THERAPY DOG DEVELOPMENT HOUSTON 10 SESSIONS · CERTIFICATION-READY · TPU EVALUATION INCLUDED
Is your goal to have your dog become a therapy dog? OLK9 Houston's Therapy Dog Development program is a specialized 10-session curriculum designed to prepare you and your dog for real-world therapy work in Houston hospitals, schools, nursing facilities, libraries, and crisis response settings. Led by Justin Rie — a Certified Pet Evaluator through Therapy Pets Unlimited — every graduate is evaluated and certified in-house upon successful completion. No outside testing required.
WHAT MAKES A DOG
A THERAPY DOG.
A therapy dog isn't just a sweet dog. It's a working partner — one trained to remain calm in chaotic environments, comfortable around medical equipment and mobility devices, gentle with elderly hands and children's energy, and capable of staying focused through hours of high-stimulation work. Therapy dogs visit hospitals, hospice units, schools, libraries, courthouses, university finals weeks, disaster response sites, and grief counseling sessions. The job is real. The bar is high.
Most Houston families who want a therapy dog face a frustrating fragmented path — one trainer for obedience, a different organization for evaluation, a third for certification. OLK9 Houston collapses that into a single program because Justin Rie holds the Certified Pet Evaluator credential through Therapy Pets Unlimited. We prepare your dog. We evaluate your dog. We certify your dog. One team. One pathway.
This program is built for Houston dogs who already have a solid temperament and a foundation of basic obedience. It's not where wild puppies start. It's where calm, well-mannered dogs become certified working therapy partners — ready to make a measurable difference in Houston's hospitals, schools, and care facilities.
ONE PROGRAM.
ONE CERTIFICATION PATHWAY.
Specialty programs don't need tier ladders — they need focused depth. This is OLK9 Houston's only therapy dog development pathway, designed to take a dog with foundational obedience and develop them into a certification-ready therapy partner.
Therapy Dog Development
From ~$42/mo with Affirm (24 mo plan)
- Ten 30-minute sessions over 8-10 weeks
- Specially designed therapy preparation curriculum
- Real-world environment exposure — medical equipment, mobility aids, distractions
- Crowd manners — handling strangers, children, elderly handlers
- Greeting protocols — calm approach, gentle interaction, controlled disengagement
- Settling on command in unfamiliar high-stimulation environments
- In-house evaluation by a Therapy Pets Unlimited Certified Pet Evaluator
- Therapy Pets Unlimited certification issued upon successful completion TPU CERT
- Lifetime support as you take your dog into active therapy work
(713) 730-4998 · FREE 15-MIN CONSULT
THE 8-LESSON THERAPY
PREPARATION CURRICULUM.
Ten 30-minute sessions building toward eight core therapy competencies — the exact skill set evaluators look for in a successful Therapy Pets Unlimited certification test.
Calm Approach
Your dog learns to approach strangers in wheelchairs, walkers, or hospital beds without jumping, leaning, or pulling. The first impression a therapy dog makes determines everything.
Gentle Greeting
Soft body posture, no mouthing, no licking. Your dog learns to accept petting from elderly hands, children's hands, and unfamiliar hands — gently and patiently.
Settle on Cue
In a hospital room, library reading session, or hospice visit, your dog must settle quietly beside the patient for 15-30 minutes — no fidgeting, no shifting.
Medical Equipment
Wheelchairs, oxygen tanks, IV poles, walkers, crutches, hospital beds with rails. Your dog learns these are normal — not scary, not interesting.
Loud Environments
PA systems, beeping monitors, crying children, sudden alarms, busy hallways. Therapy dogs must remain focused and unbothered in chaotic settings.
Controlled Disengagement
When the visit ends, your dog leaves calmly on cue — without dragging, looking back, or showing distress at separation from new friends.
Handler Focus
In a room full of people who all want to pet your dog, your dog's primary attention stays on you — the handler — for cues and direction.
Certification Test
The final sessions are structured certification preparation — practicing the exact scenarios your dog will face during the TPU evaluation test administered in-house.
NOT EVERY DOG IS
A THERAPY DOG.
Therapy work demands a very specific temperament. The honest truth: most dogs would not pass a TPU evaluation — and that's okay. Here's how to know if your dog has the right foundation before you enroll.
★ YES — YOUR DOG IS LIKELY A GREAT CANDIDATE
- Already has solid basic obedience — sit, down, stay, come, heel
- Naturally calm temperament — settles easily, recovers quickly from surprises
- Loves strangers — wags, leans in, accepts petting without overexcitement
- Gentle with children and elderly hands — no jumping or rough mouthing
- Comfortable in new environments — explores rather than freezes or flees
- Not reactive on leash — calm passing other dogs, people, equipment
- Recovers from loud noises within seconds — not minutes or hours
⚠ NOT YET — YOUR DOG NEEDS FOUNDATION FIRST
- Pulls on leash or jumps on visitors at home
- Fearful of new people, hides, or growls at strangers
- Reactive to other dogs on walks or in public
- Hasn't completed basic obedience with reliable off-leash recall
- Easily overstimulated — takes time to calm down after excitement
- Bite history of any kind, even play-related
- Severe noise sensitivity or environmental anxiety
REAL THERAPY WORK
IN GREATER HOUSTON.
Once certified, your therapy dog can serve in some of Houston's most meaningful settings. The need is real, and the demand is constant.
Houston Hospitals
Texas Medical Center is the largest medical complex in the world — and therapy dogs are welcomed at multiple hospitals throughout the Houston metro for patient visits, family waiting rooms, and staff support.
Schools & Universities
From Houston ISD literacy programs (children read aloud to therapy dogs) to Rice, U of H, and TSU finals weeks, therapy dogs reduce student stress and improve reading fluency.
Senior Living & Hospice
Houston has hundreds of assisted living facilities, nursing homes, and hospice centers — many of which actively seek certified therapy dog teams for resident visits.
Courthouses & Crisis Centers
Harris County operates courthouse therapy dog programs supporting child witnesses, victims of crime, and families navigating difficult legal proceedings.
Public Libraries
The Houston Public Library system runs Paws to Read programs across multiple branches, pairing therapy dogs with new readers for literacy development.
Disaster Response
Houston's hurricane history means certified crisis response therapy teams are deployed during recovery efforts — providing emotional support at shelters and recovery centers.
YOUR HOUSTON THERAPY DOG
CERTIFICATION PATHWAY.
A clear 4-step path from your first phone call to your dog's official Therapy Pets Unlimited certification — all delivered in-house by the OLK9 Houston team. No outside testing. No fragmented providers.
WHY HOUSTON FAMILIES
TRUST OLK9 FOR THERAPY CERT.
Therapy dog certification is not a service most Houston trainers can offer — because most trainers aren't credentialed evaluators. OLK9 Houston is different.
Justin Rie holds the Therapy Pets Unlimited Certified Pet Evaluator credential — meaning OLK9 Houston can train, evaluate, AND certify therapy dogs under one roof. Most Houston families would need two or three separate providers to complete this pathway elsewhere.
Justin Rie is a U.S. Marine Corps Veteran with 11+ verified training credentials — including Dog Training Decoded with Michael Ellis, Advanced Commands and Positions training, and Dog Emergency & First Aid certification (Evan Nolte, 2026) — critical for the medical environments therapy dogs work in.
Justin Rie also owns and operates Off Leash K9 Training DFW — an operation that has trained over 10,000 dogs across the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex with 557+ five-star reviews. The same OLK9 standard, the same proven methodology, now serving Houston therapy dog families.
THERAPY DOG TRAINING
QUESTIONS ANSWERED.
How much does therapy dog training cost in Houston?
OLK9 Houston's Therapy Dog Development program is $1,000 USD for the complete pathway — 10 thirty-minute sessions, in-house Therapy Pets Unlimited evaluation, and certification upon successful completion. The program qualifies for Affirm financing with monthly plans over 3, 6, 12, or 24 months.
What is Therapy Pets Unlimited?
Therapy Pets Unlimited (TPU) is a national therapy animal organization that certifies and registers therapy dog teams to volunteer at hospitals, schools, libraries, and other facilities. Justin Rie holds the Certified Pet Evaluator credential through TPU, which means our Houston team can evaluate and certify your dog directly — no separate testing organization required.
Does my dog need obedience training before therapy dog training?
Yes — solid basic obedience is a prerequisite. Therapy dog work builds on reliable sit, down, stay, come, and heel. If your dog doesn't yet have that foundation, we recommend starting with our obedience training programs first. Many Houston families complete obedience training, then return for the Therapy Dog Development pathway when their dog is ready.
What's the difference between therapy dogs, service dogs, and emotional support dogs?
Therapy dogs visit facilities (hospitals, schools, libraries) to provide comfort to many people — they are not granted public access rights. Service dogs are individually trained to perform specific tasks for a person with a disability and have full public access rights under the ADA. Emotional support dogs provide comfort to one person and have limited housing-related rights only. Our Houston program trains and certifies therapy dogs.
How long does therapy dog certification take in Houston?
The program is structured as 10 thirty-minute sessions over approximately 8 to 10 weeks, depending on your schedule. Final sessions transition into the in-house TPU evaluation. Most Houston dogs who enter this program with a solid obedience foundation pass certification on their first attempt.
What if my dog doesn't pass the TPU evaluation?
Because we evaluate your dog throughout the program — not just at the end — we know well before the final test whether your dog is ready. If gaps appear, we address them in real time. In the rare case a dog isn't ready, we'll be honest with you, recommend additional preparation, and discuss whether therapy work is the right path for your specific dog.
Where can my therapy dog work after certification in Houston?
Houston has an enormous demand for certified therapy dog teams. Common settings include Texas Medical Center hospitals, Houston ISD literacy programs, Rice/U of H/TSU university wellness events, Harris County courthouse witness support, Houston Public Library Paws to Read, hospice and senior living facilities, and post-disaster crisis response. Each facility has its own application process, but TPU certification opens the door at most.
Where is the Houston therapy dog training facility?
Our training facility is in Katy, Texas, approximately 25 minutes west of downtown Houston. Therapy dog teams from across Greater Houston — Memorial City, Houston Heights, The Woodlands, Pearland, Cypress, Baytown, Sugar Land — train with us at this location. Call (713) 730-4998 for the exact address and to schedule your pre-evaluation call.
TRAIN.
EVALUATE.
CERTIFY.
Free 15-minute pre-evaluation call with our Houston intake team. We'll honestly assess whether your dog is a good candidate for therapy work — and help you plan the right path forward. Open Mon–Sat: 9 AM – 7 PM · Sun: 9 AM – 5 PM.