Early Therapy Pet Training

Early Therapy Pet Training

A focus on building confidence, trust, and good manners while tackling the requirements for AMPA Therapy Pet Certification.

The early therapy pet training program is designed to help you teach your pig the skills required to become an AMPA Certified Therapy Pet.

This course is sure to help you build your pig’s trust in you.  Your pig will become more confident.  The end result will be a very proud pig with manners that will enable you to take him or her out in public for therapy visits.  All you need for this course is love,  patience, a harness and leash that is designed specifically for your pig, and a variety of small treats.  It helps to have a treat pouch so that you can get that reward delivered immediately.

Who Should Take This Course

Anyone can participate in this course.  You do not have to have any background or history of successful training.  Any pig of any age is capable of learning these important basic skills.  You can teach an old pig new skills!  If your pig is young you may want to consider our piggy preschool course first and then advance to this program.  There are no requirements though.

If you have a strong desire to serve your community, this is the course for you!  If you want to be an educator and ambassador for mini pigs out in the public, these skills will benefit your pig.  Would you like to help enrich the lives of children or elderly, there is nothing quite like a therapy visit from a mini pig.

If your pig is test authority in the home, this course will benefit you.  If you are experiencing the “terrible two’s”, it is time for some training.  Your pig was well when young, but doesn’t always cooperate now.  If your pig is getting heavy and you are looking for a good way to add some exercise to their life this course will benefit you.  Recent rescues or adoptions, this course will help you bond with your pig in a way that nothing else can.

Benefits

After completing this early therapy pet training course, you will be ready to go forward with the certification program with confidence and ease. When your pig is well trained and has mastered these important required skills you will find that you have fewer instances of aggression, or overall bad behaviors.   Your pig will be more manageable which will  reduce risks when you want to go out into your community.  You will build confidence in being able to manage your pig in public. Your pig will not be experiencing boredom.  As we know, a bored pig is a destructive pig.  Training is the best form of enrichment.  It is key for establishing who the boss is.  Your pig will look forward to the training sessions. You will build confidence in being able to manage your pig in public.  The end result, will be mutual trust and respect.

Your pig will learn these required skills for the AMPA Therapy Pet Certification Program:

• Sit
• Come
• Stay or Wait
• Leave it or Out
• Walking on a Harness & Leash
• Gentle Treat Taking
• Accepting of Touch all Over
• Stairs/Ramps
• Walking in Crowds

BONUS SKILL

• Fist Bump-this is our favorite pig greeting for meeting strangers or children.

When are the Classes

As you can see, there are many topics covered in this course.  This is a self paced, online course. You can complete the classes in your own time.  There are no scheduled classes.  You can work as quickly or slowly as your like.  It is best to limit training sessions with your pig to around 10-15 minutes when you reach Part 4.  Training in your free time.  Just before bed has an added benefit of helping your pig sleep well.

Find a room with no distractions.  Grab a rug if your flooring is slick.  Make sure your pig has had a good meal and is somewhat focused/rested.

You will begin the online video training after you sign up.  You have one year to complete the course, so there is no pressure.  We do recommend that you start as soon as possible.  It’s always best to start when you are motivated.  Feel free to skip around in the lessons at your comfort.  You may complete the skills in the order that you are most comfortable with.

You will find you will enjoy the short training session more than you would have expected.  It’s a nice break from the world with a good friend!

Please join the Mini Pig Training Academy Facebook group for support.

Join American Mini Pig Education group on Facebook to learn more about mini pigs.