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ABOUT 

The Animal Talent Academy of Australia was formed to provide a resource for pet owners who want to do more with their animals. Whether you just want to have fun and build a stronger relationship with your animal, or you want to prepare for the possibility of getting your animal featured in promotions.

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During the COVID outbreak many pet owners went searching for ways to interact with their animals in a positive way, and build a relationship based on trust and mutual respect while having fun at the same time.

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Teaching pets tricks became extremely popular, and being able to gain titles at the same time was a great way to track progress and gain new skills.

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The Animal Talent Academy of Australia welcomes all species of animals, and our titles are designed so you can choose the tricks and tasks that your animal is able to do best. We are also an Australian owned and operated organisation.

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We have connections within the Industry and are often asked if we know of a particular animal with a certain level of training for acting/modelling jobs. Our database of title holders enables us to put forward the best candidates, which could be you!

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What are you waiting for? Have a look at the Titles page and take your relationship with your pet to the next level.

WHAT THE ANIMAL TALENT ACADEMY OF AUSTRALIA STANDS FOR

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Our Purpose

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Animal Talent Academy (ATA) exists to recognise animal skill without compromising welfare. We believe that true skill is not about control, suppression, or performance at any cost - it’s about clarity, confidence, regulation, and partnership. ATA titles are not about forcing animals to comply. They are about recognising what animals can do safely, willingly, and sustainably.

 

Our Core Principles

 

Welfare Comes First

An animal’s physical and emotional well-being will always take priority over titles, timelines, or outcomes. If welfare is compromised, assessment stops.

 

Behaviour Is Communication

Animals are always communicating - through movement, hesitation, engagement, and withdrawal.

 

ATA assessors are trained to recognise:

  • regulation vs stress

  • calm vs shutdown

  • confidence vs compliance

Quiet behaviour alone is never enough.

 

Calm Is a Skill, Not a Personality Trait

Calm is not something animals “just have”.

It is:

  • taught

  • supported

  • reinforced

  • protected

ATA recognises calm as a learned nervous-system skill, not the absence of movement.

 

Every Animal Is an Individual

Breed, genetics, age, history, and sensitivity matter.

ATA does not expect animals to perform identically.
We assess progress, process, and suitability, not sameness.

 

Training for the Long Term

Skills recognised by ATA must be:

  • humane

  • repeatable

  • sustainable

  • safe for the animal’s future

Short-term performance at the cost of well-being is never acceptable.

 

What ATA Does Not Support

ATA does not recognise:

  • fear-based training

  • forced compliance

  • flooding

  • physical punishment

  • equipment used to suppress behaviour rather than teach skills

If a skill is achieved through pressure, it does not meet ATA standards.

 

What an ATA Title Means

An ATA Title means:

  • the animal demonstrated skill with regulation

  • welfare was maintained throughout

  • the handler supported learning ethically

  • the process mattered as much as the outcome

ATA Titles are earned — and protected — with care.

 

Our Assessors

ATA Certified Assessors are trained to:

  • assess fairly and consistently

  • prioritise welfare over outcomes

  • support handlers with ethical feedback

  • uphold ATA standards across species

They are not judges.
They are guardians of standards.

© ANIMAL TALENT ACADEMY OF AUSTRALIA

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