Dog Training
We support owners in gaining the knowledge and skills they need to train and work in partnership with their own dogs using science-backed, R+ techniques.
Temperament Assessment Training
A volunteer therapy dog team need to master the following skills:
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Keep 4 Paws on the Floor
Therapy Dogs should keep all four paws on the floor, and never jump or put paws up. In certain circumstances, small dogs may sit on a chair.
Calmly Get Into and Out of a Car
Therapy Dogs should keep all four paws on the floor, and never jump or put paws up. In certain circumstances, small dogs may sit on a chair.
Calmly Get Into and Out of a Car
Greet People Politely
Therapy Dogs should greet people calmly and politely. They should not lick and should remain in place. Dogs should accept being stroked or handled by the assessor.
Walk on a Loose Leash
Therapy Dogs should walk on a flat collar on a relaxed lead without excessive pulling. They should be under their owner's control without correctional aid.
Walk on a Loose Leash
Behave Around Food
For their own safety, dogs should ignore dropped food and other items on the ground. Therapy Dogs should be able to gently take handler-provided treats from the assessor.
Be Able to Enjoy the Visit
Dogs should remain relatively stress free throughout the visit and enjoy meeting new people. They should quickly recover from a loud noise or disturbance.
Be Able to Enjoy the Visit
Dogs perform as they are trained to do; what may seem like failure results from us putting them in situations they are not trained to handle. Our aim is for you to see, recognize, and understand the dog in front of you, not the dog you wish you had. Then we encourage you to take responsibility for making bite sized improvements every day.
Dog Training Workshops
Learn to see the world through your dog's eyes!
Back to Basics: Essential skills
Building Focus & Engagement
"Heel" and Loose Leash Walking
Trick Training & Engagement
Mastering "stay" through boundary games
Our dog training workshops are held in blocks a few times per year. These blocks last for a 4-6 week period, with each block focusing on specific concepts and skills.
These workshops prioritise building the owner's knowledge and technique over directly training the dog. This approach encourages owners to take responsibility for training and practice regularly at home. The biggest differences happen with small, consistent practice.
Becoming a Working Therapy Dog Team
Public Access Training
Public access training equips working dogs with the skills to effectively handle stressful environments. This training is gradual and focuses on principles like habituation and counter conditioning, which help dogs become accustomed to potentially scary stimuli. It also trains the critical skill of learning to "settle" and switch off, even in unfamiliar places away from home.
To become a working therapy dog team in a professional environment as an educator or allied health professional, the training needs to be expanded to include public access and task training.
Task Training
Task training is an integral part of training a working Therapy Dog, where your dog performs specific tasks to assist you in your practice. We collaboratively decide on a minimum of two tasks based on your dog's natural abilities and your professional needs. Additionally, basic skills like making eye contact with service users are also trained in our working dog program.
