Helping Idaho Dogs Inc

Our volunteers work hard to accomplish Helping Idaho Dogs' goal through our programs, which include:

Therapy Dogs (Healing Paws):

Studies continue to prove what dog lovers have known in our hearts for years – the unconditional love and companionship between people and pet dogs improve emotional and physical well-being in many ways.

We provide volunteers with resources, training, and ongoing support to be effective registered therapy dog teams. Our teams respond to requests within our community to visit people in difficult situations. People of all ages enjoy petting and spending time with our therapy dogs!

Examples of locations that our therapy dog teams visit are hospice centers, medical facilities, rehabilitation centers, senior living centers, schools, and libraries. You can find our therapy dog teams bringing joy and smiles to people at community events.

Humane Education:

Humane Education is described as teaching compassion and respect for living things. It can also include training about the environment, compassionate treatment of other people and the interconnectedness of issues pertaining to people and the planet.1

Our goal is to educate people on compassion, empathy, respect, responsibility and safety around dogs. Our trainers are working towards becoming Certified Humane Education Specialists through the Humane Society of the US.

We train children in schools and other locations, using our well-trained therapy dog teams to practice the safest approaches around dogs. It is rewarding to see children gain the knowledge and understanding of how to be safe around dogs!   

Educating People and Events (Retrieving Dreams):

Educating people offers the dog lover or dog professional high-quality educational events, seminars and workshops on a variety of topics. The subjects include canine health and behavior as presented by local, national, and international dog professionals.

We believe education provides people with the knowledge and tools that they need to become better informed dog owners, and to have a positive, high-quality relationship with their dogs.

Training Dogs (Good Dog):

Nothing is more rewarding than having a loving, well-mannered dog! We support our therapy dog teams with compassionate dog training classes and workshops.

Our commitment to Idaho’s communities is taken seriously by providing 'donation only' training to shelter and rescue dogs. Our trainers work hard to help these dogs learn the skills they need to become more adoptable and remain in their forever homes. These dogs are taught to become good citizens in our community. It is heartwarming to watch a dog transform over time with the right training!

Our volunteers love to train and work with their own dogs! Our lighthearted Trick Team is fun for everyone! The Trick Team performs at special community events and settings where the therapy dog teams visit. People smile, relax and enjoy watching the Trick Team's shows! 

Your support allows us to continue to give back to our community and enhance the lives of others. Thank you!

1.Wikipedia and Institute for Humane Education