One of the certification I am renewing this October is DogSafe First Aid course which is a wonderful compliment to any business, whether dog trainer to dog walkers. It is also a great educational course any pet owner should take.
First aid is always great to know whether for human or dogs, and face it, we all hope nothing ever goes wrong with our dogs. But, accidents happen. What if you are on vacation and something happens when you are very remote, knowing first aid could be a life saver for you and your dog. It does not replace veterinary care at all, but you can stop bleeding or deal with a situation on your way to the vet.
I have two large breed dogs and one thing I highly recommend is training your dog to be comfortable with a muzzle for those times when you just don’t know how the dog will react. This protects your dog, and any person who will be aiding your dog, including you, getting your dog to the vet and the vet.
DogSafe Certification
DogSafe has two levels of certifications is available in Canada, the US, and worldwide. Muzzles are a useful tool for all dogs these days. This is a handy article by Nan Arthur on Muzzles – Not Just for Aggression Anymore!
Certifications are proof that the professional you work with is dedicated to continuing education and bettering their skills. They spend time on their education, and do not claim to know it all. Experience is important, but should never be the only requirement to being a professional trainer.
Medically, veterinarians specialize in treating sick and injured animals. They are not dog trainers or behaviorists. I used to be like many people who just followed advice from the vet. It took one bad experience with a vet who bullied me and my dog to realize that some are over confident and uneducated in behavior.
Very well-respected and vet behaviorist, Dr. Sophia Yin, has many resources available and books, that even though I am not a vet, I do read.
This is great information for pet owners and look for this information when choosing a vet. You can prepare for vet visits and groomers by practicing handling work on your dog to help make exams less stressful on them.
Laura Monica Torelli has a great article on handling called How Trainers Make a Difference on preparation training for visiting a vet and groomers.
What exercises do you work on with your dog?
