Therapy Dogs Australia Podcast

S5:E11 Kiki's First Litter: Puppy Temperaments, Growth & Early Care In this episode, Sam shares an update from the whelping box as Kiki settles into motherhood with her three Anatolian Shepherd puppies. She takes listeners behind the scenes of the first few weeks of life, discussing puppy growth, emerging temperaments, daily care, health monitoring, and the realities of responsible breeding. S...

S5:E10 Choosing a Future Therapy Dog & Preparing for a Litter In this TDA family chat episode, Sam, Max, and Amy introduce Norman, Amy’s new Australian Cobberdog puppy and future school therapy dog prospect. Amy shares her journey of finding the right breeder, what she looked for in a puppy, and the importance of ethical breeding, temperament, early socialisation, and strong foundations when r...

S5:E9 School Leadership with a Therapy Dog (Guest: Elly Patterson) In this episode, Sam chats with Deputy Principal Elly Patterson about introducing her therapy dog Elphie into a school environment and the thoughtful planning behind building a successful therapy dog program. Elly shares how Elphie supports both students and staff through emotional regulation, transitions, connection, and wellbeing...

S5:E8 Burnout, Boundaries & Better Leadership (Guest: Chelsea Beegling) In this episode, Sam is joined by psychologist and business owner Chelsea Beegling to explore the realities of stepping into leadership, often without formal training. They discuss burnout, boundaries, and the transition from technical roles into leadership, as well as the unique challenges faced by women in business, part...

S5:E7 Puppy Board & Trains: What You Need to Know (Guest: Sue Chipperton) In this episode, we’re joined by experienced Hawaii-based Professional studio animal trainer Sue Chipperton to unpack the often debated topic of puppy board-and-train programs. We explore common misconceptions, from bonding concerns to ethical questions, and what actually makes a high-quality program. Sue shares insights...

S5:E6 Navigating Consent and Image Sharing in Schools in the Age of AI (Guest: Christine Waters) In this episode, Christine Waters joins us again as we explore the growing complexities of consent and image sharing in school settings, particularly as AI continues to evolve. We unpack what media consent actually covers, where the boundaries lie when sharing images beyond school platforms, and why ad...

S5:E5 Safety, Standards & Speaking Up With Therapy Dogs (Guest: Christine Waters) In this episode, we’re joined by Christine Waters, a primary school chaplain and therapy dog handler, who shares her experience navigating a challenging situation involving another therapy dog in a school setting. Christine reflects on observing concerning behaviour, the steps taken to address risk, and the impor...

S5:E4 From Puppy School To Professional Therapy Dog & Handler Team (Guest: Melissa Ashford) In this episode, we chat with Mel, founder of Pynmanto in Far North Queensland, about her journey with Pascal, a mini Labradoodle who started as a “wet weather backup” and has now become a therapy dog supporting teen mental health. Mel shares how she trained Pascal through puppy and adolescent programs...

S5:E3 AAI: Learning To Learn AAI (Animal-Assisted Intervention) Learning To Learn. In this episode, we dive into how therapy dogs can be thoughtfully integrated into clinical work with neurodivergent children and teens. From managing demand avoidance and school refusal to rebuilding confidence and engagement in learning, we share practical, session-ready intervention ideas. A practical and honest...

S5:E2 If Your Therapy Dog Is Growling In this episode, Sam shares some exciting wins from the Therapy Dogs Australia community- including the impressive scores of our latest graduates and celebrating the 2026 Australia Dog Of The Year who happens to be one of our teams! We also take a deeper look at why your therapy dog or pet dog may be growling, including what it really means, why it happens, an...

S5:E1 'What Is A Good Dog?' with Pat Stuart In the first episode of Season 5 of the Therapy Dogs Australia Podcast, Sam dives into a conversation with dog training expert Pat Stuart. Kicking off 2026, Sam and Pat discuss balancing high energy and drive in dogs, the importance of suitable breed selection, and effective management strategies for adolescent dogs. Pat introduces his new online communi...

S4:E20 Critical Thinking with Pat Stuart In this episode of the Therapy Dogs Australia Podcast, Sam sits down with the one and only Pat Stuart, a professional dog trainer, co-host of The Canine Paradigm podcast, and owner of Serious Dog Business. Pat shares his journey from the Army to professional dog training, reflecting on how critical thinking and behavioural science have shaped his philosophy...

S4:E19 Planning a Training Session for Your Dog In this episode of the Therapy Dogs Australia Podcast, we break down how to plan and structure an effective training session for your dog — no matter what stage of training you’re in. Sam shares practical advice on creating a consistent training plan, using marker words correctly, and focusing on control positions over flashy obedience. You’ll learn...

S4:E18 Insights From Assessing Teams with K9 Essence (Guest: Brianna Mackay) In this episode, Sam sits down with Brianna Mackay from K9 Essence, one of our locum dog trainers who conducts temperament assessments for Therapy Dogs Australia teams. Brianna shares valuable insights from her work with handlers and their dogs at different stages of their journey, whether just starting out, or freshly gr...

S4:E17 Creating Impactful Therapy Dog Programs (Guest: Chakera Houtby) In this episode, we sit down with Chakera Houtby to hear her inspiring journey into the world of animal-assisted therapy alongside her therapy dog, Alfie. 💜 We cover the realities of therapy dog visits – highlighting the challenges in different workplace settings to the costs and logistics of running professional animal-assist...

S4:E16 When Things Go Wrong (Part 2) Listener discretion is advised: This episode includes references to self-harm and blood. In Part 2 of this episode, Sam and Max get into the spicier side of therapy dog work, sharing real, anonymously submitted stories where things really went off script. From intense client encounters to unexpected incidents involving blood, these are the kinds of moments that...

S4:E15 How To Play With Your Dog (Part 2) Guest: Tim Pratt From Diverse Dogs. Welcome back to Part 2 of How To Play With Your Dog with Tim Pratt from Diverse Dogs. In this episode, we dive deeper into the fundamentals of play, explore the prey sequence to make your play sessions more fulfilling, and highlight what to avoid when playing with your dog. Tune in to discover how purposeful play can str...

S4:E14 How To Play With Your Dog: Part 1 (Guest: Tim Pratt From Diverse Dogs). In this two part episode, Tim Pratt from Diverse Dogs returns for another insightful chat, this time it's all about the power of play in relationship & confidence building as well as training and behaviour management. Building on his first appearance in S4:E5, where Tim explored emotional regulation for handlers and...

S4:E13 When Things Go Wrong (Part 1) In Part 1 of this special two-part episode of the Therapy Dogs Australia Podcast, Sam and Max explore real, anonymously submitted stories from the field — all centred around moments when things didn’t go to plan while working with a therapy dog. From unexpected behaviours to tricky client interactions and medical concerns, they unpack common themes and share pr...

S4:E12 Why Scent Work Might Be The Training Tool You’ve Been Missing (Guests: Tanya Lawless & Leigh Russell) This week on the Therapy Dogs Australia Podcast, Max and Sam chat with Tanya Lawless and Leigh Russell from Unpacked Dog Education and Training. With a strong background in dog behaviour and scent detection, they share how scent work can support the overall well being of our dogs. From...

S4:E11 Inside the Data: A Teacher’s Take on the Power of Therapy Dogs (Guests: Bree Rooney & Scott Gale) Sam and Max were joined this week by Bree Rooney and Scott Gale for a feel-good episode all about the success of Toormina High School’s therapy dog program. Bree and Scott shared how therapy dog Delilah and therapy dog in training Ellie have become an integral part of the school community—b...

S4:E10 Assistance Vs Therapy Dogs - Can You Have Both? Can an assistance dog also be a therapy dog? In this episode of the Therapy Dogs Australia Podcast, Sam and Amy discuss the differences between assistance dogs and therapy dogs, highlighting their distinct roles, training requirements, and behavioural characteristics. They explore the challenges and ethical considerations in managing these dog...

S4:E9 Building Your Dog’s Confidence With The Box Training Method PAT HAS NOW GOT A DIRECT LINK TO THE BOX VIDEO https://www.seriousdogbusiness.com/thebox This week on the podcast Sam discusses a training technique called the Box Training Method that helps build a dog's confidence and can address some behavioral and handling issues. Therapy dogs need to be confident to safely to do their job and t...

S4:E8 Foundation Dog Training Advice For Every Owner - The Nooch's Pooches Method (Guest: Panos Anagnostou) Sam and I were joined by Panos Anagnostou this week on the Therapy Dogs Australia Podcast. We are very excited because Panos has published a book called The Nooch's Pooches Method, that everyone in our community is going to greatly benefit from. We are strong advocates for continuous learnin...

S4:E7 How Hard Is It To Train A Therapy Dog? This week on the Therapy Dogs Australia Podcast, Sam dives into a really important question that maybe isn't asked enough- how hard is it to train a therapy dog? The answer may not be what you expect. Please remember to subscribe, follow and like this podcast if you enjoy it, a good review will help us a lot too. Enjoy! SUBSCRIBE! Interested in Animal-A...