1.

ADDITIONAL RULES FOR TDI TESTING

Dogs must be tested on a plain buckle collar or harness. FOR MORE INFORMATION Therapy Dogs International
(TDI®)
Training collars, training harnesses, halties, or any other
corrective training devices are not permitted during testing or
visiting as a TDI-registered Therapy Dog.
CONTACT:
2. Handlers under 18 years of age must have a parent/legal

Testing
guardian present.
3. Retired racing Greyhounds are not required to sit for TDI
Testing.
4. TDI® will not test or register any dog that has bitten a human
Therapy Dogs
Requirements
being.
5. TDI® will not test or register dogs which have been trained for

6.
7.
basic obedience with a shock collar.
TDI® will not test or register dogs with a poor temperament.
TDI® will not test dogs under 1 year of age.
International (TDI )
8. TDI® will not test dogs without proof of a current rabies vac-
cination and appropriate state license.
9. TDI® will not test or register Service Dogs.
10. TDI® does not require evaluators to test potential dog/handler
88 Bartley Road
teams who behave or present themselves in an unruly or un-
professional manner.
Flanders, NJ 07836
11. TDI will not test dogs while in season.
12. TDI® does not permit the use of treats and/or treat bags dur-
Tel: (973) 252-9800
ing testing.
13. TDI® will immediately fail any dog which soils during testing.
Fax: (973) 252-7171
14. TDI® will not register potential applicants who have their
dogs registered with any type of Therapy Dog-related pro-
e-mail: [email protected]
gram, group, or organization other than TDI®. www.tdi-dog.org
Note: Potential applicants are not required to take any
Therapy Dog classes which are not sanctioned by TDI.

Therapy Dogs International (TDI) Testing Guidelines

The TDI Test is divided into two phases and has 13 individual tests
and additional exercises within each test. The temperament evalu-
ation is not included in this number. The TDI Test is designed to
simulate a visit with a therapy dog at a facility. This test reflects
realistic situations and should be helpful in evaluating the potential
therapy dog.
Simulating
• TDI entry table Facility check-in desk
• TDI Evaluator Volunteer coordinator
• Helpers Hospital personnel
• Helper on crutches Patient on crutches
• Helper in a wheelchair Patient in a wheelchair
• Helper with a walker Patient with a walker
• Helper or Evaluator Hospital personnel
with an object to startle
the dog such as dropping
a bedpan, etc. Therapy Dogs International (TDI®) is an
• Helpers mingling in a Hospital personnel, other
crowd visitors, or patients organization dedicated to the
• Door or outline of a Hospital entrance or exit regulation, testing, selection, and
door
Phase I registration of qualified dogs and
Begins with the testing of all applicants in a group, excluding the handlers for the purpose of visitations
part where the dog will be handled by another person out of sight to hospitals, nursing homes, and
of the handler.
facilities or any place where Therapy Dogs
Phase II are needed.
Dogs will be tested individually.
DEMONSTRATING CONFIDENCE AND CONTROL, dogs. The handlers will step out to the end of their 6 ft. leash, a skateboard etc).
THE DOG MUST COMPLETE THESE 13 STEPS OF turn around and face the dog(s) and wait for the evaluator’s c. Another person will be walking by and drop something
THE TDI TEST. command to return to their dog(s). (The evaluator will give making a loud startling noise (a tin can filled with pebbles or
Note: At check-in, before beginning Test 1, the owner must the return command immediately). a clipboard). At an indoor test there may be a running vacu-
present a current rabies certificate and any other state or um cleaner (realistic in a facility).
locally required inoculation certificates and licenses. Prior to TEST 5: GROUP DOWN/STAY d. Next the team will be requested to make an about turn.
being admitted to the evaluation, a brief temperament test Same as test number 4, except dogs will now be in a down/ e. And then a left turn.
will be performed on the dog by the evaluator. stay. f. Then the team should be requested to make a right turn,
going back parallel toward the starting point in a straight line.
Phase I TEST 6: RECALL ON A 20 FT. LEASH
The dog must wear either a flat buckle or snap-in collar (non All handlers will be seated. Three dogs at a time will be fitted TEST 9: LEAVE-IT; PART ONE
corrective) or a harness (non-corrective), all testing must be with a long line. The reason we fit more than one dog with The dog handler/team meets a person in a wheelchair. The
on a 6ft leash.* a long line at the same time is to save time. The handler will dog should approach the person and visit. The person in the
continue to hold the 6 ft leash while the long line is fitted by wheelchair, after briefly interacting with the dog, will offer
TEST 1: TDI ENTRY TABLE (Simulated as a Hospital a helper. To avoid any kind of incident, the evaluator will the dog a treat by holding the treat steady in the hand while
Reception Desk) make sure that the handler is holding the 6 ft leash until the enticing the dog. The handler must instruct the dog to leave
The dog/handler teams are lined up to be checked in (simu- dog has been placed and is ready to be tested for the recall. it. It is up to the handler as to what kind of verbal command
lating a visit). The evaluator (“volunteer coordinator”) will One handler at a time will take the dog to a designated area they use to keep the dog from licking or taking the food. The
go down the line of registrants and greet each new arrival which is out of reach of the other dogs even with a 20 ft. line. handler should explain to the patient why the dog cannot eat
including each dog. At the same time the collars will be The evaluator will then give the command: Down your dog!. a treat while visiting (i.e. dog has food allergies).
checked, as well as nails, ears and grooming and lifting of all The handler can down the dog either by voice and or by hand
4 paws and tail, which must be lifted if applicable. If the dog signal. The evaluator will give the command: Leave your TEST 10: LEAVE-IT; PART TWO
has a short cropped tail it should be touched. dog!. The handler will tell the dog to stay either by voice and The dog handler will be walking in a straight line with the
or by hand signal. The handler now will turn away from the dog at heel. There will be a piece of food in the path of the
TEST 2: CHECK-IN AND OUT OF SIGHT (time: One dog and walk in a straight line to the end of the 20 ft. lead. dog. The dog is not allowed to lick or eat the food. There
Minute) The handler will turn and face the dog. The evaluator imme- should also be a bowl of water in the path of the dog. The dog
The handler will be asked to check in. After the check-in has diately will tell the handler to call the dog. The handler will is not allowed to drink.
been completed the handler will be escorted by a helper to call the dog, either by voice, hand signal or both.
where the handler is supposed to sit. All dogs will be placed TEST 11: MEETING ANOTHER DOG
in a down position on the handler’s left side keeping teams at TEST 7: VISITING WITH A PATIENT A volunteer with a demo dog will walk past the dog han-
least 8 feet apart. Now the handler will start completing the The dog should show willingness to visit a person and dem- dler/team, turn around and ask the handler a question. After a
paperwork. Once all teams have been placed, the helper(s) onstrate that it can be made readily accessible for petting (i.e. brief conversation, the two handlers part.
will ask the handler(s) if they can hold their dogs. Now the small dogs will be placed on a person’s lap or held; medium
handler(s) will leave for “one minute”. The handler(s) can dogs will sit on a chair or stand close to the patient to be eas- TEST 12: ENTERING THROUGH A DOOR TO VISIT
give the “stay” command verbally or by hand signal or both. ily reached, and larger dogs will be standing). AT THE FACILITY
The helper(s) can talk to and pet the dog(s). The dog(s) can A person should be able to go through the entrance ahead of
sit, lie down, stand or walk around within the confines of Phase II the dog/handler team. The dog handler team is ready to enter
the leash. through a door to a facility. The handler first has to put the
TEST 8: TESTING OF REACTIONS TO UNUSUAL dog in a sit, stand, or down stay, whatever is most comfort-
TEST 3: GETTING AROUND PEOPLE SITUATIONS able for the dog.
As the dog/handler team walks toward the patients’ rooms, The dog handler team will be walking in a straight line. The
there will be various people standing around. Some of the dog can be on either side, or slightly behind the handler; the TEST 13: REACTION TO CHILDREN
people will try visiting with the dog. The dog/handler team leash must not be tight. The evaluator will ask the handler to The children will be running and yelling, playing ball, drop-
must demonstrate that the dog can withstand the approach have the dog sit (the handler may say sit or use a hand signal ping objects, and doing what children usually do while play-
and touching by several people from all sides at the same or both). Next the evaluator will ask the handler to down the ing.
time and is willing to visit and walk around a group of peo- dog (the handler may say down or use a hand signal or both). 1. The handler will walk with the dog past playing children.
ple. Next continuing walking in a straight line, the handler will 2. a. The dog must lie down beside the handler.
be asked to make a right, left and an about turn at the evalu- b. The handler will simulate reading a book while the dog
TEST 4: GROUP SIT/STAY ator’s discretion. is lying down.
The evaluator will ask all the participants to line up with their c. The dog MUST have his back to the children.
dogs in a heel position (w/dog on left or right), with 8 ft. The following distractions will be added to the heel on a
between each team. Now the handlers will put their dogs in loose leash. Testing requirements are subject to change without
a sit/stay position. The handlers will give the sit command a. The team will be passing a person on crutches. notice.
to the dogs. The evaluator will tell the handlers to leave their b. Someone running by calling “excuse me, excuse me”
waving hands (this person is running up from behind the Please see additional rules for TDI Testing on back cover.
*If the dog is on a longer leash, a knot must be made in the dog. It could also be a person on a bicycle, roller blades, or
leash to mark 6 ft. The handler must drop the extra leash.