FAQ’s

There are no laws in Australia that govern animal assisted services. Legally, anyone can provide animal assisted services, and anyone can certify an animal to work in the field. There are, however, standards, guidelines and professional bodies to provide recommendations on best practice in the field. Our team are committed to the highest possible standards for clinical practice, training and certification of dog-handler teams, and health, safety, and welfare. Our Director, Melanie, has provided consultation, and published on the topic as part of her PhD research (see Melanie’s publications on our resources page). She is a committee member on the Animal Therapies Limited working group who developed the  in Australia.

Lead The Way is dedicated to the professionalisation of the field of animal assisted services. To this end, we have worked hard to develop partnerships and gain registrations with some of the most well respected bodies and organisations in Australia and internationally. Lead The Way has been granted full membership to the International Association of Human-Animal Interaction Organisations (IAHAIO) and , where our training courses and clinical services are listed. Our director, Melanie, is an active participant in research with various universities and committees in AAS, and guest lectures on AAS for La Trobe University. We are an approved provider of evidence-based clinical and training services via the Victorian Government’s Schools Mental Health Menu Fund, in partnership with Guide Dogs Victoria. Our team hold various qualifications and professional memberships also. You can find out more on the About Us page.

Before a dog begins their training journey towards Certification, we must be confident that they have the right personality, or temperament traits. This means that they will be much more likely to: A) succeed in the training process, and B) enjoy their future job. According to research, dogs are more likely to successfully complete the training if they have a confident and outgoing personality, they are not excessively hyperactive, they love people and being physically close to people, and they don’t show aggression [1-4]. Generally, dogs who are anxious or nervous, and dogs who are highly sensitive (e.g., easily startle at sounds, don’t like to be touched) even if they really like people, suffer stress and welfare concerns in this type of work. As a result, they are less likely to pass all of the training assessments.

Lead The Way has created the Suitability Checklist to help you determine if your dog has the right personality traits to begin their training journey.

References:

1. Jones, M.G., et al., Guidance on minimum standards for canine-assisted psychotherapy in adolescent mental health: Delphi expert consensus on terminology, qualifications and training. Human-Animal Interactions, 2023. 11(1).
2. Sakurama, M., et al., Selection of Appropriate Dogs to Be Therapy Dogs Using the C-BARQ. Animals (Basel), 2023. 13(5).
3. Winkle, M., A. Johnson, and D. Mills, Dog Welfare, Well-Being and Behavior: Considerations for Selection, Evaluation and Suitability for Animal-Assisted Therapy. Animals (Basel), 2020. 10(11): p. 2188.
4. Nawareca-Piatek, M., et al., Personality Assessment for Dogs in AAI (PADA), in Project ‘Preparation and Training of Human-Dog Teams in Dogs Assisted Education and Therapy’. 2020, Stowarzyszenie Zwierzęta Ludziom ul. Diamentowa: Warsaw.

No! and maybe…. Young puppies are highly sensitive, as their brains and bodies grow rapidly [5]. They require 18-20 hours of sleep per day, 3 to 4 meals, and regular toileting. The development of a regular and healthy routine for the growing puppy (including sufficient sleep and free play) is important to their welfare [6, 7]. There are also numerous risks inherent in having an untrained baby puppy in a workplace who may toilet inappropriately, vocalise, chew or bite etc.

Conversely, we know that “socialisation” is critical to the development of a well-adjusted adult dog. Time and again, studies show that “appropriate” and “adequate” socialisation and training can prevent life-long behavioural problems, HOWEVER, the socialisation must be controlled, progressive, and POSITIVE [8, 9]. Given their sensitivity, exposure to a stressful experience when young can have a lasting negative impact [10, 11].

Handler knowledge and experience can have a profound impact on the outcome of socialisation [9, 12]. Unfortunately, many owners over-estimate their dog’s enjoyment of “therapy dog” work (e.g., interacting with people) [13]. We therefore recommend that no person takes a dog into work for ‘socialisation’ without prior training, including specific knowledge on dog health and welfare, and body language. All socialisation done during the dog’s sensitive periods (up to 16 weeks of age) should occur in an environment where the handler can create adequate space/distance and processing time, can control the stimulus, and can leave whenever required (e.g. puppy classes, dog walks, play dates with known safe friends, NOT exposure to a class of children whom you are responsible for).

At Lead The Way, we conduct a temperament and behaviour assessment on dogs after beginning their training (once handlers have learned about welfare and behaviour), and not before 6 months of age, which is the time at which a dog’s temperament is more stable, and more predictive of their ability to cope [14-16]. At this time, handlers develop a socialisation and training plan that is implemented during a carefully managed work placement. Dogs are not certified to ‘work’ until at least 12 months of age.

References:

‘Trained’ dogs, ‘good’ dogs, or ‘friendly’ dogs, who have not been certified should not go to work. The training of your dog, while crucial, is only one small part of what you will need to be able to work in animal assisted services [17]. You, the handler, need to learn skills in dog training, but also managing stress and welfare, understanding health and safety, and knowing how to facilitate mutually rewarding interactions. You need to understand the legal and ethical obligations of the work, be able to develop and implement policies and procedures, and ultimately develop appropriate interventions for your clients, students, and participants. This all requires substantial time and effort, which should not be minimised [1, 17-19]. Having a LTW Certified dog requires much more than simply ‘taking your friendly dog to work’. The assessment that your dog will undertake explores much more than whether or not they are ‘friendly’ most of the time, or if they can sit when you offer them a treat [1]. Without professional guidance, you can’t know what you don’t know! This is where potentially catastrophic consequences (like dog mauling) can occur. At Lead The Way, approximately half of your training is focussed on dog handling and training skills, and the remainder is focussed on developing interaction skills, and gaining theory knowledge. With Certifications ranging from foundational to professional, you are sure to find the right level of training and support to fit your requirements.

References:

1. Jones, M.G., et al., Guidance on minimum standards for canine-assisted psychotherapy in adolescent mental health: Delphi expert consensus on terminology, qualifications and training. Human-Animal Interactions, 2023. 11(1).

   3.         Winkle, M., A. Johnson, and D. Mills, Dog Welfare, Well-Being and Behavior: Considerations for Selection, Evaluation and Suitability for Animal-Assisted Therapy. Animals (Basel), 2020. 10(11): p. 2188.

   20.       Peralta, J. and A.E. Fine, The Welfare of Animals in Animal-Assisted Interventions. Foundations and Best Practice Methods. 2021, Switzerland: Springer.

   21.       Mongillo, P., et al., Validation of a selection protocol of dogs involved in animal-assisted intervention.Journal of Veterinary Behavior: Clinical Applications and Research, 2015. 10(2): p. 103-110.

   22.       Townsend, L. and N.R. Gee, Recognizing and Mitigating Canine Stress during Animal Assisted Interventions. Veterinary Sciences, 2021. 8(11).

A great deal of your training can be completed online.  Self-paced online theory modules give you the background you’ll need to attend each of your practical (skills) training days. All students complete their initial 2 practical training days online. This gives the dogs a chance to focus on the skills they’re learning, rather than focussing on the distractions around them at the training centre. As teams progress through the training, you will be required to attend on site for some essential practicums and assessments. These include interactions with novel people, visiting public places (such as a park), simulated interaction scenarios (role-plays), and supervised community visits. In line with Australian [17] and international best practice guidelines [18], Lead The Way does NOT support training that occurs 100% online, and we recognise the importance of conducting some training and assessments in person.

Like many organisations, Lead The Way learned during the pandemic that there were some significant benefits to online training. Up until mid 2024, students were also permitted to submit video evidence for some assessment tasks. We found this method of assessment plagued with difficulties both for trainers and students. As a consequence, students are no longer permitted to submit pre-recorded video evidence for assessment tasks. We have highlighted below some of the key concerns that led to our decision:

• A significant number of students have experienced difficulties following the strict, standardised protocol for the assessment tasks, e.g., failing to video for sufficient duration, or missing a key instruction on how to perform a sequence of tasks during the video, which compromise the accuracy of the assessment, or render the assessment invalid. Needing to refilm and re-submit evidence is arduous for both students and assessors.
• Collating and submitting evidence in a timely manner is often challenging. To conduct a valid assessment, our team need to know that, at the time of assessment, the dog was deemed competent for ALL of their assessment tasks, e.g., obedience and training skills, veterinary and zoonotic clearance, temperament testing, and interaction scenarios. Spreading out each requirement over a prolonged period renders the assessment invalid.
• Students report challenges obtaining consent to film with people who are strangers to the dog. This may result in a student filming interactions with known people, or even household and family members. We have frequently observed that videoed interactions with known people are calm, whereas interactions with strangers are often excitable and enthusiastic. Given that the role of a visiting dog is to greet strangers and provide comfort and support to them, interacting with known people gives a distorted view of the dog’s ability to regulate and their true enthusiasm for doing the job.
• Assessments aim to observe the dog’s initial response to a range of different scenarios and environments to determine if their behaviours are safe and if the dog’s welfare is maintained. Students have reported difficulties with accessing novel environments, and/or challenges capturing video of their dogs approaching or entering the novel environment/scenario. This may result in the ‘video evidence’ commencing AFTER the dog has already explored or even habituated to the environment/scenario. Assessors are therefore unable to determine dogs’ ability to cope in a new environment.
• Video evidence could be refilmed if the dog behaves inappropriately. This compromises the validity and integrity of the assessment as assessors are unable to see the dogs’ true behaviours and ability to regulate in new situations.

The assessments for Certified therapy, school and visiting dogs are comprehensive and highly specific [4, 23, 24]. It takes a great deal of expertise in canine ethology/behaviour, welfare, and animal assisted services (AAS) to be able to assess a dog’s suitability for the work [1, 13, 25, 26]. Nevertheless, in order to facilitate a remote assessment for students, Lead The Way has previously allowed suitably qualified dog trainers to complete an online induction, and then conduct an ‘obedience’ test with our students as one component of their assessment. Throughout this process, Lead The Way identified the variability in perceptions, expectations, and experience of dog trainers working around Australia. It highlighted that even when looking at ‘simple obedience exercises’ our team relies on substantial behavioural, welfare and AAS knowledge (e.g., handler-dog communication and attunement, assessing a dog’s conditioned emotional responses). We were therefore not able to guarantee the accuracy of these assessments, and no longer support the outsourcing of any assessment component to a person who is not specifically trained and experienced in the assessment of therapeutic dogs. We have outlined below some of our major concerns, based on our own past experience, in attempting to induct remote trainers, and accept assessments from remote trainers.

• Remote trainer assessors may not be experienced enough to understand the high level of behaviour expected for Certified dogs. For example:
  • Misunderstanding the importance of a lack of aggression, reactivity and nervousness. For example: It may be considered ‘normal’ behaviour for a companion dog to show reactivity to another dog during a socialisation walk. However, our team could not accept this dog’s grading of “highly competent”, as any sort of aggression / reactivity is a red flag for a Certified dog.
  • Dismissing episodes of a dog barking at simuli in the environment.
  • Missing or dismissing subtle body cues indicative of aggression or fear. For example: Reporting body stiffening and resistance, but also marking a dog as “highly competent” during a resource sharing assessment.
  • Misunderstanding the guidelines for responsiveness and attunement between handler and dog. For example: Marking a cue ‘correct/first response’ when also reporting the handler had to ‘assist’ the dog to achieve the cue. Reporting a dog as ‘correct/first response’ to 49/50 cue repetitions, in contrast to the student’s video evidence which showed 0 first cue responses, and regular handler assistance was required. Marking a handler as competent but then providing further written information about their concerns with the handler’s mixed signals and at times poor handling.
• Remote trainers may experience personal and financial conflicts when assessing their clients. For example, a trainer who marked all assessment tasks as competent on the official forms but then called LTW to privately report all of their genuine concerns about the dog being Certified. Sadly the student was unaware of these concerns and was upset to be informed by LTW that their dog was not successful.

References:

1. Jones, M.G., et al., Guidance on minimum standards for canine-assisted psychotherapy in adolescent mental health: Delphi expert consensus on terminology, qualifications and training. Human-Animal Interactions, 2023. 11(1).

   4.         Nawareca-Piatek, M., et al., Personality Assessment for Dogs in AAI (PADA), in Project ‘Preparation and Training of Human-Dog Teams in Dogs Assisted Education and Therapy’. 2020, Stowarzyszenie Zwierzęta Ludziom ul. Diamentowa: Warsaw.

   13.       Jones, M.G., et al., Guidance on Minimum Standards for Canine-Assisted Psychotherapy in Adolescent Mental Health: Delphi Expert Consensus on Health, Safety, and Canine Welfare. Animals, 2024. 14(5).

   23.       Howie, A.R., Assessing Handlers for Competence in Animal-Assisted Interventions. New Directions in The Human-Animal Bond, ed. A.M. Beck and M.E. O’Haire. 2021, Indiana, USA: Purdue University Press.

   24.       Lewis, H. and R. Grigg, Dogs in Schools. Pedagogy and Practice for Happy, Healthy, and Humane Interventions. 2024, New York: Routledge.

   25.       Binfet, J.-T. and E.K. Hartwig, Canine-Assisted Interventions. A Comprehensive Guide to Credentialing Therapy Dog Teams. 2020, New York: Routledge.

   26.       Ng, Z., Strategies to Assessing and Enhancing Animal Welfare in Animal-Assisted Interventions, in The Welfare of Animals in Animal-Assisted Interventions. 2021. p.123-154

Visiting therapy animals need to be distinguished from assistance animals. Assistance animals are registered to provide specific support to an individual with an illness or disability, in order to mitigate or reduce the impact of that illness or disability. The most well known example would be seeing-eye or guide dogs for the blind. There is however, an increasing role for assistance animals, especially dogs. Dogs may be trained to perform a range of physical tasks for people, such as picking up objects, opening doors and alerting to sounds. Dogs have even been trained to detect early signs of seizures or blood sugar changes and are able to alert their owners. Because of their important functional and often life-saving roles, assistance animals are granted ‘public access’, legally allowing them access into public buildings, transport and even restaurants and hospitals, indeed anywhere their humans go. This legal right does not extend to pets or other animals working in AAI programmes. Whilst therapy dogs/pets are able to receive training or certification for insurance or legal purposes, they do not perform life-saving functions and are hence not allowed ‘public access’.

Many different animals work in AAS, from farm animals and horses to domesticated animals such as cats and dogs or small animals such as rabbits and guinea pigs. The different programmes offer different benefits and difficulties. Farm-based programmes are ideally suited to nature-based interventions which explore the notion of life-cycles, care-giving and animal husbandry. These types of programmes are bound to a geographic location, however, and require specialised staffing to manage, e.g. farm hands. As a result, they are best suited to residential or outreach services. Equine Assisted Therapy (working with horses) is a specialist field within AAS, as are horsemanship and riding programmes such as ‘riding for the disabled’. Like farm-based programmes, transport is comparatively difficult and as a result clients usually go to the animals. Small-animal and baby-animal programmes have increasingly been employed with young people experiencing behaviour problems, or with histories of abuse. Learning to handle small animals requires a calm and gentle hand and a great deal of nurturance. These programmes may rely on clients visiting the animals, or if the animals have been domesticated, it is possible for the animals to go to the clients. Drawbacks include the vulnerability of small animals and potential need to provide increased supervision or support to clients who may intentionally or unintentionally harm them. Domesticated animals are likely to be the most transportable of all types of animals used in AAS programmes. This enables them to visit clients in a myriad of situations, for example hospitals, schools and other settings. Whilst other types of programmes may provide many animals to handle, visiting domesticated animals often work in isolation. This potentially exposes them to burn out from over-work. In addition, if working with a group of clients they must be able to ‘share’ the one animal. This may however, offer a learning opportunity for clients in itself. Other types of animals, particularly less domesticated species, may still be incorporated into the environment when working in AAS. For example, clients may observe a fish tank, watch the birds in an aviary, or interact with a well socialised lizard. In all cases, and for all animals, those working with the animals should have a thorough understanding of the species, and an individual relationship with the animal, in order to maintain high ethical standards, welfare and safety.

By the 1990’s, the notion that animals make many of us feel good was being supported by physiological data. Studies examining heart rate and stress chemicals for example, showed that even relatively brief interactions with a pet (usually dogs) produced measurable beneficial effects. Longer-term interactions, such as pet ownership or companionship have been found to result in positive cardiac outcomes, such as living longer and recovering faster after a heart attack than non-owners. Elderly animal owners were also found to make fewer visits to their doctors, even during times of stress. Interacting with visiting-animals has also been shown to have an impact, as has the mere presence of animals in certain situations. The presence of a friendly dog may assist coping with stressful situations, for example helping adults or children to feel more at ease during doctors’ visits or medical procedures. People have also been found to perform better on mental challenges such as maths problems when a friendly dog is present. Even watching animals may produce beneficial effects, for example a drop in blood pressure (BP) and heart rate when observing birds (aviary) or fish (tropical fish tank). The presence of adult dogs or puppies in nursing homes has had positive impacts on residents suffering Alzheimer’s or other forms of dementia. Studies indicate less overall noise and aggression, decreased heart rates and increases in meaningful verbalisations and social interactions from residents. Some researchers feel these positive physiological impacts can be explained by the fact that animals can fulfil humans’ innate need for attention, affection and affiliation with others. It has been suggested that human-animal interaction results in a positive feedback loop that affects humans’ autonomic and sympathetic nervous systems, thereby reducing stress and anxiety chemicals. Researchers contend that between 5 and 25 minutes of positive interaction with a friendly dog can have positive impacts on BP, plasma triglycerides, skin conductance and various stress chemicals. They even contend that similar benefits may be produced in the dogs. It is likely however, that many of these results rely on a goodness-of-fit between the human and the animal. That is, if pet ownership produces undue stress or responsibilities beyond the capacity of the individual, any positive effects are likely to be ameliorated. Similarly one is unlikely to feel relaxed or at ease when patting an animal they are afraid of, or averse to – for example no measurable drop in blood pressure is found when subjects look at pictures of wild animals, versus positive responses when looking at ‘cute’ animals. The perception of ‘safety’ has also been found to impact positively on BP and stress physiology. The personal history and culture of the individual is also likely to influence this effect. Animals considered dirty, evil, or fierce are unwise matches. To some degree then, benefits are likely to mediated by the degree of attachment between owner and animal. There may also be some impacts associated with physical exertion, although the data to date is inconclusive. Whilst calm interaction has been found to moderate stress, results of active physical interaction are inconclusive.

Data is also emerging to support the mental health, cognitive, social and emotional benefits of Animal-Assisted Services (AAS) and Treatments (AATx). Research supports AATx as a useful method of stress and anxiety reduction, increased social interactions & motivation, improved mood, reduced aggression and continues to lend support to earlier notions of enhancing rapport and engagement. Studies conducted in adult psychiatric hospitals show a range of benefits to patients. AATx programmes have been found to increase pro-social behaviours and functioning for up to 12 months post the intervention. Other benefits found have been reductions in anxiety, depression and anhedonia and increased functioning and self-esteem. AAS programmes also attract the highest attendance rates and have above-average retention rates. Studies examining patient’s stress prior to medical procedures found that 15 minutes of simple interaction with a dog produces a positive “feel good” response and by 30 minutes shows a reduction in ‘state anxiety’. Studies conducted across a variety of settings support the above findings for adults and children. Dog training AAS programmes run in adult prisons have shown great improvements in self-efficacy via achievement, having a social role or function and thereby improving self-worth and self-esteem. With younger prison populations similar programmes have shown social skill development and cognitive development via learning tasks and impulse control. Research indicates that dog training and animal care programmes (e.g. farm based programmes) facilitate behavioural control for disinhibited or impulsive young people and result in a drop in oppositional and aggressive behaviours. They help develop emotional regulation, self-awareness and skill development further resulting in improved social skills (pro-social behaviours and verbalisations) and empathy (especially in humane education). Farm-based programmes may have additional benefits in that they can explore life-cycle issues including parenting, grief and loss and social/pack behaviours. Research published by our Director, Melanie, has explored the impact of psychotherapy with canines, and found tht it has beneficial impacts. You can find Melanie’s publications on our Resources page.