CPD Standards Accredited | 5 ⭐ Rated | Created Especially For Schools

Train A Life-Changing School Therapy Dog

Bring Calm, Confidence & Connection Into Your School

Watch how a Therapy Dog can unlock calm, connection, and confidence in your school and discover why hundreds of schools are calling this programme “life-changing.”

Join 1600+ professionals & organisations certified with PAWS:

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About PAWS Therapy Dog Training

PAWS Therapy Dog Training provides world-leading education and support to Schools and Educational establishments who wish to incorporate a highly-trained Therapy Dog into daily life to support the mental health, wellbeing and learning of their children and young people.

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Some Of Our Incredible Dogs In Schools...

Created Especially For Schools

Accredited By
CPD Standards

Recommended By Local Authorities

5-Star Rated
on Trustpilot

What's Included?

The PAWS School Therapy Dog Programme is a comprehensive training programme with edge-to-edge support, including regular in-person sessions, to assist you in seamless integration of your Therapy Dog in school.

Online Learning With High-Quality Video Lessons
Created for busy people!

Each module comprises of bite-sized, high-quality video lessons, confidence building practical tasks and fun quizzes. We’ll teach you (and your dog!) everything you need to know and do to become a brilliant therapy dog partnership.

Ongoing Termly School Visits With A PAWS Trainer
To Accelerate Your Progress

Each term, you'll be visited by an experienced PAWS Trainer to troubleshoot training skills, integrate your Therapy Dog effectively within the school, and get the very best out of interventions with students.

Comprehensive, School-Specific Resources On Tap
Including Lesson Plans, Literacy & Numeracy Resources

You'll also access comprehensive resources including lesson plans, legal documents, risk assessments, training journals and key stage appropriate intervention plans - written by teachers, for teachers!

School-Specific Online Support Sessions
With Nici Maxwell, Founder of PAWS

Every half term, you'll be able to access School-Specific support sessions via Zoom video with our PAWS Founder and Dog Training experts, to help you along your journey.

Online Community Group
With fellow Schools & Handlers

With PAWS, you're never on your own - you'll access our online community of 400+ fellow schools, school staff and educators to connect, share and support.

Private In-Person Therapy Dog Assessment & Annual Reassessments
With an expert PAWS Assessor

When you and your dog are ready to graduate, you’ll undergo an in-person assessment with one of our experienced team at your school to ensure that your dog has all of the right qualities and skills to support your students.

What Practitioners Say About PAWS...

Your School's Investment

Your first year with PAWS gives you everything you need to successfully train, integrate, and support your School Therapy Dog - with expert guidance at every step.

School Dog Programme

Pay in Full: £3,550 + VAT (£4,260 incl. VAT) - saving £708

Ideal for schools starting their school dog journey and looking for a complete, hands-on programme.


Includes:
➢ Full access to our professional online training platform
➢ Hundreds of expertly designed lesson plans and school resources, with new content added regularly
➢ Three in-person training visits from a dedicated PAWS trainer to guide you every step of the way
➢ Weekly live Zoom support calls, giving you direct access to our expert team
➢ Proactive email support and check-ins, ensuring you always feel confident and supported
➢ Flexibility to change dogs or handlers if your circumstances evolve

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PAWS On ITV News

PAWS was recently featured on ITV Tyne Tees, showcasing the incredible impact of therapy dogs in schools.

Our Head of Training, Nici, joined Heather and her Therapy Dog, Fergus, at Welbeck Academy to demonstrate how animal-assisted interventions support children’s well-being.

The segment explored the growing role of therapy dogs in education, mental health and neurodivergent support - reinforcing our commitment to training dogs that truly change lives.

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Ready To Discover More? Apply Now!

To apply for your school, please fill out the application form below.

'Pay In Full' Bonuses

If you choose to join the School Programme with a pay in full investment, you'll receive over £500 worth of bonuses, including:

  • An official PAWS 'in training' Therapy Dog Jacket and PAWS Lead Slip for your dog - so they can wear this when they're training and trying out their new found skills in school.
  • A pack of Canine Body Language cards (sent in the post) - these are a great visual resource to use with students.
  • A Private 1:1 with Nici to use at any time during your journey on the programme - this could be used for trouble shooting training, invention ideas and inspiration, or just guidance and support.
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Meet the team

Compassionate trainers. Real experience. Lifelong support.

A small, dedicated team combining professional expertise with lived experience. Kind, science-based training that helps people and dogs thrive together.

Portrait of Nici Maxwell

Nici Maxwell

Founder & Head of Training

Qualified trainer and counsellor, Nici created PAWS to offer compassionate, science-based support for people and their dogs. She leads with empathy and practical know-how, drawing on professional training and counselling qualifications.

Portrait of Jackie Dean

Jackie Dean

Core Mentor

Certified trainer delivering Animal Assisted Interventions with Therapy Dog Nelly in schools and care homes. Her NHS background supporting adults with learning disabilities brings empathy to every family she works with.

Portrait of Ali Greenwood

Ali Greenwood

Core Mentor

Accredited trainer specialising in Scentwork, Hoopers, and 1:1 coaching. Ali helps people and dogs build confidence together with positive, reward-based methods, and is also the founder of BeKind Rescue.

Portrait of Rach Tomlinson

Rach Tomlinson

Core Mentor

Trainer & behaviourist supporting sensitive dogs and their humans with calm, evidence-based training. Rach focuses on helping dogs with big feelings build trust, confidence, and connection with their people.

Portrait of Katrya Jantawong

Katrya Jantawong

Support Team

The friendly face behind most emails, Katrya ensures your Assistance Dog journey runs smoothly, from assessments and compliance to everyday support. She's been a key part of the PAWS team for over four years.

Portrait of Annie Maybury

Annie Maybury

Support Team

Annie keeps you supported at every step: answering questions, guiding you through the programme, and making sure you always feel welcome and cared for. She's part of the heartbeat that keeps PAWS running smoothly.

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

Answers To Common Questions

Is there an enrolment date?

You get instant access to the Programme right away, though we have 20 spaces per month to ensure we can provide effective support and termly in-person visits.

How long does the programme take to complete?

Most schools join us on a rolling basis to benefit from ongoing support, and take around 10-12 months to pass the Therapy Dog Assessment. You can work through at your own pace and take your assessment when you are ready.

What will the Programme enable me to do?

The programme will enable you to deliver safe and effective Animal Assisted Interventions in your school to support children or young people. This includes supporting mental health, attendance issues, learning difficulties, and more. There are many tasks that you can teach your Therapy Dog with our support, from deep pressure therapy to helpful interruptive behaviours, as well as classroom support. You will be a PAWS Therapy Dog Practitioner, and your dog will be a PAWS Certified Therapy Dog. You'll be be able to proudly display our digital badge, as well as order a PAWS logo Therapy Dog jacket for your dog to wear whilst they are working, once you have completed all of your assessments and compliance checks. Please note that a jacket is NOT required by law and does not imply public access, which is only relevant to Assistance Dogs.

Can our school have more than one handler?

Yes! The PAWS School Programme supports up to 3 handlers, even if they wish to handle the same Therapy Dog. We can also create custom programme packages if more handlers are required.

Can our school have more than one Therapy Dog?

Yes! If your school requires more than one dog, we can support you with the training, integrations and handling of multiple dogs. Please note that each dog will require a designated handler, which is usually a staff member.

Do I need a dog to get started?

You can get started on the Programme without a dog, but you will need a dog to be able to complete the programme. Most applicants are a staff member in the school with a pet dog whom they believe would make a good Therapy Dog, although many of our schools also choose to take on a puppy with our support.

Does my location matter?

Your school or educational establishment must currently be residing in the UK or NI. Our Assessors travel nationwide.

How am I or my school assessed?

There are online assessments throughout the modules, which must be submitted with a pass mark of 70%. Your final assessment will consist of an online theory assessment, an in-person assessment at your school for you and the dog, and a compliance check. There are no written essays in the Programme.

What else does our school need to consider when introducing a Therapy Dog?

There are many unique considerations when introducing a Therapy Dog into your school, including careful introductions, managing allergies, conducting risk assessments, and securing necessary insurance. These are all elements that we fully support you with.

My dog already has a PAT certificate, how is this different?

It's important to note that the level of training for both the human and the dog, as well as the certification PAWS provide, are very different to PAT. Pets As Therapy do not provide any training for the human or the dog, so neither party requires specific skills or is assessed to a high level. This means that, although you can provide joy to an individual through companionship of a visiting PAT dog, you are not able to provide Animal Assisted Interventions that have goal-based outcomes, as PAWS teaches to schools across the UK. If you are working with, for example, a child who has mental health struggles, neurodiversity, and learning difficulties, both the human and the dog require specific skills to do so sympathetically and effectively. A Teacher cannot teach and support children and young people without the appropriate skills and qualifications, and Therapy Dogs and their handlers are exactly the same.

Do you support schools with more than one site?

Yes! PAWS work with many schools or multi-academy trusts and we can support you across different locations.

Get Started Today

Children, teenagers, staff, and the school environment can all benefit from the presence of a school Therapy Dog. And with growing research demonstrating the incredible impact of our dogs in schools, there's never been a better time to harness the special power of our best friends.

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