Can I call my dds dog a therapy dog?

[Girliefriendlikespuppies]

My teen dd has autism and associated difficulties with social situations and sensory related difficulties as well. She has also developed anorexia over lockdown and her mental health is not great atm.

Our dog was bought for dd and it was hoped he would help her as a sort of unofficial therapy dog.

He has surpassed our expectations and is a fantastic little dog, dd adores him and he has helped her in so many ways.

Is there a way of making him an official therapy dog? I have seen that you can buy a therapy dog harness and lead but was worried we might be called frauds if just used them when he's not had any specific training?

Watching this with interest, I would like to train/designate our pup as a therapy dog also for my son.

Legally therapy dogs aren't recognised in the UK as assistance dogs so you wouldn't be able to take him anywhere you can't take any random dog.

What purpose would the harness and lead serve?

What would it mean to designate your dog as a support dog? What would it change OP?
My first hound is my unofficial support dog!

Was going to say same as @Clymene

You can do official dog therapy training

petsastherapy.org/

We looked into it for our gorgeous rescue but she’s too scared of men to pass the temperament test.

You could contact these people for specific training:
www.dogsforgood.org/how-we-help/family-dog/

It's very very hard to get accreditation to be a formal assistance dog (therapy dog has no legal standing in itself). Assistance dogs U.K. are the umbrella group and there's one organisation that allows self training and the website describes what it takes - I gave up as mine simply wouldn't pass the not pulling on the lead element!

As I understand it, you can train and accredit your dog to be an emotional support animal. I met someone on the tube once who was doing it with her dog. No small commitment but very doable.

You can of course buy your dog a jacket with the words 'Emotional support dog' on it but you shouldn't expect the dog to be let into anywhere that a normal dog wouldn't be without an official training/accreditation being completed. But in the interim if it helps people out and about to understand the dog's role in your family and relationship to your daughter, maybe it's worth considering.

The only official assistance dogs are trained by AD uk I believe.

Please don't buy a therapy dog jacket on eBay so you can gain access into shops. Just enjoy your dog and the fact that he brings so much joy to your DD.

The general public buying these unofficial leads and jackets causes problems for guide dogs and ADuk, as people who's dogs aren't well trained sometimes cause a nuisance and this encourages shops to try and refuse access to the others.

Thank you for the responses, really useful and I will have a look through the links.

I believe this is a problem in the US with people getting the "therapy" or "assistance" harnesses for their non-trained pet. Have seen a few things on Reddit about someone walking their chihuahua around shops and claiming they're a therapy dog.

Obviously pets are therapy for those of us who love them, they ease our emotions. But no pet should be wearing these harnesses unless fully trained by the correct organisation.

I say this as a mother to an 8 year old boy with suspected ASD, ADHD and OCD traits, who very much relies on our dog and one of the cats as therapy pets who can ease his troubles when nothing else can.

I don't know what it is but there is a way of getting them registered so that they can accompany you into spaces others don't - eg Uni, etc....

Sorry so vague but met someone whose live (as an adult) had been transformed by having a therapy dog - don't know what training/organisation or whatever but meant she was able to go places that her (invisible) disabilities would have stopped her doing

I don't know what it is but there is a way of getting them registered so that they can accompany you into spaces others don't - eg Uni, etc....

Universities will allow some animals on some parts of campus on a case by case basis, not as a blanket rule. I know of someone who missed their graduation because their "emotional support ferret" wasn't allowed into the hall.