[mikimm]

The thing about working as a therapy dog without the test & certification is that you yourself are completely liable for any damages done by your dog whether intentional or not. For instance, if Dodge were to accidentally cause a scratch on some elderly person's arm with his pads, it could end up being a serious incident. If that person is on blood thinners or whatever, there could be a tear in the skin, bleeding, etc. With TDI (Therapy Dog International) certification, you get a liability policy that will cover damages like that.

The other thing about therapy dog work is that it really helps to be associated with others who do the same work. For example, you can learn valuable lessons about observing your dog's behavior for signs of stress, etc, that could potentially become a problem. Getting the actual certification helps you have a netowrk of people to contact with questions, advice, and experience that you won't have if you just go it alone.

I'd recommend contacting TDI or another certifying organization and asking what it would take to get a tester to come to your area. Maybe if you have 10 friends with dogs who would like to do it too, they might send someone to your area.

Just some suggestions.