therapy dogs

There's lots of good information here:
 
[linkhttp://www.deltasociety.org/]http://www.deltasociety.org/[/link]
 
My older lab Charlie (8 yr old female) has been certified with both my wife and I.  Theresa takes her to the local rehabilitation hospital every week.  Charlie loves it - she knows exactly where to go, and is very excited when she puts on her work bandana and collar.
 
Charlie also participated in the summer reading program, letting kids read to her.  Charlie hadn't been around kids much (at least we think - we adopted her 3 1/2 years ago, and she didn't seem to know what kids were), so we were a little nervous.  After the first time, she loved it - now, she gets really excited when she sees kids.
 
I have a lot of admiration for my wife - I find it hard to visit people who've been badly injured.  At one of the "Angel Dog" get togethers, I met a 17 year old girl who had a stroke, and was at the hospital.  She now volunteers with her dog where she used to be a patient.
 
The test you have to take with your dog is quite involved, but not difficult if you have a tolerant, easy-going dog.
 
Good Luck!
 
 

Sorry -- I've been busy and just was able to post.
 
My experience with Delta Society wasn't wonderful -- there are several certifying agencies.  Pick the one that works for you and fits your budget and your life.  I'm arthritic -- I can't 'stand' for hours to handle my dog and Delta didn't want to work with ME.  Nor would Delta work with my deaf dog who required touch signals. 
 
Therapy Dogs International is good.  My favorite is Bright and Beautiful Therapy Dogs, Inc. out of NY and they will do long-distance certification (it's complicated and requires a lot of reference letters but for me and my gang it worked great).
 
The first thing you have to do is get the dog's CGC (Canine Good Citizen certificate) -- and they have to be a year old to do that.  I've never reared a pup to do therapy work -- I've always taken second hand dogs and so often they LOVE it. 
 
My husband and I go to nursing homes, Alzheimer's homes and a home for Developmentally Disabled children -- but our 'favorite' is Give Kids the World -- we've done that the first Saturday of the month for years.  It's an awesome place.

Thanks so much for sharing calliecritturs!  I have a class with a woman who does therapy work and was certified and a member of therapy dogs of vermont.  So far sounds like a good organization so I may potentially go through them! 
 
I will definately check out Bright and Beautiful as well! 
 
I'm so pathetic, I cannot even have a dog yet   But my career field is most likely going to be with elders (or at the very least voluntaring my time) sooo it's not a terrible thing to be looking into now (besides I'm smelling a possible research paper out of this). 

It's not stupid -- pet therapy is something that you must do WELL if you are going to use it in your life's work.  Because the risk can be astronomical if done badly. 
 
For example -- working with elders is different than with kids -- working with Alzheimers or Dementia is different than just working in a residential facility. 
 
Elder skin is fragile -- so your dogs nails have to be short and well dremeled (not clipped -- but filed or dremeled sothere are NO rough edges).  The 'size' of dog is a huge deal -- you don't want a dog to 'jump up' -- (tear skin, knock them down, etc.) -- but a small dog either needs to be picked up or use a wagon or something to raise the dog to their height.  A larger breed may or may not be an option for you (where you live, etc.).
 
Puppies are NOT docile -- the best therapy dogs I know are over 2 and the *absolute* best are seniors themselves. 
 
It's a big decision -- and much depends on what dog will fit YOU because the bond with this dog has to be tight -- training is everything!  A therapy dog has to be good enough with people so they can kind of 'bond' immediately -- because the 'therapy' is between the dog and the person -- NOT YOU.  You are there for control, and for protection of the dog (yes you have to FIRST be concerned that your dog doesn't get provoked into a situation where your dog can't respond right -- you have to remove your dog from a bad situation BEFORE it turns bad). 
 
So beyond training it's experience.