the fact they jump on laps and such is the reason that most places require therapy dogs be certified thru agencies. certifying means the dog has been trained to be comfortable around hospital equipment, crowds, noises, wheelchairs, it can be left alone while the handler does something, it is used to "leaving" items on the floor ..such as food, pills etc, it won't snatch food from patients, or react when another dog or animal approaches, etc.

so I guess you could say they don't need to be registered but most facilities want a dog that has been registered by an agency and passed their tests (skills, medical, insurance coverage, and handler skills). it just is better for everyone.

example...I go to a sr home for people with psychiatric issues...one of the residents has decided that my dog is "hers" and she gets angry when he interacts withy other residents.....to the point where she follows us and screams, and gets physical. my dog is trained to react calmly to this. same when another dog is in the home (a pet of a residents family). that dog leaps, barks and jumps at him. my guy sits calmly and just looks at it.

yea I could just buy a vest & say he's a therapy dog but I know the training & certification have made us a better team & a better asset to the places we serve. & our certification is valid nationwide.