Frequently asked questions.

What are benefits of a comfort dog?

Comfort dogs offer various benefits, including enhancing learning, alleviating pain, reducing stress, and minimizing feelings of depression and loneliness.

What is the difference between a comfort dog, emotional support dog, and a service dog?

A comfort dog, also known as a therapy dog, offers emotional support and companionship to individuals in facilities or those in need of comfort due to physical or emotional challenges. Unlike service dogs, which are specifically trained to perform tasks for individuals with disabilities and have full public access rights under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), therapy dogs do not have these same rights. Additionally, they differ from emotional support animals, which require a prescription from a mental health professional but do not need any specialized training or certification to provide support.

What kind of training is required to become a Kingdom Comfort dog?

Kingdom Comfort Dogs start their training around 8 weeks of age, focusing on skills similar to those of service dogs, excluding medical tasks. Our training program employs positive reinforcement techniques, such as clickers and treats, along with verbal cues to indicate desired or undesired behaviors.

Where do the dogs visit?

We go to locations that welcome us. Common places for therapy dogs include nursing homes, hospitals, libraries, churches, and support groups. Your creativity is the only limit!

What type of dog makes a good KCD?

We select golden retrievers for the KCD program due to their typically gentle, calm, and intelligent demeanor, as well as their strong motivation for food and social interaction. We collaborate with breeders to temperament test and identify the most suitable candidates for comfort dog roles.

Can other breeds (other than golden retrievers) be comfort dogs?

Absolutely! While obedience commands like sit, down, come, and stay can be taught, the best therapy dogs are inherently friendly, affectionate, social, calm, and at ease around other animals. A temperament test can help assess any dog for possible therapy dog work. Although there are no guarantees for any dog, we typically use golden retrievers since they were bred specifically for the qualities that make a stellar comfort dog.

What does a comfort dog do?

A comfort dog provides affectionate companionship, offers non-judgmental support, boosts mental well-being, and promotes social interaction. Best of all, KCD comfort dogs are ideal for confiding in with all your secrets!

What about allergies?

People with allergies generally know to avoid dog breeds that are not hypoallergenic.

KCD dogs are clean and well-groomed to minimize hair dander. The dogs are bred and trained to have a calm demeanor and to be respectful of others. A team will keep a safe distance and avoid approaching anyone who is allergic or afraid of dogs.