Breeder of potential Assistance and therapy dogs

Assistance dogs are recognised as medical or psychiatric aids. These animals are specially trained to support individuals with disabilities both at home and in public settings. In Australia, they are granted legal rights and protections beyond those of regular pets. According to Section 54A of the Disability Discrimination Act (DDA), there are limited circumstances where access to public spaces can be lawfully refused. 

While the law does not specify exactly what constitutes acceptable evidence of an Assistance Dog, any proof provided must clearly demonstrate that the person has a disability, the dog is trained to assist with that disability, and that the dog maintains appropriate standards of cleanliness and behaviour suitable for public environments.  In NSW any dog that is considered an Assistance Dog must sit the PUBLIC ACCESS TEST.

Assistance dogs may be trained through various means—by their owner, through formal training programs, or by organisations. There are organisations that specifically train AD's and pass them onto handlers when they have passed the PAT. There are organisations and private trainers that will work with privately purchased puppies and their owners at the owners expense to ensure that the dogs are trained with their handler and are able to pass the PAT.  There are a few breeds that are well accepted by the public as ADs  - these being the Labrador, Golden Retrievers, Standard Poodles and the Collie Dog.

At Fairway Creek, we do not train Assistance Dogs, however - the solid foundation of training that we put into our puppies from a very young age sets our puppies up for success in being trained to become Assistance Dogs.  We consider what we do in the raising and conditioning of our puppies significantly contributes to the success in the training of our puppies who go on to a career in Assistance work.  

The training we do with our puppies comes from a researched based program by Bonnie Bergin, an American canine researcher.  Bergin founded the Canine Companions for Independence, the first program to train Assistance dogs.  Many institutions and organisations for Assistance dogs base the training of their puppies on Bergin's research.

We are happy to work with Minddogs, Connect, PTSD Dogs, or any other organisation you choose to support your puppy and dog’s training. Our goal is to find a puppy that best suits your specific needs.  Selection of your puppy can be made in consultation with your chosen trainer, or we are happy to select your puppy with our knowledge of their temperaments through our training.

It is however, essential that we connect and have communication with your trainer before the puppy leaves our care. It is important that you have a clear understanding of the ongoing training requirements for an Assistance Dog, including the time, financial commitment, and level of responsibility involved.

Our priority is your puppy’s success. Therefore, we will only pass on a puppy for Assistance work once we are confident that you have the appropriate training support in place to meet your individual needs.

Accreditation for a PAT (Public Access Test) can take up to two years. Before purchasing, please ensure you have thoroughly researched the time, financial costs, and long-term commitment involved in training a future Assistance dog.

Please be aware that the failure rate for owner-trained dogs can be high, often due to insufficient socialisation and lack of consistent behaviour generalisation in public environments.

Refunds or replacements will not be offered if your dog does not pass the PAT.  It is highly recommended that you are consistant with early socialisation and necessary that you are working with a qualified, independent trainer during this critical stage.

Therapy Dog Australia provide courses based on current research, for qualified and experienced allied health and dog training professionals, as well as members of the community who would like to work as a volunteer in this area. They train the dog & the owner/therapist together, to work effectively and ethically as a therapy team to work in settings such as hospitals, schools, nursing homes, jails and a whole range of settings where animals are considered beneficial for the patient or client.  

Animal Assisted Therapy (AAT) uses animals in therapy to achieve specific goals, benefiting both adults and children. Research highlights the positive impact of the human-animal bond, with animals enhancing engagement and rapport between therapist and client through their non-judgmental and loving presence. AAT reduces anxiety, increases relaxation, social interaction, and communication, and motivates clients to engage.

Animals, particularly dogs, communicate through body language, making interaction easier for clients with social difficulties.