Therapy Dog Names

Introduction

The benefits of interacting with animals are numerous, it has been shown to drastically reduce the amount of the stress inducing hormone cortisol, improve overall outlook, and even to reduce blood pressure. In many stress inducing situations, such as hospitals, schools, and nursing home communities, it may not be appropriate or feasible to bring our own canine companions. In many of these situations, therapy dogs are brought in to help comfort those who are experiencing distress. They are trained to calmly handle a number of situations so that they can provide emotional support to all types of people in all sorts of places that might make other dogs nervous. Therapy dogs are there to offer their unconditional love to whoever needs it, no matter the person's race, religion, gender, or mode of dress.

Therapy Dog Names in Pop Culture

Featured Famous Therapy Dog

Dolce

Studies show that pets can be extremely beneficial for emotional stability and healing. There are some people who love animals but are unable to properly care for them due to mental, physical, financial, or psychological barriers. There are places where it's simply not feasible for family pets to wander the halls, such as crowded schools, hospitals, and the majority of workplaces, and this is where the job of a therapy dog fits into the picture. Unlike service dogs, therapy dogs are not trained to perform specific tasks for a disabled person, but they do require enough training to be calm and well-behaved in crowded, confusing, and emotional situations. They also do not focus their time and attention on just one person when they are working. Instead, they are brought to facilities like hospitals, schools, nursing homes, and other places where people tend to be in need of some comfort.

Even the FBI, an arm of the law known more for their efficiency and determination than their warmth, has recognized the positive effects that our canine companions can have on our outlook and have employed their first therapy dog, Dolce, to help provide a calming influence for victims of crime and their families. Rachel Pierce, a child psychologist with the FBI, developed crippling rheumatoid arthritis which sometimes made regular daily chores excruciating. Instead of giving in to the pain, Rachel acquired Dolce in 2004 from a local shelter with the intent to train him as a service dog; he learned to help with laundry, turn lights on and off, and pick things up off of the ground. While Dolce made an excellent service dog for Rachel, she could see from his interactions with the people around her that he had much more love to give, and she began training him to be a therapy dog as well. It took several years of training for Dolce to learn all he needed to know, under the supervision of an organization known as Pet Partners. He passed the certification test to prove that he was properly trained to demonstrate rigorous behavior standards, both civilian and military, and now he and Rachel work together to help the FBI by calming victims and witnesses, allowing for less chaotic interactions as well as helping those who have experienced trauma to relax somewhat, hopefully making it easier give a clear, more fact-based account of emotionally charged situations, including situations involving kidnapping, violent burglaries, and child pornography.

Therapy Dog Name Considerations

There are several ways in which to choose a name for a new canine companion. Some people name their pets based on their favorite books, movies or shows, while others prefer to choose a name that is inspired by their favorite activities, like a geologist who names their dog Rocky or the astronomer who elects to dub their pooch Star. If you have selected your new dog as a good candidate to work as a therapy dog, you can derive a name based on their future career as well. Therapy dogs need to be calm and composed in many different situations and it helps if they are also friendly, compassionate, and have a generally happy demeanor. Names that reflect these traits, such as Daylan, which means compassionate joy, or Filomena, which means loves mankind, may be appropriate for dogs with this career path. The names of mythological gods and goddesses that express those traits, such as Quan-Yin, a well-known Chinese goddess of compassion and mercy, or Belun, a Slavic god of light and peace would work well. Another option is to honor a particularly influential therapy dog, like Jofi, Sigmund Freud's dog, or one of the winners of the American Humane Society's Hero Dog Awards in the therapy dog category, such as the winner of last year's award Chi Chi, or that of the first dog to receive the honor in 2011, Stacey Mae.

Male Therapy Dog Names

Votes	Name	Vote
0	Gareth A Welsh and English name which means gentle
0	Hudson Awarded the American Humane Society’s Hero Therapy Dog award in 2015, Hudson became one of the first dogs to be fitted with a prosthetic paw
0	Jeb A Greek name that means healer
0	Mendel A Yiddish name which means he who comforts
0	Sparticus An Akita who was one of the first therapy dogs to arrive at the Sandy Hook tragedy, who continued to visit the campus in the months that followed
0	Xander A Pug dog who became a therapy dog after he had to have his eyes removed
-1	Aladdin Awarded the American Humane Society’s Hero Therapy Dog award in 2017, Aladdin was a victim of severe abuse before becoming a therapy dog
-1	Barney An Americanized derivative of the Hebrew name Barnabus, meaning comfort
-1	Belun A Slavic god of light and peace
-1	Blanket Blankets are seen as symbols of comfort and security
-1	Corwynn An English name that means friend of the heart
-1	Dainan A name from Australia that means kindhearted
-1	Daylan A name from India that means compassionate joy
-1	Foster A name meaning to encourage, cultivate, or nurture
-1	Hector A Pit Bull-type dog who was rescued from Michael Vick’s dog fighting ring and became a therapy dog
-1	Iason A Greek name that means healer
-1	Jingles The dog of Boris Levinson in the 1960s, Levinson eventually became known as the father of animal-assisted therapy in some circles
-1	Jofi Sigmund Freud’s dog, who often attended therapy sessions
-1	Kuuipo A Hawaiian name that means my sweetheart
-1	Nari An Italian name that means cheerful
-1	Pal A pal is another name for a good friend
-1	Rafiki A Swahili name that means kind friend
-1	Sereno A name from Latin-America that means calm and serene
-1	Smoky A Yorkshire Terrier who was not only credited as the first recorded therapy dog but also helped run a telegraph wire for a crucial airbase during WWII
-1	Sunrta A Hindu god of happiness
-1	Takoda A name from the Sioux nation that means a friend to everyone
-1	Wadi An African name that means calm and peaceful
-2	Atuf An African name meaning affectionate and kind hearted
-2	Erasmo A Spanish name that means friendly
-2	Euston An Irish name that means heart

Female Therapy Dog Names

Votes	Name	Vote
2	Hope Therapy dogs often provide hope for their patients
0	Althea A Greek name which means one who brings healing
0	Chi Chi Awarded the American Humane Society’s Hero Therapy Dog award in 2018, Chi Chi is a quadruple amputee who was previously abandoned in South Korea
0	Cocomama An Incan goddess of health and happiness
0	Florence Florence Nightingale’s findings helped to encourage the study of animal-assisted therapy
0	Mango Awarded the American Humane Society’s Hero Therapy Dog award in 2016, Mango lost the use of her back legs in a car accident and utilizes a canine wheelchair
0	Stacey Mae Awarded the American Humane Society’s Hero Therapy Dog award in 2011, Stacey Mae delivered teddy bears and stuffed animals to kids in hospitals and adults in nursing homes
-1	Achelios A minor Greek goddess whose name means she who washes away pain
-1	Comfort The name Comfort was often used after the Protestant Reformation and meant to strengthen greatly
-1	Dolce The FBI’s first therapy dog, stationed in the FBI’s Memphis Division
-1	Dyre A Scandinavian name that means dear heart
-1	Eir A goddess of healing from Scandinavia
-1	Elle Awarded the American Humane Society’s Hero Therapy Dog award in 2013, Elle helps people to overcome their fear of dogs and started a therapy dog reading group
-1	Elsa A Pit Bull-type dog that became a therapy dog, despite being left without the function of her back legs due to a spinal embolism
-1	Filomena An Italian name that means loves mankind
-1	Grace A word meaning courteous goodwill
-1	Irene A Greek goddess of peace
-1	Lexy Lexy was the name of the first therapy dog stationed at Fort Bragg
-1	Mercy Compassion or forgiveness, usually given by someone in authority
-1	Pax The Roman goddess of peace
-1	Quan-Yin A Chinese goddess of compassion and mercy
-1	Rehema A Swahili name that means compassionate
-1	Samkhat A Babylonian goddess of happiness and joy
-1	Stella Awarded the American Humane Society’s Hero Therapy Dog award in 2012, Stella was a regular at nine different programs where she visited up to twelve times a week
-1	Susie Awarded the American Humane Society’s Hero Therapy Dog award in 2014, mixed breed Susie was mistreated by a previous owner before becoming a therapy dog
-1	Tomoko A Japanese name that means one who is friendly
-1	Una A name from Iceland that means friendly
-1	Yein A name meaning kind and gentle from China
-1	Yoga Many people learn yoga to feel calmer and more centered
-2	Rhea Greek mother to the gods, also known as a goddess of comfort and ease