“More needs be done to teach children how to stay safe around dogs and to reduce the risk of avoidable injuries” is the view of MPs who want animal behavioural experts and charities to come up with a canine childhood education plan for schools and parents. However it is not just children and parents that need educating, educators taking dogs in to schools also need in depth training.
Understanding Canine behaviour and body language is a huge part of the Canine Assisted Learning affiliate programme – knowledge is key, any handler working with a dog in school should know their dog inside out, knowing everything about its own individual behaviour signals and have strategies in place to manage any potential issues before they arise.
As part of the programme we provide staff with the tools and knowledge they need to run a safe and effective school dog programme. We educate staff on canine behaviour and stress signals, we ensure the dogs timetable, workload and contact time with children is balanced with play and rest to ensure the dogs emotional wellbeing is held paramount. Once every term visits are carried out to ensure good practice and continued training along with a refresher on canine behaviour and stress signals.
Our dogs are always on a lead and their behaviour is continually monitored, it is hugely concerning how many dogs there are in schools that have had no formal training, how dogs are roaming free around schools, how behaviour is not being monitored and how dogs are with an untrained member of staff – Regulations need to be put in place before there is a child injured by a dog at school… which is the exact reason why we started are school affiliate programme.
At Canine Assisted Learning we also teach young people about Canine behaviour and body language and how to interact with dogs safely as part of our emotional regulation and literacy programmes, educating them about keeping safe around ALL dogs.
We are striving to help more children across the country benefit from the amazing effects of having a dog at school with a programme designed to keep everybody safe with huge benefits to the child.
If you would like any information on our school dog programmes or are thinking of setting up a school dog programme please get in touch with info@canineassistedlearning.com