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Watch the video below to learn more about the

Dogs Connect Mentorship


The Dogs Connect Mentorship

The Leading Program for Ethical, Sustainable Wellbeing Dog Integration Human-Educated. Dog-First. Evidence-Based.


Are you considering a wellbeing dog in your school, workplace, or care-based setting?


Don’t just bring in a dog.
Build a program.
One that’s ethical, sustainable, and backed by research.

The Dogs Connect Mentorship gives your people everything they need to confidently lead a wellbeing dog program — one that places animal welfare, emotional safety, and cultural impact at the centre of every decision.

This is the only program of its kind that flips the script:
We don’t just train the dog.
We educate the humans.

What’s Included?


  • 12 Online Modules with over 80 structured video lessons
  • 40+ Downloadables — including policies, templates, timetables, comms resources & SEL tools
  • Structured Implementation Roadmap tailored to your setting
  • Expert Consultations with the Dogs Connect team
  • Dogs Connect Accessory Kit (signage, working gear, and visual supports)
  • Private Online Community with leaders from over 400+ Australian sites
  • Ongoing Support & Accreditation Pathway — backed by best practice and animal-assisted intervention standards


Built for Real-World Impact


Whether you’re leading in education, aged care, emergency services or justice settings, the Dogs Connect Mentorship will help you:

  • Decrease anxiety and dysregulation
  • Increase co-regulation and self-awareness
  • Improve classroom climate, relationships, and engagement
  • Reduce reactive behaviours and increase connection
  • Embed trauma-informed language, behaviour, and culture

The Outcomes Speak for Themselves


  • Emotional regulation increased from 54.8% to 84.6%
  • Confidence in managing reactivity jumped from 51.7% to 89.3%
  • Participants report improvements in empathy, attendance, and team cohesion


The Gold Standard in Wellbeing Dog Programs


Dogs Connect is proud to be:

  • Quality Assured by the Victorian Department of Education (Mental Health Menu — Tier 1)
  • Endorsed in NSW Department of Education Wellbeing Catalogue (Theme of Sense of Belonging)
  • In Line with International Standards for Animal-Assisted Intervention
  • On Track for accreditation with the Polyvagal Institute



Ready to Get Started?

We’re here to guide you — with structure, evidence, and heart.

Let’s explore what this could look like in your context.

Have questions? Want a peek at the full module list or sample lesson? We’re happy to help.

Let’s build something that lasts — For your people. For your dog. For your whole community.

Straight away I noticed the impact on the students, staff and the whole community. 



In 2015 I introduced Sonny, the dog, into my teaching practices at a primary school.

The academic research around student wellbeing and applied learning, combined with my experience of a broad range of teaching and behaviour management practices helped me create and launch the program, Dogs Connect.

From that moment on I could see how a wellbeing dog could be a powerful support for adversities and trauma that many of us know so well.

The wellbeing dogs become an invaluable teaching and learning facilitator in a school setting, and allows to to see how we can change the way we teach and deepen social and emotional learning.

This helps us support and shift behaviours from the depth of the autonomic nervous system! The results are amazing and I love working with educators who share this passion.




Not Just a Dog in the Classroom


Unlike therapy dogs, wellbeing dogs work as teaching and learning facilitators to help improve mental health and wellbeing. Some of the content that we train teachers to teach with a dog include empathy, awareness of self and others, the escalation cycle, self and co-regulation and reactivity.

Improves Culture and Connectedness


Having a dog as a permanent member of your school community helps students deal with anxiety, trauma, self regulation, resilience, stress management, emotional literacy, mindfulness and sensory processing.


"The wellbeing dog does things I can't do!"

We hear this from so many school staff, just like you.

Reports and data gathered confirms that wellbeing dogs can assist in any situation because they deescalate students (and staff too!)


WHAT DOES IT INCLUDE?


We give you over 50 step by step video’s of explanations, demonstrations and tips of how to successfully introduce a wellbeing dog into your school community.

Not just links and dog tips, we are here with you every step of the way.

Access to our expertise and experience

As part of the program we include a number of scheduled video calls as well as email and phone support as and when you need it.

Access To Private Community

You will have access to our private Mentorship Group - our online community. We currently have staff from schools across Australia in this community who love to showcase their successes and support others.

The Dogs Connect Accessory Kit



Everything you need to start introducing a dog into your school (apart from the dog!) Your school will be sent signage declaring that you have a wellbeing dog on site, a Dogs Connect duffel bag to support your dogs code switching into work mode and to help ensure that all necessary items for your dog's working day are on the move with your dog. As part of our Accreditation system your school process and practices will be supported and assessed by Australia's leading wellbeing dog organisation. We are the industry leader and we take pride in the support we offer, and the standards we set.



Templates, policy manuals, checklists, signage, timetables, all the communication templates you could need, 24/7 access to the mentorship & much more in the form of downloadables.


Everything you need to know from course guides, implementation road maps, to prewritten polices, video announcements, correspondence examples for school communities to colouring competitions.