened ears — should be taken seriously. A stressed therapy dog is not beneficial to anyone and may be developing a negative association with visits. Reduce frequency or reconsider visiting if your dog is showing stress.

Therapy dog work typically lasts until the dog is no longer comfortable or physically able to visit — some dogs thrive well into older age, while others may retire earlier if health or temperament changes.

Find a Vet Near You

Therapy dogs must be regularly health-checked and kept up to date with vaccinations and parasite treatment. Use CompareMyVet at app.comparemyvet.uk to find and compare vet practices near you and ensure your therapy dog maintains the health standards required for registration.