Our program aims to empower Veterans and First Responders with the tools to reclaim their place in the community, and rebuild their lives.
To date, with your support, we’ve helped create bonds for more than 100 Veterans and First Responders across Australia.
Integra Dog Training Program
Integra Dog Training is a reward-based core skills training program, it takes approximately 6-12 months to complete (however, it can take as long as is required to support the handler). The program has been designed to ensure that Veterans and First Responders successfully achieve their goals, while strengthening the team bond. Integra Dog Training builds the foundation necessary to successfully undertake The Public Access Test (PAT). Learn more, about The Public Access Test.
SOCIALISATION & BASIC ORIENTATION
The first stage of Integra’s Dog Training Program is to socialise a potential Handler with our dogs and to take the Handler through an induction program. This program introduces them to the responsibilities of owning and training a Service Dog.
LEVEL 1 – CORE SKILLS
Basic Obedience, Dressing your dog, Sit, Down, Stay, Stand, Heel, Recall, Present, Basic Retrieval.
LEVEL 2 – ESSENTIAL SKILLS
Handler confidence training with obstacles, Automatic sit stay, Take it, Leave it, Accepting a friendly stranger, Politely accepting petting, Door exercises, Come when called, Safe vehicle load and unload, Positioning dog under chair, Reaction to high distraction behaviours, Managing distractions.
LEVEL 3 – ADVANCED SKILLS
Loose dog exercises, Walking through a crowd, Reaction to passing a dog, off leash recall, Stand for examination, Accepting a friendly Stranger, Walking through a doorway with a dog present, Come when called off leash, Meet and greet (dog to dog interactions), Using travelators, escalators and elevators, Requested empathy, Advanced retrieval, Personal space buffering.
We train both Veteran or First Responder and dog as one unified team, creating a powerful bond based on trust and mutual service.