Calmer classrooms and happier homes.
Enhancing physical & mental wellbeing for better learning opportunities.
Group Connections
Holistic Growth through school collaborations. Targeted group programs enhance social skills, confidence, study, and self-regulation, while incorporating therapy dogs adds an extra dimension to nurture success through comprehensive development, fostering emotional well-being and resilience.
Government Funding is available.
More InfoIndividual Growth Hub
A transformative journey with our individualised sessions, where mentors and therapy dogs collaborate to foster resilience, motivation, and positive relationships, paving the way for success. Our NDIS Eligible programs have a proven impact on learning outcomes, ensuring holistic growth and development.
More InfoAdult Mind Matters
Professionally endorsed programs focusing on mental health in the workplace offer a unique opportunity to build your team's motivation, resilience, and joy, with therapy dogs playing a vital role in reducing stress, enhancing well-being, and promoting a positive, productive work environment.
More InfoMeet the therapy dogs.
Life-changing school visits
CommBank Australian of the Day CEO Sarah: Unlocking Educational Goals with Dogs & Children. Improve Parental Peace of Mind.
Promoting community and literacy
Dog Ears: A Collaboration with Victorian Libraries. Friendly Furry Companions Enhancing Social & Emotional Outcomes, and Love for Books!
Innovation in education
CEO Sarah on Winning the Enterpunership, Innovation, and Leadership Award: A Unique Solution for Learning Readiness and School Success.
From the Blog
Testimonials
The mentor was able to engage the students and relate to the strategies to the students needs. I was extremely happy with the content of the program. The students were happier at school and even the staff were able to learn some more strategies to help them. I couldn’t be happier with the program and the impact it has had on our anxious at risk students.
- Assistant principal, Mount Ridley College
Extremely happy with the content
Sarah brings together her passions and vibrance for her work with young people coupled with an outstanding ability to train dogs a therapeutic aids. The clients Sarah has been working with have complex behavioural and socioemotional requirements.
The unique idea of incorporating dog assisted therapy and children's educational needs has served our clients well through weekly tutroing in their homes.
- Anonymous Carer, Berry Street, residential care home.
Dogs a therapeutic aids
Alison and Jet were fantastic in building instant rapport and trust with our students. Alison was professional, warm and direct with the facilitation of the program which suited the needs of our students. She showed flexibility and adapted to the overt presentation of students e.g. Some behavioural issues and continued with the program in a non-judgemental way. Our students responded well to the program especially to Jet who they looked forward to seeing and physically connect with eg. Patting and hugging Jet and asking him to perform tricks….Overall, a very good program.
- Lynall Hall Community School: Island Campus, Youth Worker
Professional, warm and direct.
We are very grateful that this program is being held at our school. Dan and Bubbles are a perfect fit and she is an absolute delight. Calm, patient and cute what else could you ask for? Dan is well prepared patient and great with the children. Other teachers just happen to be passing by and drop in. Importantly the children in the group bonded very quickly and are becoming more relaxed during the session. Thanks very much.
Karen Guest - Melton Primary School.
Truly appreciate Mini's extra efforts to make each child feel seen and heard. Her enthusiasm and warmth is infectious and she comes so well prepared to a create a safe, engaging and fun session. Thank you Mini for meeting the needs of our children and giving them a wonderful experience!
Please pass on to the fabulous Mini :)
Jen Mega - Melton West
FAQs
What is Dog Assisted Learning?
Some children have a hard time at school and struggle with learning and friendships. Canine Comprehension support students in understanding their learning process better. A well-trained dog and a mentor will work with an individual or a group throughout the term. Through weekly attendance, young people may have more positive feelings about themselves and school. The presence of a dog can make awkward or tough conversations a little easier because the focus is not on the students. As a result, your child may feel less anxious, more in control of their emotions, or have made new friends.
Our focus is to:
- Help them discuss their worries about learning
- Learn more about possible triggers
- Learn strategies and develop confidence in managing them
- Practice mindfulness techniques
- Assist young people in developing interpersonal and social skills, managing their emotions and empathy for others, and enabling better connections in their learning environment.
What are your qualifications and experience?
Our Director, Sarah, holds a Bachelor's as well as a Master's in Teaching. Sarah writes all of the curriculum and pedagogy documents used in our programs. She also consults closely with the tutors on educational and classroom management issues.
The Canine Comprehension team is a wealth of knowledge and invested in lifelong learning. We aim to employ various educational and social justice backgrounds, such as teachers, social workers, occupational therapists, nursing, counsellors, and school administrators. Our tutors have experience working with young people with various needs and enjoy the challenge of helping struggling learners connect with their education. Please see our ‘meet us page to learn more about each tutor.
All of our Tutor / AAE dog teams have the highest certifications of Animal Assisted Therapy available in Australia. Most are trained through Lead the Way Institute and are reassessed annually to maintain certification. The tutors also have access to dog trainers, who can help them with improving manners, trick training and specific behaviour with their working dog.
All of our Tutors hold a current driver's licence, Working With Children Check and First Aid certificate.
What do the AAE dogs do in schools or mentoring sessions?
The dogs have many jobs. Their main goal is to assist young people in calming, connecting and focusing so the tutor can do their job more effectively. A few examples of how we use dogs are:
- Mindfulness sessions teach young people breathing techniques by watching a snoozing dog.
- Agility exercises, where young people have to problem solve and effectively communicate to get the dog through the course.
- Games with the dog, where the young person has to work out more robust and weaker motivators for the dog.
- Dog body language study, where young people discuss the zones of regulation the dog may be experiencing.
What is the evidence for using a AAE Dog?
ust petting a dog can reduce the petters blood pressure and heart rate (Get Healthy, Get a Dog, Harvard Medical School) and having a pet dog in the home was associated with a decreased probability of childhood anxiety (Gadomski AM, Scribani MB, Krupa N, Jenkins P, Nagykaldi Z, Olson AL. Pet Dogs and Children’s Health: Opportunities for Chronic Disease Prevention).
For kids with anxiety and school refusal the use of the therapy dog as social lubricant cannot be denied (Menzies, 2003; Kogan, Granger, Gitchett, Helmer & Young, 1999; Baker, Pandurangi; Best, 2003). There are numerous studies citing the benefit of being with a dog, they show that having a dog present will increase a persons likelihood of having positive social interactions with others. (Mallon, 1994; Hart, 2000) Studies where kids are able to take the dog for short walks (Fine, 2000) show improved therapeutic outcomes for clients.
Studies have shown that learnings and effects from these AAIs can last well into 12 months after the client has worked with the dog (Barker et. al, 2003). Hanselman (2001) recommends that group interventions with your people should consist of at least10 sessions to make sustained behaviour change. Kogan, Granger, Fitchett, Helmer & Young, 1999 report that dog training intervention (just like the courses we run) resulted in improved pro social behaviour such as eye contact, smiling and posture and a reduction in negative behaviours.
Canine Comprehension also has their own independently collated research by School Focused Youth Service. You can read more here.
What is your diversity policy?
Canine comprehension has a welcoming attitude to diversity and is committed to embracing and eliminating all forms of discrimination in the education sector and allied health services. Canine Comprehension welcomes all people irrespective of ethnicity, lifestyle choice, faith, sexual orientation and gender identity.