Living with anxiety, PTSD or another mental health condition can make everyday things feel harder: catching a train, going to the shops, or getting a good night’s sleep. A psychiatric assistance dog is trained to do specific tasks to help with the effects of your disability. For many handlers, that can make getting out and about easier.

At PAT Dogs Australia, we help you train your own dog to become a psychiatric assistance dog. We support you step by step, at a pace that suits you.

What is a psychiatric assistance dog?

A psychiatric assistance dog, also called a mental health assistance dog, is trained to perform tasks that help a person with a mental health–related disability. The training is what makes the difference. It’s what turns a well-loved pet into an assistance dog.

In Australia the term is “assistance dog”. In the United States you’ll often hear “service dog”.

Under the Disability Discrimination Act 1992 (Cth), an assistance animal includes a dog that is trained to assist a person with a disability to alleviate the effect of the disability, and to meet standards of hygiene and behaviour that are appropriate for an animal in a public place. A business or service can ask you for evidence of this.

How a psychiatric assistance dog can help

Every handler is different. We work with you to choose at least three disability-related tasks that suit your needs. Depending on your situation, a dog may be trained to:

• interrupt behaviours, for example nudging you when it notices signs that you’re becoming distressed, such as leg bouncing or hand rubbing;
• alert to escalating symptoms, giving you an early cue to use the strategies you’ve planned with your health practitioners;
• deep pressure: on cue, leaning or lying across you, for example during a panic attack;
• buffer, by standing between you and other people to give you more space in crowded places;
• guide and remind, for example leading you to an exit or reminding you of a routine;
• wake you from night terrors;
• retrieve and carry items you need;
• help you refocus, for example nudging or licking your hand on cue.

An assistance dog is not a replacement for care from your health practitioners. We encourage you to involve them. With your written consent, we may contact your health practitioners where it’s relevant to your dog’s training.

Who can apply?

Our program is for people who have a disability within the meaning of the Disability Discrimination Act 1992. We ask for a letter from your health practitioner, such as your GP, psychiatrist or psychologist, confirming your disability and how it affects your daily life. PAT Dogs doesn’t diagnose or assess health conditions.

People in our program include those living with conditions such as anxiety, PTSD, depression, social anxiety, panic disorder, agoraphobia, OCD and bipolar disorder, where the condition affects daily life enough to be a disability.

When you apply, you’ll send us your completed application form with these documents:

• a Medical Certificate, completed by your medical practitioner, psychiatrist or psychologist (Part Two of the form);
• a Veterinary Certificate, completed by your dog’s vet (Part Three of the form);
• your dog’s Desexing Certificate, or a letter from your vet confirming delayed desexing;
• your dog’s Vaccination Certificate;
• your dog’s Council Registration Certificate;
• proof of identity, such as a driver’s licence, passport or proof of age card;
• if you’re paying with NDIS funding, a copy of your NDIS plan;
• if you’re applying for the concession fee, a copy of both sides of your Government Pensioner Concession Card or DVA White or Gold Card.

If your dog is under 6 months old and joining our puppy program, we’ll ask for your dog’s certificates at a later stage.

Please email everything to admin@patdogs.org.au.

We also support people with autism and other neurodivergent conditions. See our assistance dog program.

Training your own dog with PAT Dogs Australia

You don’t have to wait for a fully trained dog. Many of our handlers train their own dog with our support. Here’s how it works:

1. Talk to us first. Not every dog or breed suits assistance work, and some breeds don’t meet our program requirements. A quick chat before you choose a dog saves heartache later.
2. Apply. Complete the application form with your supporting documents.
3. Temperament and hygiene assessment. This helps flag anything to work on early, and trainers can then recommend specific training.
4. In-person Suitability test. If your dog passes, you’ll move into Stage 2 of our program and receive an Assistance Dog “In-Training” ID card.
5. Train with support. You’ll get access to our online Assistance Dog Foundations course and then our Assistance Dog Academy, with a PAT Dogs trainer. Trainers can come to you, you can go to them, or you can meet somewhere that suits you both. You’ll keep a training and outing log and send us a quarterly progress report.
6. Public Access Test. When you’re ready, an assessor runs our Public Access Test, and you’ll show your dog’s three or more disability-related tasks.
7. Full accreditation. You’ll receive your accredited Assistance Dog ID card and patches for your teal PAT Dogs jacket, and an annual Public Access Test keeps your accreditation current.

Dogs can join our program from 8 weeks old. Stage one focuses on socialisation and basic obedience. Formal assistance dog training starts in stage two, from 6 months old. Dogs can sit the Public Access Test from 18 months old.

Assistance dogs, therapy dogs and emotional support animals

These terms often get mixed up:

• An assistance dog is trained to do specific tasks that help with the effects of a person’s disability, and to behave appropriately in public.
• A therapy dog, companion dog or emotional support animal isn’t an assistance animal under the DDA unless it’s trained to assist a person with a disability to alleviate the effect of the disability and to meet public hygiene and behaviour standards.

“Emotional support animal” is a term from the United States. Australian law doesn’t give emotional support animals any special status. Under the Disability Discrimination Act, what counts is whether a dog is trained to help with the effects of a person’s disability and to behave appropriately in public. A dog that only provides comfort by being there is regarded as a pet, including on public transport. PAT Dogs doesn’t accredit or register emotional support animals.

If you’d like your dog to become an accredited assistance dog, we’re happy to talk about whether our program suits you.

NDIS and Canine Capacity Building

Our Canine Capacity Building Program is designed to help people with disability, including children, build everyday skills such as confidence, communication and social connection, with the support of a calm, well-trained dog.

If you self-manage or plan-manage your NDIS funding, you may be able to use it for this program, depending on your plan. Please check with us.

Sessions are run by our Community Engagement Practitioners, experienced PAT Dogs trainers who guide each session with their dogs.

Many handlers tell us that spending time with a calm, well-trained dog helps their confidence and makes it easier to get out and meet people.

The program can help participants:

• build confidence in everyday situations
• practise communication and social skills
• get out, stay active and enjoy time outdoors
• meet people and feel less isolated

If your plan is agency-managed, we’re unable to accept that funding.

Some participants use self-managed or plan-managed capacity building funding for parts of our program, depending on their plan and goals. NDIS decides what your plan can be used for, so please check with us first. NDIS funding for an assistance dog itself is assessed separately by the NDIA.

What it costs

• Application fee: $799, non-refundable ($599 for Government Pensioner Concession Card holders, DVA White or Gold Card holders).
• Public Access Test: $250 per assessment ($200 concession), once a year.
• Annual membership: $299 from year 2 ($199 concession).
• Assistance dog jacket: $100 to $130, depending on size.
• One-on-one training: priced by your trainer. The amount depends on you, your dog and your location.
• Online course: included free with our accreditation or Canine Capacity Building program.

Full details are on our fees and program page. Fees can change over time.

Getting around with your assistance dog

Using public transport anywhere in Australia. Under the Disability Discrimination Act, what matters is that your dog is an assistance dog: trained to help with the effects of your disability and to behave appropriately in public. You may be asked for evidence that your dog is an assistance dog, and your PAT Dogs accreditation and ID card can be part of that evidence. Some state transport operators also offer their own assistance animal permits or passes, such as Transport for NSW’s Assistance Animal Permit, Translink’s Assistance Animal Pass (QLD) and Public Transport Victoria’s Assistance Animal Pass. Each scheme sets its own rules. You don’t need a Transport for NSW permit, but if you’re based in New South Wales, we’ll help you apply for one. PAT Dogs Australia is registered with Transport for NSW to provide assessment letters, and after you finish our program we can give you an assessment letter or training evidence for any of these applications. Contact us to find out what the permit application needs.

We can also:

• give you evidence of your dog’s training to support registering it as an assistance animal with your local council (rules and fees vary by state and council);
• help you with Virgin Australia’s assistance animal requirements.

If someone questions your right to have your PAT Dogs-accredited dog with you, let us know. With your consent, we can confirm your dog’s accreditation and training standards to the business, and give you general information about assistance animals. We can’t give legal advice or represent you in a complaint. If you think you’ve been discriminated against, you can contact the Australian Human Rights Commission, which is free and doesn’t need a lawyer, or a legal service.

Frequently asked questions

What is a psychiatric assistance dog?

A psychiatric assistance dog is a dog trained to perform specific tasks that help a person with a mental health–related disability, such as anxiety or PTSD, and to behave calmly and hygienically in public. PAT Dogs Australia helps people train and accredit their own dog for this role.

Can I get an assistance dog for anxiety in Australia?

Yes. If your anxiety affects you enough to be a disability under the DDA, a dog trained to help with its effects, and to behave appropriately in public, can be an assistance dog. PAT Dogs Australia supports people to train their own dog, which must pass an in-person Suitability test and, later, an annual Public Access Test. NDIS funding for an assistance dog is a separate question for the NDIA.

Can I get an assistance dog for PTSD?

Yes. PTSD is one of the conditions people in our program live with. We help you train your own dog in at least three disability-related tasks that suit your needs, with support from our trainers and our online courses.

Can I train my own dog as a psychiatric assistance dog?

Yes. PAT Dogs Australia specialises in owner-trained assistance dogs. Your dog needs to pass a temperament and hygiene assessment and an in-person Suitability test to join, then you train with our online courses and a PAT Dogs trainer before sitting the Public Access Test.

What tasks can a psychiatric assistance dog do?

Common tasks include interrupting behaviours, alerting to escalating symptoms, deep pressure, buffering in crowded places, guiding and reminding, waking a handler from night terrors, and retrieving items. PAT Dogs Australia requires at least three disability-related tasks for each dog.

Is an emotional support dog the same as an assistance dog?

No. “Emotional support animal” is a term from the United States, and Australian law doesn’t give emotional support animals any special status. Under the Disability Discrimination Act, what counts is whether a dog is trained to help with the effects of a person’s disability and to behave appropriately in public. PAT Dogs Australia doesn’t accredit or register emotional support animals.

Do I need a Transport for NSW permit?

No, you don’t need one. Under the Disability Discrimination Act, what matters is that your dog is an assistance dog, and your PAT Dogs accreditation and ID card can be part of the evidence of that. If you’re based in New South Wales, we’ll help you apply for a Transport for NSW Assistance Animal Permit.

Can I use NDIS funding?

If you self-manage your NDIS funding or use a plan manager, you may be able to use your plan for some PAT Dogs Australia services, such as Canine Capacity Building, depending on your plan. We can’t accept agency-managed NDIS funding. The NDIA decides what your plan can be used for. Call us to talk through your plan.

How much does it cost?

The application fee is $799 ($599 concession), non-refundable. The Public Access Test is $250 ($200 concession) once a year, and annual membership is $299 ($199 concession) from year 2. Jacket ($100 to $130, depending on size) and one-on-one training costs are extra.

Is PAT Dogs Australia a charity?

Yes. PAT Dogs Australia Limited is a registered charity with the ACNC (ABN 85 653 778 342).