Northern Lights Therapy Dogs

Northern Lights Therapy Dogs When words fail, dogs do not

Northern Lights Therapy Dogs was honored to attend the grand opening of the new Gallatin County Sheriff’s Office and Sea...
05/22/2026

Northern Lights Therapy Dogs was honored to attend the grand opening of the new Gallatin County Sheriff’s Office and Search & Rescue facility Tuesday.

Thank you for including NLTD and for the opportunity to serve alongside such dedicated men and women who work tirelessly for the safety of our community 24/7.

The dogs had a fantastic time practicing the environmental and site stability NLTD teams are known for — including watching helicopters land and take off, working around all the sights and sounds, and trying very hard not to sample the excellent ice cream going around. 🍦😉

Winston and Quincy even got to sit in the helicopter — officially ready for future in-flight therapy service! 🚁🐾

Thank you, Sheriff Springer, and everyone involved for a marvelous day and for all you do for everyone in Gallatin County and beyond.

Montana officially smells like spring again according to the dogs. 🌱🐾Which apparently means:• Rolling dramatically in th...
05/07/2026

Montana officially smells like spring again according to the dogs. 🌱🐾

Which apparently means:
• Rolling dramatically in the grass
• Staring at birds with deep personal concern
• Zoomies for absolutely no reason
• Refusing to come inside
• And bringing half the field home in their fur

The therapy work can wait for five minutes. Today was for sunshine, green grass, muddy paws, and bouncy dogs.

Honestly… we get it. ☀️

There’s a part of this work people don’t always see.At Northern Lights Therapy Dogs, we sometimes get asked to come back...
05/02/2026

There’s a part of this work people don’t always see.
At Northern Lights Therapy Dogs, we sometimes get asked to come back and visit someone we’ve known for a long time… when they’re at the end of life.

These visits are different.

Quieter. Deeply intentional. Dogs are highly focused.

Our dogs adjust without being told. They settle in, stay close, and offer a steady, deeply connected presence that doesn’t ask anything from anyone in the room, regardless of the patient's lucidity.

Sometimes a patient who hasn’t responded in hours will reach out. Sometimes they don’t. Both are okay.

What matters is that no one in that room feels nor is alone.

We’re there for the patient—but just as much for the family and the staff who have been walking alongside them.

No spotlight. No big moments. Just quiet, profound care from dog and handler both - reassurance and joy in life's final moments of connection.

It’s a privilege to be invited into that sacred space.

🐰 Easter recap from NLTD-We hope your weekend was full of everything good—family, sunshine, and maybe a little sugar.Our...
04/10/2026

🐰 Easter recap from NLTD-

We hope your weekend was full of everything good—family, sunshine, and maybe a little sugar.

Our contribution?
Knowing our dogs well enough to confidently say:

👉 bunnies are not part of the program 😄

So we’ll stick with what works—
steady dogs, strong teams, and showing up well for our community.

Happy Spring, everyone 🐾

This week, our teams are back at it—putting in the kind of work most people never see.Cortisol scent training is underwa...
04/02/2026

This week, our teams are back at it—putting in the kind of work most people never see.

Cortisol scent training is underway again, with blind testing built in and a 70% pass standard required - and we're passing!!!

What makes this training different is how we approach it. While many programs train detection first, our model builds relationship, awareness, regulation, and support—and then layers scent as a supporting tool.

Current research shows dogs process human stress through multiple channels, not scent alone, and we train accordingly.

A huge thank you to Jen and Ron Montana Murray Kennels Kennels for leading this work with excellence and integrity. Their commitment to doing this right sets the standard for our entire program.

And to our volunteers—taking time off work, school, and family responsibilities to train for two hours a day, last week and this week—your dedication is what makes this possible.

This is what it takes to build genuine, certified AACR Therapy Dog teams that can truly show up when it matters.

The most genuine April 1st girl we know- the Happiest of Birthday wishes to our Golden girl Tilly! She's worked so hard ...
04/02/2026

The most genuine April 1st girl we know- the Happiest of Birthday wishes to our Golden girl Tilly!

She's worked so hard with her Handler in all their training from Cadets to now doing incredibly well in Cortisol Training! So proud of you. ❤️🐶

Being the kind girl she is, she brought cupcakes to celebrate with the Team at class tonight- thanks Tilly!🧁🥳🐾Montana Murray Kennels

🚨 BIG ANNOUNCEMENT FROM NLTD 🚨After months of advanced training, we are proud to introduce our newest program: ...
04/01/2026

🚨 BIG ANNOUNCEMENT FROM NLTD 🚨

After months of advanced training, we are proud to introduce our newest program:

Self-Deploying Therapy Dogs™

That’s right—our dogs have reached a level where they will now:
✔ Identify stress while at home
✔ Book an Uber and Load themselves into vehicles
✔ Deploy independently across the Rocky Mountains
✔ Return home before dinner

We are currently working on:

Driver’s licenses and backpacks for all dogs
Insurance coverage
Not stopping for puppuccinos mid-call
Huge thank you to our trainers at Montana Murray Kennels, Ron Murray and Jen Osler, who know no bounds…we may have taken this too far.

…NOT! Happy April Fool's 😂!

Big week for our Northern Lights Therapy Dogs 🐾💛Our teams have been out supporting some of our favorite humans—school ki...
03/27/2026

Big week for our Northern Lights Therapy Dogs 🐾💛

Our teams have been out supporting some of our favorite humans—school kids—bringing calm, connection, and a lot of smiles.

And after the visits? The real grind continues.

Every evening, our dogs have been deep in Cortisol Training, building advanced AACR skills. Fun fact: dogs can be trained to detect cortisol (the body’s stress hormone) through scent alone—meaning they can sense stress before we even see it.

Proud of these incredible dogs and the humans behind them. This is heart + science in action.

🍀 Lucky? Nah. We’ve got dogs.This St. Patrick’s Day, we’re celebrating the real treasure—our amazing therapy dogs and th...
03/17/2026

🍀 Lucky? Nah. We’ve got dogs.

This St. Patrick’s Day, we’re celebrating the real treasure—our amazing therapy dogs and the amazing humans working hard
on the other end of the leash.

They bring the calm, the joy… and honestly, they are the pot of gold.✨

This week we’re feeling especially grateful for the incredible senior care communities we have the privilege of visiting...
03/11/2026

This week we’re feeling especially grateful for the incredible senior care communities we have the privilege of visiting each month in Bozeman, Belgrade, and Manhattan.

Behind every visit are remarkable staff members who care deeply for their residents every single day. Their kindness, patience, and dedication create the kind of environment where meaningful connections can happen.

And the residents themselves are a joy to spend time with. The stories shared, the laughter, the quiet moments with a gentle dog resting beside them — these visits are just as meaningful for our Handlers and Dogs as we hope they are for the people we serve.

One of the things we love most is how quickly our dogs seem to recognize they’ve arrived somewhere special. Tails start wagging a little faster, noses go to work greeting friends new and long-standing, and before long there are smiles all around.

To the staff and residents who welcome Northern Lights Therapy Dogs into your communities each month — thank you for trusting us and for making our visits such a bright part of our work.

We are grateful for each of you.

🐾💙

Address

96 N Weaver, Unit 396
Belgrade, MT
59714

Website

https://www.instagram.com/northernlightstherapydogs

Alerts

Be the first to know and let us send you an email when Northern Lights Therapy Dogs posts news and promotions. Your email address will not be used for any other purpose, and you can unsubscribe at any time.

Shortcuts

Share

Category