Step 3: The animal and handler must be evaluation as a team. This includes a Pet Partners Skills Test, which determines whether the animal can be controlled by the handler and can follow basic commands. The handler will be assessed on how well he/she interacts with the evaluation team, the animal and the environment. The Pet Partners Aptitude Test simulates conditions that may be encountered during a visit. This test determines the most appropriate environment for the handler and animal to visit.

Step 4: Complete a registration packet. Benefits of becoming a registered Pet Partners team include primary liability insurance, identification badge for the handler and collar tag for the animal, and referral to facilities searing for Pet Partners teams.

Not all dogs have the right stuff to serve in this capacity. Take, for instance, my new dog, Noel. Almost three years old, this miniature schnauzer mix is a bundle of energy and nerves, letting little "ruffs" under her breath as she watches the goings on in my backyard.  When people enter my house, Noel barks up a storm as a greeting and starts jumping on them, eager to welcome them.  (Yes, I'm working on training her to stop these bad habits, but she's pretty stubborn.) Based on these behaviors, I know that Noel is too high strung to be a therapy dog in a nursing home and definitely would not be calming to a person with Alzheimer's. But then, again, there's always my dad's dog, Austin. Now, he would be a really good therapy dog.