CPD Standards Accredited | 5 ⭐ Rated | Created Especially For Schools
Step 1: Watch the 4 minute video
This video will guide you through the incredible benefits of a School Therapy Dog and the positive outcomes of our School Therapy Dog Programme.
Join 1600+ professionals & organisations certified with PAWS:
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.
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.
The investment for your School to join the PAWS School Therapy Dog Programme is £299 + vat per month.
If you pay in full, you'll receive £500 off the programme, plus a 'pay in full bonus' worth over £500, making your investment just £3088 + vat.
Everything you need to ensure the effective training, integration, and continued interventions of your School Therapy Dog are included in the monthly investment.
If you choose to join the School Programme with a pay in full investment, you'll receive over £500 worth of bonuses, including:
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
How much does the programme cost?
The investment for your School to join the PAWS School Therapy Dog Programme is £299 + vat per month.
Are there payment plans?
Yes! You can pay in full, or split your instalments into either two or four interest-free instalments.
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 .
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.
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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