DOG THERAPY TRAINING
Accredited Pet Therapy Dog training.
THREE TYPES OF EMOTIONAL SUPPORT DOGS
There are different types of emotional support dogs and purposes. A qualified therapy dog is not the same as a qualified service dog.
Service dog
Is a highly trained dog that has been taught to fulfill the needs of person with medical needs (e.g. vision impairment, Autism, PTSD), as such the team have a legal access to most public arenas such as restaurants and supermarkets. The training and accreditation often take several years and training often starts at a puppy age. Alan is experienced with training towards achieving qualifications* in this area.
*Victoria – an Assistance Animal Pass is required and issued by Public Transport Victoria permitting assistance animals to travel on public transport and public access areas. The pass is valid for 3 years.
Therapy Dog
A pet therapy team is traditionally trained to visit a variety of types of facilities such as
- hospitals
- retirement homes
- nursing homes
- schools
- hospice care
- disaster areas
Visiting people within a facility as a pet therapy team can be a fantastic community service not only helping people with their visits but also giving dog owners a great sense of doing good and meeting a wide range of interesting people. Classes/workshops are held regularly to certify dog teams. Next class 14th November (Cheltenham)
Personal Therapy Dog
Training of your pet dog to be an emotional support dog for a particular person without the high level of training and qualifications can be undertaken with us – we call this a Personal Therapy Dog. A certified Therapy Dog wears a jacket but doesn’t have the rights of a fully accredited service dog. Classes/workshops are held regularly to certify dog teams. Call Alan for more information. (Alan 0411 705 686)
“ Pet therapy is one of the most effective ‘medicines’ “
Canine Therapy School Program
A Canine Therapy school program is designed for schools (both Primary and Secondary) to have regular dog visits to serve as an emotional support team/animal. These dogs can be an accredited teachers’ dog (regular workshops/accreditation available) or a trained team* who visit regularly in a group environment.
A school therapy dog can be used in a group setting type scenario or as a specific or very small select group of students.
Many children struggle with general learning and social skills, which can be caused by any number of factors from children with specific learning disorders, to past negative experiences, to their family environment – any of these can flow on to create a child who may struggle with the school environment. This can be detrimental to ongoing learning and ostracize them from generating friends and ‘fitting in’ in group social settings.
A regular visit to a student/s in a school has shown to support students by giving them emotional support, thereby encouraging a more positive outlook about themselves, both increasing their self-esteem and self-confidence. This in turn can help with academic study and social confidence with their peers. Therapy dogs (dogs in general) are naturally ‘disarming’ and often people (not just students) are more likely to ‘open up’ and discuss their feelings with a dog being present. Dogs are commonly used in reading programs (e.g. Story Dogs) as are they are non-judgmental and have a calming effect on students and their learning. Therapy dogs can also help a struggling student social confidence with direct interactions by them handling a therapy dog and mixing with other students, with attention being shared between the dog and student.
Visits (therapy or class discussions) from our dog teams are available. Please call for more details to discuss your requirements. ($140/hr min 2 hours – Bayside Melbourne)
Therapy Dog Workshops/Accreditation
Every second month (Monday evenings – Cheltenham) 2 x workshops and in facility assessment
General facilities Cost $425
Schools Cost $595
(excludes therapy vest cost (additional $65)
*(we do not position ourselves in place of a counselor or psychologist).
Why Choose Us
- Operating 15 years of experience
- Friendly knowledgeable staff
- no cruel practices or punishments
- positive reinforcement techniques
- assertive and balanced training approach
- member of the AAPDT
LET US KNOW HOW WE CAN HELP!
Click below to find out when the next class starts