Do you know how to help your dog in a medical emergency? Could you deal with your dog bleeding or choking? Or being hurt in an accident? Accidents happen. Every dog owner should know what to do in an emergency
We’re off on a Down Dog team adventure next week. We’re all going to have a go at a fun dog sport, mantrailing.
Mantrailing teaches dogs to find a missing person. The skills themselves have been used operationally for many years by different groups. It was first used by monks training St Bernard dogs to find people lost in snowdrifts and is now routinely used by search and rescue teams and in police work.
Having fun with your dog is one of the most rewarding parts of being a dog owner.
We promote many fun games through our Perfect Pet course, including many sniff based games.
The ability of dogs to use their noses is marvellous – and humbling to us humans. Using their nose frequently and finding things is confidence building to your dog, one of the reasons we promote it so much and why we have such fun in our membership programme, Down Dog Devotees.
What I loved most was the training, learning to work together
I used to complete in working trials, a dog sport where you work with your dog in a range of exercises including agility, obedience, searching and tracking. My dog loved it and we did quite well in competitions. But what I loved most was the training, learning to work together in partnership.
One day we were tracking through some rough ground when I heard a yelp. Ben came limping back towards me looking worried and trailing blood behind him. When I checked him over I found a deep cut in one pad, probably from some human discarded glass litter.
Luckily, I knew what to do and applied some first aid before taking him to the vet to get it properly cleaned and bandaged.
Do you know how to help your dog in a medical emergency?
Could you deal with your dog bleeding or choking? Or being hurt in an accident? Would you know what to do?
Accidents happen. Every dog owner should know what to do in an emergency.
Which is why Alan Harley, Vet and Clinical Director at Cedarmount Vets in Bangor, has agreed to come and give a talk on First Aid at our Down Dog Campus near Carrowdore. Keep an eye out for the next dates. This talk is FREE, though we will be asking for donations for Medical Detection Dogs at the event.
We’d love to see you there.
Keep training and stay safe,
Carol
