20/11/2025
Thoughts from my desk :) Have a read if you are interested in the ongoing discussions surrounding assessment standards in an unregulated industry, and how I am structuring my business to meet this gap.
As you are aware (if you're not feel free to send me a message and I'll send you a booklet that will help you understand all things about therapy dogs in Australia), therapy dogs in Australia are unregulated. By that, it means that every therapy dog in Australia is certified by an independent business, rather than to an organised standard.
This leaves us, as your assessors, quite open. It also leaves you, as particpants, quite open also (regardless of who you train through). In the past, I have trained and assessed all my therapy dog graduates. I have done so through my own certifications as a dog trainer and teacher.
Recently, I have felt the need to ensure a stricter standard. This is to protect my business name (so if anything arises and a complaint is made about the behaviour of a dog I have trained, then I can point to a less-subjective method of assessment i.e. not "the trainer trained me, and assessed me, and I passed"). It is also to protect you, so you too can share that your assessment was robust and objective.
To this end, I have partnered with another dog trainer independent of me. Her qualifications include a Certificate IV In Dog training and Behaviour through HANROB. I have asked this trainer to undertake all of the assessments on the final day of our course. While I will still provide all of the training of the dogs during the course, and while I will still be on site to watch, and provide feedback on the Thursday's assessments and re-assessments, however, I will not be conducting the final assessments.
What this means for my participants?
If you bring a dog for reassessment, or a new dog for assessment, they will be required to sit all the same tests we normally do, however, it will be with an external dog trainer at the helm and not I. In reality, this shouldn't make a difference, as it doesn't matter who is holding the pen, your dogs will show what they are capable of.
Also, as I write this, I know nerves will be sky rocketing. Please note, in the majority of cases, I am capable of training you and your dog to reach this standard in the time you attend the course- though equally it is always a recommendation to do my 3 day obedience course prior to attending. (Not compulsory though). The training cycle prior to the assessments has not changed. I will still teach your dog obedience, and will still be actively involved in all of your journey.
If though, you ever end up needing your certification reviewed (ie in the event of an incident occurring, or a new job etc), it is a protection for you that your certififcate embodies the external opinion of two dog trainers, one whom is an external body and did not participate in the actual training of you.
I do believe the changes will only strengthen the course (probably the nerves too on assessment day 🤣) but in the end are an upholding of principle and quality, which is what we need in an unregulated world.
If you got this far, thank you for reading. If you are looking for dates for next year's Therapy dog courses, I have the following:
Jan 12-15
April 13-16
Jun 29-Jul 2
Sep 21-24
I also have one Assistance Dog Bootcamp running:
March 16-19
All courses run out of Ararat, Victoria.
All courses are open and filling.
All therapy dog courses are $2000, 9am-4pm.
The Assistance Dog bootcamp is $2,500, and has a different schedule.
Reach out if you would like to discuss more or join up :) I'd love to have you.
