Our Blog

Almost any breed will do

Therapy dogs are becoming more widely used in Australia and around the world. However, the term therapy dog itself is often defined in a few different ways, depending on which professional you are talking to.

Canine Comprehension are ROAR Awards Finalists

We are excited to announce that Canine Comprehension are Finalists for the prestigious ROAR Awards, in two very important categories. That of Fearless Educator and Best Advocate for Mental Health.

A therapy dog's welfare must be taken into consideration.

Our dogs are such an important part of our business. We would not be able to connect with our clients and understand their needs as quickly as we do because our dogs help break down those barriers and build trust.

A non-negotiable in our industry -  The Therapy dog must be safe with the children

Learn about the importance of training for therapy dogs before they get brought in to schools.

What our customers want to feel

We have learnt from experience that in order to build good customer relationships you need to see your clients as individuals. Individuals who are seeking a resolution to their unique problems.

Ask our CEO, Sarah: How do you handle your work/ life balance?

Learn how Sarah has managed to create a work/life balance that works for her.

2022 Victorian School Star Choices Guide

Returning to onsite learning, schools continue to have a huge task of managing students' educational outcomes and balancing mental health after the social deprivation and uncertainty that COVID 19 brought to their families.

Living the Queen Life: Margaret Foley Podcast Chat with Sarah Macdonald

In this episode my guest is Sarah MacDonald of Canine Comprehension. Sarah Macdonald is CEO & Founder of Canine Comprehension. After changing careers from a secondary school teacher to a dog behavioural therapist Sarah decided to combine the two and create an innovative business that looks for solutions to school disengagement and child resilience building.

Dogs in schools - how can we manage it safely?

The aim of this report is to endeavour to answer the question: Should dogs be in schools and how can we do it safely?

Accessible support all over Melbourne and beyond

Canine Comprehension’s Vision is to provide accessible support to young people through dog-assisted learning.

Canine Comprehension will be exhibiting at the Source Kids Expo in June

There are almost 850,000 people in Australia under the age of 25 years with a disability. The Source Kids Expo provides a space to give information to those caring for and working with these children and young individuals. After two years of lockdown, the opportunity to showcase our beautiful therapy dogs at this event is just fantastic!

Dogmanship Training is Canine Comprehension’s official dog training partner

We understand the importance of initial and ongoing training for our therapy dogs, as it builds confidence in the dog and assurance in the handler. This is why we are pleased to announce our partnership with Dogmanship Training.

Caring with canines

Sarah Macdonald, Director of Canine Comprension had any article featured in the Australian Catholic University (ACU) Alumni News about how Canine Comprehension came about and how it works.

Tips & Talks - Dogmanship Training Podcast

In this episode I interviewed Sarah, the CEO of Canine Comprehension. Their highly trained educators conduct our programs to deliver calmer school environments.

#Never Alone Podcast

Join hosts Joe and Mark as they discuss the topic of Animal Assisted Therapy. They interview Sarah Macdonald about her experience in this industry and her background that lead her to become an Animal Assisted Therapist.

A Helping Paw - Star News Cranbourne

In classrooms around the country, a quiet, pooch-led revolution is taking place. Animal-assisted education is helping students to focus, try new things and stay calm in the classroom with the assistance of a therapy dog to guide them.

Wagging School

Classroom time for students in need of support just got a whole ot better with the introduction of a four-legged assistant.

How we look after our amazing therapy dogs

I'm sure our dogs experience a range of emotions including happiness, anxiety, fearfulness and excitability. How they behave and their body language can help our tutors to understand what they are feeling and whether they are physically and mentally fit and healthy.

Why we do what we do

We give people hope. Hope that inclusive schooling and communities can be functional. Hope that kids wont be left behind because they are ‘too naughty’ / 'not attending' or their problems and their behaviour are just
‘too hard’. 

Our thoughts on relationship building with our students

Relationship building is a core ethic of ours that ensures Canine Comprehension tutors are investing in the relationships of their students and caregivers to best achieve shared goals.

Pathway to Employment

Offering dog assisted programs in Mallacoota

We are delighted to be able to offer funded animal assisted programs to facilitate supportive connections in the Mallacoota area and surrounding locations.

New Schedule Structure for Programs

We are beyond grateful for your continued support and loyalty to our school programs. We have come up with different ways for your schools to work with our programs. 

Would you like a visit from us in term 4?

We know your young people and staff require some extra attention and kindness.  We know we can help.  We will be offering Canine Comprehension Club sessions throughout term 4.

Running Individual Mentoring Term 3

Our mentors and dogs will be able to recommence face to face mentoring in term 3, and will be managed on a case-by-case basis.

Try Animal Assisted Education online!

Many parents are wondering how to minimise the emotional impact the pandemic is having in a way that will be reassuring and not make kids more frightened. We believe the most effective & responsible way Canine Comprehension can care for the community, has been to go online.

Reflections on Resilience: Lessons Learned During COVID-19 Lockdowns

Feeling the impact of the uncertainty related to COVID-19 was very unsettling for many of us; we realised that young people are feeling this anxiety also. We believed the most effective & responsible way Canine Comprehension could care for the community, was to go online.

Judges Comments - Stevie Awards

Read through some of the Judges comments on Sarah's Award from the 2019 Stevie Awards.

Winner of the Silver Stevie® Award

New York, Times Square – November 16, 2019 and Sarah Macdonald, CEO and Founder of Canine Comprehension has been named the winner of a Silver Stevie® Award in the  Female Entrepreneur of the Year in Asia, Australia or New Zealand.

Sarah is a finalist for the Stevie Awards!

Our CEO is off the New York for the 16th Annual Stevie Awards Dinner. She has been nominated as a finalist for the Female Entrepreneur of the Year in Asia, Australia or New Zealand.

A journey from kids to dogs ... and back again

Let me tell you a little about how I ended up training dogs to teach kids how to learn. I have always loved dogs. I have always loved stories. I didn't always love reading. When I was a kid, I often hated being in the classroom. I found school work difficult, boring and often pointless.

Let’s talk about cleanliness

Our AAI dogs are in classrooms and homes everyday. Having a dog work around children requires that dog to have the highest standards of training, cleanliness and manners. 
 

My dogs helped me manage stress and anxiety

I have a pretty unique job. I run a company that brings therapy dogs into schools to help young people widen their perspective around mental health so they can get to a place they are ready to learn. And I love my job!

AAI: What is it?

The Canine Comprehension team dedicate their days to encourage children to enjoy learning. The ‘tools’ we use to motivate children are Animal Assisted Intervention (AAI) dogs.

10 quick tips to improve your child’s reading

In this post we talk about tips for improving your child's reading and give you 10 quick tips to help you keep them interested and ensure they enjoy reading into the future.

Have you heard of the National Positive Education Schools Association (PESA) conference?

Yearly, close to 1000 educators and researchers from around the world attended. PESA is Australia’s Positive Education national peak body. Its mission is to lead, promote and foster the implementation and development of Positive Education, enabling all students, schools and communities to flourish. 
 

Remarkable Pets Podcast

Big thanks for Vanessa and Natalie for interviewing us on the Remarkable Pets Podcast. 

7 tips to help adults with kids homework

Homework! A word that puts a dark cloud of fear and loathing into the minds of many students. It also stirs negative emotions in the parents of those students. Homework often means parents having to nag and argue with their child to finish it.

The kids want a puppy?

We have all read the heart-warming stories of children with ASD connecting to his/her dog in a way they had never done before. We all know the bond between man and dog and our heart swells when we hear of those who experience difficulties connecting, making that important relationship with their dog.

That’s why I love my job

As an education specialist, dog trainer and Director of Canine Comprehension, I believe we need to widen the perspectives of our students and offer them tools so they can mentally get to a place where they are calm and ready to learn.

A Reminder to be Mindful of My Students Worries

Oscar, my dog and co worker had to go to the vet yesterday. He had an odd lump on his gum, which had turned funny and we thought we better get it checked out. The vet wanted to surgically remove it, just in case it was something nasty. So I found myself at the vet hospital at 7.00am dropping the little guy off for a day procedure.

Training our AAI dogs

One of our biggest challenges when talking to potential clients about how Canine Comprehension can improve the lives of young people through Animal Assisted Intervention (AAI) activities is explaining the high training expectations of our dogs. 

Start Fresh for the New School Year – Be Prepared!

Successful grades are not a matter of studying hard before the exam. They are about all the work you have done throughout the year to get you there. If you can start your school year in January, rather than February, when school commences, then you are already ahead of the game. You should be doing some work during the holidays to prepare you for success in 2019.

Nurture their imagination.

As Albert Einstein put it: "Imagination is everything. It is the preview for life’s coming attractions.”  Therefore we should encourage a child’s imagination. We are passionate about getting kids to dream big and articulate those dreams. 

Holiday travel with kids and dogs.

As the end of the year approaches all I am thinking about is holidays. As we drag our way through November many of us will be taking time off over the Christmas break to spend with our families.

How to help your child move from primary to secondary with a smile

For some kids the transition from primary to secondary is easy. Many of their friends will be joining them and they love their new three-sizes-too-big uniform. For others it can be harder.

My dogs help me manage stress and anxiety

I have a pretty unique job. I run a company that brings therapy dogs into schools to help young people widen their perspective around mental health so they can get to a place where they are ready to learn. And I love my job!

My Dog Hamish

Using dogs to lower anxiety around learning and assisting in maintaining a positive attitude to school work is a fairly new approach to education around the world. So why did I think it would work? I have experienced it myself.

Encourage your child to read

When it comes to children's literacy you can usually divide children into two camps. 

Have you met: Chachka and Jovana

Chachka is a 3 year old mixed breed dog who makes many of our students smile, feel more comfortable at school and encouraged to learn. Jovana, our Tutor rescued Chachka from ‘Starting Over Dog Rescue’ in February 2016. She was found wandering the streets pregnant when she was only one year old.