The Dogs

While PTSD Dogs Australia concentrates on training and supplying PTSD Service Dogs (also known as Assistance Dogs), sometimes the dogs do not meet the high standards required by the program but it is not the end for the dogs. Because we have been very selective in choosing suitable dogs for our program, we end up with very well trained dogs that can meet needs other than as a fully qualified Service Dog.

There are basically 3 categories that our dogs can fall into;

  1. Assistance Dogs
  2. Therapy Dogs
  3. Companion Dogs

We do not charge our Veterans and First Responders for Assistance dogs however we do welcome any help an applicant may be able to give to help raise funding. Therapy and Companion dog applications are assessed on an individual basis and may have fees associated.

Assistance Dogs

A fully qualified Assistance or Service Dog is not a pet or a ‘companion’ dog and has the same public access rights as a Guide Dog for the blind, they undergo the same Public Access Testing (PAT) and can accompany their handler on aeroplanes and other public transport, it is illegal for any business to refuse entry to a certified Service Dog.

Assistance dogs are trained to perform a range of tasks and behaviours for people with a disability. Some assistance dogs know more than 50 assistive tasks.

Assistance dogs are not to be confused with a therapy/emotional support/companion dogs. Companion dogs generally have not been trained to undertake specific, identifiable tasks and behaviours to reduce the person’s need for support and is therefore not recognised under the Act.

If you have a dog already, we may be able to assist you to train that dog and obtain certification as an assistance dog. It should be noted that not all dogs will be suitable for the rigorous training required to become certified.

Apply for Assistance Dog
Train your own Assistance Dog

Please Note: we do not recommend puppies (less than 12 months) for people with PTSD

Apply for a Therapy Dog

Fees may be applicable

Therapy Dogs

Therapy Dogs provide therapeutic and emotional support however they are usually used to provide support for more than one handler. Therapy Dogs can be used in nursing homes, hospitals, dental surgeries and a whole range of other placements to help ease nervous patients or calm workers after a stressful situation.

Therapy Dogs have been used in Ambulance stations as a stress relief when crews return from horrific accident scenes and have been accredited with lowering the rate of PTSD within these services.

Therapy Dogs are almost the same as Service Dogs and meet most of the criteria required for certification however they are not required to perform specific tasks for their handler and it is at the discretion of business owner to allow access.

Companion Dogs

Companion Dogs, also known as Emotional Support Dogs provide therapeutic and emotional support to their owner through companionship.

Companion Dogs are not generally task trained however they are well-behaved by normal pet standards. This means they are fully house trained and do not display bad habits that would disturb neighbors such as frequent or lengthy episodes of barking. They do not pose a danger to others or show any aggression.

While a Companion Dog is not certified for Public Access they can easily be controlled in public areas where pets are usually allowed such as cafes.

Apply for a Companion Dog

Fees may be applicable