Assistance Dog Training

Thoughtful, ethical preparation for real-world assistance work

At Paws & Reward, we support individuals and families through every stage of the assistance dog journey—from choosing the right dog through to preparing for public access and beyond.

Our program is designed to prioritise welfare, suitability, and real-life reliability, ensuring that both dog and handler are set up for long-term success.

Important Program Information

  • Assistance dogs are defined under the Disability Discrimination Act 1992 (Cth) as dogs that are specifically trained to assist a person with a disability.

    They are trained to perform tasks that support their handler in daily life and to behave appropriately in public environments.

    Assistance dogs can support people with a wide range of challenges, and training is tailored to the individual needs of the handler.

  • At Paws & Reward, our training programs are currently focused on supporting both children and adults in the following areas:

    • Autism

    • ADHD

    • PTSD and other psychiatric conditions

    • Deaf or hard of hearing

    👉 If you are seeking support outside of these areas, please feel free to contact us to discuss your situation—we’re happy to guide you where possible.

  • Training your own assistance dog is a significant commitment.

    • Training can take up to 2 years

    • It requires consistent practice between sessions

    • There is a financial and time investment

    • Not all dogs will be suitable for this type of work

    ⚠️ Even with training, there is no guarantee that a dog will be appropriate for assistance work—especially if they were not originally selected for this role.

    Our goal is to provide honest guidance and clear direction at every stage.

  • To participate in this program, handlers should:

    • Have a disability as defined by the Disability Discrimination Act 1992

    • Be over 18, or have a parent/carer actively involved

    • Be able to attend training sessions over an extended period

    • Commit to regular practice between sessions

    • Have support from a healthcare provider regarding the use of an assistance dog

    • Be willing to wait until their dog is ready before accessing public spaces where pets are not permitted

  • While each dog is assessed individually, suitable candidates typically:

    • Have no history of aggression toward people, dogs, or other animals

    • Are physically healthy

    • Are generally under 3 years of age

    • Do not have significant behavioural concerns (e.g. severe fear, separation anxiety)

    • Show traits that make them trainable and adaptable

    Some breeds and temperaments are more suited to assistance work than others, which is why early guidance is so important.

Training Paths

  • For those considering getting a puppy or dog for assistance work

    Choosing an appropriate dog is one of the most important steps in the assistance dog journey.

    This 1-hour private virtual consultation is designed to help you make an informed decision before bringing a puppy or dog home and improve the likelihood of choosing a suitable assistance dog prospect.

    We discuss:

    • Suitable breeds, breed traits and individual temperament

    • Matching a dog to your lifestyle, needs and intended assistance work

    • Puppy, adolescent or adult dog considerations

    • Rescue vs breeder considerations

    • What to look for when choosing a breeder, puppy or adult dog

    • Early development and socialisation priorities

    • The time, training and financial commitment involved in owner-training an assistance dog

    • Realistic expectations of the assistance dog training process

    Where appropriate, we can also discuss individual puppies or dogs you are considering.

    Important: While careful selection can improve the likelihood of choosing a suitable assistance dog prospect, no puppy or dog can be guaranteed to develop into a suitable assistance dog.

    Investment: $160

  • Building the foundations for future assistance work

    The Assistance Dog Foundations Program is designed for puppies and young dogs who are being raised with future assistance work in mind.

    At this stage, our focus is not on determining whether your puppy will ultimately become an assistance dog. Instead, we concentrate on developing the behavioural and emotional foundations that will give them the best opportunity to succeed.

    The program includes:

    • 1 x 1.5-hour initial consultation

    • 3 x 1-hour follow-up sessions

    • An individualised training plan

    • Training resources and guidance to support your progress between sessions

    Training may include:

    • Engagement and handler focus

    • Calm behaviour and emotional regulation

    • Loose lead walking

    • Settling and relaxing in different environments

    • Neutrality around people and other dogs

    • Appropriate socialisation and exposure based on your puppy's age and development

    • Confidence and recovery following new or unexpected experiences

    • Disengaging from environmental distractions

    • Cooperative handling and husbandry skills

    • Building effective communication and reinforcement skills between dog and handler

    • Preventing behaviours that may create difficulties for future public access

    The specific skills we work on will depend on your puppy's age, development, temperament and individual needs.

    As your dog approaches adulthood, a more meaningful assessment can be made regarding whether they are ready to progress towards assistance-specific and public access training.

    Important: Participation in Assistance Dog Foundations does not guarantee that your dog will ultimately be suitable for assistance work. Temperament and behaviour continue to develop as dogs mature, and suitability is monitored throughout the entire training journey.

    Program Investment: $680

    ➡️ The next step is an Assistance Dog Candidate Assessment from approximately 12 months of age.

  • Assessing readiness to progress into assistance dog training

    As your dog approaches adulthood, we can begin to more meaningfully assess whether they currently demonstrate the behavioural and emotional characteristics required to progress into assistance-specific training.

    This 90-minute comprehensive assessment considers your dog's behaviour, temperament, foundation skills and ability to cope with the types of environments they may encounter as an assistance dog.

    We may assess:

    • Emotional stability and ability to regulate arousal

    • Confidence in unfamiliar environments

    • Response to unfamiliar people and dogs

    • Environmental, noise and movement sensitivity

    • Startle response and ability to recover

    • Frustration tolerance

    • Ability to disengage from distractions

    • Ability to settle for extended periods

    • Handling tolerance

    • Trainability and motivation

    • Foundation skills including loose lead walking and handler engagement

    • Behaviour in public environments

    • The relationship and communication between dog and handler

    • Any signs of fear, anxiety, reactivity or aggression that may affect future assistance work

    Following the assessment, we will discuss one of three possible pathways:

    Recommended to progress
    Your dog currently demonstrates the characteristics required to begin an individualised assistance dog training program.

    Further development required
    Your dog may benefit from additional training, maturity or behavioural development before progressing. We will provide recommendations and, where appropriate, arrange a reassessment.

    Not currently recommended for assistance dog training
    We have identified concerns that mean progressing towards assistance work is not recommended at this stage. We will discuss our concerns with you and provide recommendations for alternative training or support where appropriate.

    Ongoing suitability
    Assistance dog suitability is an ongoing process rather than a one-off assessment.

    A dog's behaviour, emotional wellbeing and ability to cope with the demands of assistance work will continue to be monitored throughout training. Progressing beyond this assessment does not guarantee that a dog will ultimately be suitable for assistance work.

    Dogs develop at different rates, and some dogs may require additional time before they are ready to progress.

    Dogs over 2 years of age: Please contact us before booking so we can discuss your dog and circumstances.

    Investment: $195

  • Individualised training tailored to your dog and support needs

    Dogs who are recommended to progress following their Assistance Dog Candidate Assessment can begin an individualised training program.

    Every assistance dog and handler team is different. Rather than using a one-size-fits-all program, we develop a training pathway based on your dog's existing skills, temperament, emotional development and the specific assistance work they are being trained to perform.

    Your training program may include:

    Advanced Foundation Skills

    We continue developing the reliable everyday skills required for assistance work, which may include:

    • Loose lead walking

    • Reliable recalls

    • Position and stationing behaviours

    • Duration behaviours

    • Handler engagement

    • Disengagement from distractions

    • Calm behaviour around people and other dogs

    • Settling for extended periods

    Public Access Training

    Training gradually progresses into real-world environments appropriate to your dog's individual stage of development.

    This may include:

    • Settling calmly in public places

    • Navigating shops, cafés and other community environments

    • Moving through crowds and confined spaces

    • Lifts, stairs and different surfaces

    • Food environments

    • Public transport where appropriate

    • Remaining focused around people, dogs and environmental distractions

    • Recovering appropriately from unexpected events

    Assistance-Specific Task Training

    Where appropriate, we can help develop and train specific behaviours designed to assist with your individual needs.

    Task training is tailored to the dog-handler team and progresses alongside foundation and public access training.

    How long does training take?

    There is no set number of sessions because every dog-handler team begins at a different point and progresses at a different rate.

    Following your Candidate Assessment, we will recommend an initial training plan based on your dog's current skills and the level of support required. This plan can then be reviewed as training progresses.

    Suitability continues throughout training

    Progression into assistance-specific training does not guarantee that a dog will ultimately be suitable for assistance work.

    Your dog's behaviour, emotional wellbeing and ability to comfortably cope with the demands of assistance work will continue to be monitored throughout the program.

    If concerns arise, we may recommend additional foundation training, pausing assistance-specific training, reassessment or an alternative training pathway.

    The welfare of the dog remains an important consideration throughout every stage of the program.

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Frequently Asked Questions

  • All dogs must complete a suitability assessment before entering any assistance dog training program. This allows us to assess the dog’s temperament, emotional stability, confidence, recovery skills, and suitability for public access work.

  • No. The assessment helps determine whether your dog may be suitable to progress into training, but not all dogs are appropriate for assistance work. Some dogs may find the lifestyle stressful or may not cope well with public environments.

  • Potentially, yes — suitability is based more on the individual dog’s temperament, health, resilience, and ability to cope with the demands of public access work rather than breed alone.

  • If your dog is not suited to assistance work, we will discuss this honestly and compassionately with you. In some cases, dogs may still benefit from pet dog training or other support programs.

  • This varies significantly depending on the dog, the handler’s goals, training consistency, public access readiness, and the complexity of the required tasks. There is no fixed timeframe.

  • No. Paws & Reward does not currently accredit assistance dogs directly. Clients seeking formal accreditation or Public Access Testing (PAT) will need to complete this through an approved pathway or relevant authority.

  • Where appropriate, we can assist with developing the skills commonly required for public access work. However, testing and accreditation requirements may vary depending on the pathway or organisation involved.

  • No. Airlines often have their own accreditation pathways, documentation requirements, and approval processes for assistance dogs travelling interstate or by air. We cannot guarantee airline approval or assist with obtaining airline travel permissions.

  • Not necessarily. Even dogs with existing training skills may need foundation work in areas such as emotional regulation, public access manners, disengagement, confidence, or handling skills before progressing further.

  • Yes. Paws & Reward uses positive reinforcement and force-free training methods designed to support both welfare and long-term learning.