Therapy Dog Training.

Naturally, your pup makes YOU very happy, and you’ve noticed…repeatedly…that s/he makes OTHERS quite happy, too. You see the smile on a friend or a stranger get bigger as they pet your furry friend…and you see your pup basking in the glow of all the extra attention. You’re also keenly aware at how YOUR smile widens as all this is happening.

You’re the type of person who truly loves sharing that joy and knows how it can help others. Or, you may have discovered your pup’s therapeutic abilities on your own…which is how my journey began.

After my beloved wife lost her battle to cancer this past November, it was just our Golden/Aussie, Finn, and I left in the house…by ourselves. All of our kids were grown and out on their own.

Finn was already a loving boy, and in the time since her passing, has become even more so. He KNOWS she’s gone and he now stays closer to me than he did before. For my part, I think it’s safe to say that I would truly be lost without him.

Without a doubt, Finn is MY therapy dog. Now, how do I make him a therapy dog so that we can help others?

Well, like everything else we search for these days, I Googled it. Even included my city, Thousand Oaks…and all I got were national registries and programs…nothing local.

VIP Dog Teams

I mentioned this to a friend…who gave me the name of a local trainer…who followed up and texted me a copy of an article from the Camarillo Acorn talking about a recently-formed group called VIP Dog Teams. Fast-forward to today: Finn is just a few short weeks away from becoming a Certified Therapy Dog…and we are BOTH loving it!

A good deal of serendipity helped us find VIP Dog Teams. We also feel that it was meant to be. So much so, that I’m now an active part of this wonderful organization!

We at VIP Dog Teams are now dedicated to getting the word out so that you, and others like you in the community, won’t have to rely just on luck to find a way for your dog to help others.

So, if your amazing pup is meant to be a Therapy Dog, please contact us so we can get YOUR journey started. Thank you.

~Ric Levine,

Vice President, VIP Dog Teams

Phone: (805) 419-0677