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In Australia, therapy dogs are typically trained by their handlers to prepare them for therapy work. Therapy dogs are not assistance dogs and are not trained to provide specific health support. However, they can provide comfort, companionship, and emotional support to individuals and groups. They can also help with behavioural, mental health, and physical issues. While therapy dogs in Australia do not legally require accreditation, it is highly recommended and often required by the places they visit. Organisations such as Therapy Dogs Australia, Delta Therapy Dogs, Therapy Animals Australia, and Therapy Dogs NSW provide training and certification for therapy dogs.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Therapy dog training courses | Based on current research, delivered by qualified and experienced allied health and dog training professionals |
| Animal-assisted therapy (AAT) | Used by health professionals to describe pet therapy and other animal-based therapies |
| AAT session | Run by a therapist who sets specific goals for each session and works to achieve them through guided interactions between the patient and the animal |
| AAT accreditation | Highly recommended and often required by the places therapy dogs visit |
| AAT in Australia | No nationwide standard or certification process, availability of therapy dogs and related programs can vary between states and territories |
| Therapy dog organisations in Australia | Delta Dogs, Therapy Animals Australia, Therapy Dogs Australia, Therapy Dogs NSW, Velma's Pets as Therapy |
| Therapy dog handlers | Display confidence in handling their dog in a variety of situations, quick-thinking, able to apply previously learned information to problem-solve novel situations |
| Therapy dog role | Provide companionship and emotional support, promote improvement in physical, social, emotional and/or cognitive functioning of the client |
| Therapy dog public access rights | Therapy dogs do not have public access rights, they can visit most places with permission |
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Australia's therapy dog training landscape
Therapy Dogs Australia is one such organisation, offering training services for therapy dogs of all breeds. They provide training and accreditation in both Australia and New Zealand, and their courses are based on current research and delivered by qualified and experienced allied health and dog training professionals. Therapy Dogs Australia trains the dog and the therapist together, ensuring they can work effectively and ethically as a team.
Delta Therapy Dogs is another prominent organisation, with over 25 years of experience in providing therapy dog services across Australia. They assess and train volunteer teams, consisting of a dog and its handler, to bring comfort, joy, and support to people in hospitals, aged care, schools, and more. Delta Therapy Dogs also have a strong focus on the human-animal bond, recognising the unique benefits it can bring to health, education, and community settings.
Other notable organisations include Therapy Animals Australia, which provides training and accreditation in Victoria, and Therapy Dogs NSW, which offers NSW-based therapy dog training and certification.
While therapy dogs in Australia do not require accreditation by law, it is highly recommended and often required by the places they visit. The accreditation process typically involves assessing the dog's obedience, temperament, and suitability for therapy work. A good therapy dog should be calm, gentle, friendly, and able to handle unexpected situations without becoming anxious.
It is important to note that therapy dogs are not assistance dogs or service dogs, and they do not have public access rights. Therapy dogs provide companionship and emotional support but are not trained to give specific health-related assistance. Individuals interested in obtaining a therapy dog usually train their own dog and undertake certification to become a pet therapist. The training process can address most behavioural issues, but more complex problems like aggression and high anxiety may require longer periods for improvement.
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Therapy dog suitability and temperament
While therapy dogs in Australia do not need to be accredited by law, accreditation is highly recommended and often required by the places therapy dogs visit. Organisations like Therapy Dogs Australia, Delta Therapy Dogs, Therapy Animals Australia, Therapy Dogs NSW, and Velma's Pets as Therapy provide certification that assesses the dog's suitability for therapy work, including its ability to behave appropriately in a variety of settings.
The accreditation process typically involves a rigorous assessment of the dog's obedience and temperament. A good temperament for a therapy dog includes being calm, gentle, and friendly. Therapy dogs must be sociable and enjoy interacting with people. They should be well-behaved, able to handle unexpected noises, movements, and diverse groups of people without becoming anxious or aggressive, and show a high level of obedience to commands from their handler.
Therapy dogs work in a range of different situations, so it's important that they can be controlled easily in stressful or noisy settings and maintain a calm demeanour even when faced with unfamiliar situations or when receiving lots of attention. They should be able to ignore distractions and love to be petted.
In addition to the dog's temperament, the handler's ability to control the dog in various situations is also assessed. The final stage of training often includes testing and certification of the dog's suitability for therapy work.
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Handler suitability and requirements
Therapy dog handlers must be confident in handling their dog in a variety of situations. They need to be quick-thinking and able to apply previously learned information to problem-solve novel situations. It is important that handlers are committed to building animal-assisted therapy (AAT) into a professional and ethical field that considers the welfare of both clients and canines.
Therapy dog handlers do not need to be the dog owners; in fact, therapy dogs are typically trained by their handlers to prepare them for therapy work. Organisations like Therapy Dogs Australia offer training services for therapy dogs of all breeds.
In Australia, therapy dogs do not have public access rights, meaning they cannot go into public spaces without permission from the owner/management. However, therapy dogs can visit most places with permission, including nursing homes, schools, hospitals, funeral homes, and allied health practices.
While there is no nationwide standard or certification process for therapy dogs in Australia, accreditation is highly recommended and often required by the places therapy dogs visit. Organisations like Therapy Dogs Australia and Delta Therapy Dogs provide certification that assesses the dog's suitability for therapy work, including its obedience and temperament.
Therapy dog handlers should be aware of the behavioural requirements for their dogs. Therapy dogs should be calm and gentle, friendly and sociable, well-behaved, and able to handle unexpected noises, movements, and diverse groups of people without becoming anxious or agitated.
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Therapy dog accreditation and certification
While therapy dogs in Australia do not need to be accredited by law, accreditation is highly recommended. Certification ensures that therapy dogs meet certain standards of behaviour and training, which helps maintain safety and effectiveness in their therapeutic roles. Organisations like Therapy Dogs Australia and Delta Therapy Dogs provide certification that assesses the dog's suitability for therapy work, including their ability to behave appropriately in a variety of settings.
The accreditation process typically involves a rigorous assessment of the dog's obedience and temperament. A good temperament for a therapy dog includes being calm, gentle, and friendly. Therapy dogs must be sociable and enjoy interacting with people. They should be well-behaved and able to handle unexpected noises, movements, and diverse groups of people without becoming anxious or agitated.
There is no nationwide standard or certification process for therapy dogs in Australia, and the availability of therapy dogs and related programs can vary between states and territories. Australian therapy dog organisations operate independently, and people looking to train a therapy dog must typically engage with specific organisations that offer training and placement.
Several organisations provide training and certification for therapy dogs in Australia. Therapy Dogs Australia offers training services for therapy dogs of all breeds and provides training and accreditation in both Australia and New Zealand. Delta Therapy Dogs trains and accredits volunteers to provide Animal-Assisted Therapy (AAT) sessions across Australia. Therapy Animals Australia trains and accredits therapy dogs and is based in Victoria. Therapy Dogs NSW provides New South Wales-based therapy dog training and certification.
Therapy dog training courses are typically based on current research and delivered by qualified and experienced allied health and dog training professionals. The training often includes testing and certification, with the dog and therapist trained together to work effectively and ethically as a therapy team. Individuals interested in obtaining a therapy dog for therapeutic use usually train their own dog and undertake certification to become a pet therapist.
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Places therapy dogs can visit
While therapy dogs in Australia do not need to be accredited by law, accreditation is often required by the places they visit. Organisations like Therapy Dogs Australia and Delta Therapy Dogs provide certification that assesses the dog's suitability for therapy work, including its ability to behave appropriately in a variety of settings.
Therapy dogs can work in hospitals, palliative care, dementia wards, aged care facilities, mental health facilities, schools, workplaces, and more. They are handled by a trained allied health therapist or medical professional such as an occupational therapist, psychologist, or counsellor.
Therapy dogs provide comfort, emotional support, and therapeutic benefits to those in their care. They can help promote the "love hormone" oxytocin, which is associated with empathy and relationship-building. They can also help clients balance their emotions, drive social interactions, and motivate them to attend and participate in therapy sessions.
It is important to note that therapy dogs are different from assistance dogs or service dogs, which are trained to give specific health-related support to individuals with disabilities. Therapy dogs do not have the same public access rights as assistance dogs.
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Frequently asked questions
Therapy dogs provide companionship and emotional support. They can assist with behavioural and mental health conditions, physical disabilities and illnesses by reducing anxiety, increasing a sense of community, and encouraging routine.
Therapy dogs are not trained to give specific health-related support. Therapy dogs do not have the same rights as assistance dogs, such as public access rights.
There is no nationwide standard or certification process for therapy dogs in Australia. Therapy dogs do not need to be accredited by law, but accreditation is highly recommended. Organisations like Therapy Dogs Australia and Delta Therapy Dogs provide certification that assesses the dog's suitability, including obedience and temperament.
A therapy dog should be calm, gentle, and friendly. They should be sociable and enjoy interacting with people. Therapy dogs should be well-behaved and able to handle unexpected noises, movements, and diverse groups of people without becoming anxious or agitated.
Organisations like Therapy Dogs Australia offer training services for therapy dogs of all breeds. Training is also available from Therapy Animals Australia (based in Victoria), Therapy Dogs NSW, and Velma's Pets as Therapy.
