Welcome to Canine Assisted Health and Wellbeing
Enhancing health & wellbeing through canine interactions
Canine Assisted Health and Wellbeing is dedicated to providing people with opportunities to experience the healing power of dogs. We offer a range of services that facilitate meaningful canine interactions, to positively impact physical, emotional, and social wellbeing.
Benefits of Canine Assisted Therapy
Emotional support
Interacting with dogs can provide comfort and help reduce feelings of loneliness and isolation. A calm, friendly dog can boost mood and provide a sense of companionship.
Social connectedness
For those who find social interactions challenging, dogs are great at helping make those experiences easier. They can make people feel more at ease, support engagement, improve communication skills, and help to build confidence in social settings.
Stress reduction
Spending time with dogs has been shown to lower heart rate, reduce blood pressure, lower cortisol (the stress hormone) levels and increase the release of endorphins (the feel good hormones), which can help reduce stress and promote relaxation.
Emotional regulation
Therapy dogs can help us learn to manage our emotions more effectively by providing a calming presence and encouraging positive emotional responses.
Mental health
Interacting with specially trained therapy dogs can lead to improved mental health, especially for people who experience depression and anxiety.
Cognitive functioning
Engaging with therapy dogs can improve how we think, focus and process. Activities such as dog training exercises and training a dog to do tricks, can enhance our cognitive functioning.
Our Services
Mental Health First Aid Training
Mental Health First Aid (MHFA) training equips you with essential knowledge and skills, to provide initial support to those developing a mental health problem or experiencing a mental health crisis.
This training is for anyone looking to enhance their ability to identify, understand and respond effectively to someone experiencing mental ill-health.
Whether you're a caregiver, educator, manager, student or community member, mental health first aid training prepares you to offer appropriate support and make a positive difference in people's lives.
We are licensed to deliver the following MHFA courses:
Standard and Older Person
Youth and Blended Youth
Teen MHFA
Blended courses (Workplace, Tertiary & Community)
Refresher Courses (Standard and Youth)
Conversations about Suicide
Conversations about Gambling
Learn these invaluable life skills, in a supportive environment with our therapy dogs on site to provide emotional support.
Group Therapy Wellbeing Programs
Through structured activities with specially trained therapy dogs, our group programs are designed to enhance emotional and mental wellbeing, foster social connections and promote holistic health.
Participants experience the therapeutic benefits of meaningful canine interaction in a supportive group setting, to address common health and wellbeing goals.
Covering wellbeing topics such as stress management, mindfulness and relaxation, our group programs can be delivered to workplaces, within schools and universities or community settings.
Therapy Dog Wellbeing Visits
Looking to bring a sense of calm and connection to your next event?
Want to boost your team's wellbeing with workplace visits?
Keen to offer extra support to students ahead of exams?
Is someone you care about feeling isolated or lonely?
Or are you a mental health professional supporting a client who could benefit from canine assisted support?
We're here to help.
Our therapy dog wellbeing visits provide compassionate emotional support.
With Cayley's calming presence and Bailey's friendly nature, our visits help lower stress, ease anxious feelings, lift mood and offer genuine moments of comfort, connection and joy.
Whether you're looking for a one-off visit or ongoing support, we can tailor our services to best suit your needs.
Dog Training With a Difference
At Canine Assisted Health and Wellbeing we prioritise supporting both ends of the leash.
Our dog training services focus on empowering people through their dogs — because your wellbeing matters too!
We believe dog training is more than obedience; it can be a pathway to growth, confidence, and connection.
Through the power of the human–canine bond, we help you and your dog build skills, strengthen your relationship, and work towards your health and wellbeing goals.
Whether your goal is to build confidence, increase physical activity, manage stress, or simply feel more connected, we’ll guide you and your dog through practical, positive training strategies to meet your goals.
Keen to find out more?
Meet the Team
Cayley
Certified Therapy Dog (Advanced). Cayley is a 6 year old Golden Mountain Dog who first certified as a therapy dog in 2021. Cayley loves to meet new people and share her calming presence with them.
Denise
Canine Assisted Therapist, Credentialed Mental Health Nurse, Licensed Principal Master MHFA Instructor, Certified Assistance Dog Trainer (Cert IV Animal Training & Behaviour - Assistance Dog Specialisation)
Bailey
Certified Therapy Dog (Advanced). Latest recruit Bailey is a 3 year old Golden Aussie who first certified as a therapy dog in 2023. Bailey's happy demeanour is infectious, bringing a smile to all that meet him.
Contact Us
Cayley & Bailey
Frequently Asked Questions
The Standard Mental Health First Aid course is a 2 day face to face training course, for adults seeking to support another adult who is experiencing a mental health problem or mental health crisis.
The 2 day face to face Youth Mental Health First Aid course equips adults with the knowledge and skills they need to offer appropriate support to a young person, experiencing a mental health problem or mental health crisis.
The Teen Mental Health First Aid course teaches secondary school aged young people how to recognise and respond to a friend in crisis or experiencing a mental health problem.
The 2 day face to face Older Person Mental Health First Aid course teaches adults how to provide appropriate initial support to adults 65+ experiencing a crisis situation or mental health problem.
Blended refers to the course delivery method.
Blended versions of the Mental Health First Aid course have an eLearning component and an Instructor-led component.
Course participants complete the eLearning component (self-paced online modules), prior to the session facilitated by the Instructor.
Principal Master Mental Health First Aid Instructor Denise Warmington is a multi-licensed instructor who has delivered over 300 mental health first aid courses since becoming an instructor in 2012.
Denise is a passionate and enthusiastic Instructor who has a warm, engaging and inclusive teaching style.
Denise is a Consultant Trainer of Mental Health First Aid Instructors and has worked within the curriculum team at Mental Health First Aid Australia, so has an intimate knowledge of course content and course processes.
Depending on your training requirements we may also engage other Principal Master Mental Health First Aid Instructors to support in course delivery.
We can tailor a wellbeing workshop / group program to meet your needs or you can choose from some of our established programs such as stress management, mindfulness & relaxation, paws for wellbeing.
We can conduct 2 hr sessions, half day workshops or full wellbeing days.
Get in touch to discuss how we can best support you with your wellbeing goals and training needs.
Absolutely, Cayley and Bailey love interacting with people of all ages and abilities.
Contact us to discuss your visiting therapy dog requirements.
We look forward to working with you to provide canine assisted emotional support to your residents.
We utilise positive reinforcement dog training techniques such as shaping, capturing, targeting and luring, as these methods are backed by scientific research.
Yes we offer private 1:1 dog training sessions online, within your home or another suitable setting.
Denise is a Certified Dog Trainer and Certified Assistance Dog Trainer (Certificate IV Animal Training & Behaviour, Assistance Dog Specialisation Skill Set).
Denise is a Credentialed Mental Health Nurse who has worked in the area of mental health and wellbeing for over 25 years.
Denise has worked as a Therapeutic Dog Trainer, training therapy dogs, emotional support dogs and assistance dogs for over 4 years.
Designed for those who can’t attend weekly dog training group classes, the Canine Life Skills workshop is a 4 day workshop conducted over 4 consecutive Saturdays / Sundays from 9.30am - 3.30pm.
We utilise positive reinforcement dog training techniques such as shaping, capturing, targeting and luring, as these methods are backed by scientific research.
The Canine Life Skills workshop is not designed to address any one specific behavioural concern.
If your furry friend is currently finding it stressful to be around other dogs or people, then this workshop is not the right fit for you.
Unsure of where to get support from for your dog's behavioural concerns?
Get in touch, we would be happy to point you in the right direction of getting the right support for you and your dog.