As Therapy - Visiting There are 500 Pets As Therapy dogs in New South Wales. Volunteers take dogs into nursing homes once or twice a week to visit residents. Dogs with a soft temperament are chosen to be companions for elderly people, children and people with a disability. Dogs are trained to walk beside wheel chairs and to walk slowly without pulling.
All dogs undergo a temperament test before being accepted into a four to five week training program.
In addition, special training may be given according to the needs of the client. As Therapy clients are children. For example, Piper, a golden retriever, is a companion to students in a school for intellectually disabled children.