On the Coast – Families Issue 98 I February/March 2019 | Page 15

Velma’s Prevent-A-Bite Parties New Fun Family Prevent-A-Bite Paws Parties Prevent-A-Bite Parties Using fun interactive learning to teach serious issues to families, children + adults, groups and schools Most dog bites are from the children’s own dog or a known dog 84% of all dog bites are from our own family dog or a dog we know. There were 4770 “reported” dog attacks in NSW from May 2017–June 2018 and it’s unknown how many unreported dog attacks took place. Velma’s Pets As Therapy have been offering dog therapy for 20 years and we became alarmed at the growing number of dog bites so decided to do something about it. We believe that teaching children in schools is a great start but parents and guardians need to learn specific skills on how to teach children to safely and respectfully meet, greet and interact with their own dogs, dogs they meet out and about; and how to accurately supervise and monitor the child and the dog. I’ve lost count on how many parents have told me that their dog is “bomb proof” because he allows the children to rough play, tease, pull his tail and ears or ride him. I’m always horrified to hear this because as a dog behaviourist I am all too aware that like people, all dogs have their limits and no dog or animal is bomb proof. If we think our dog is bomb proof and allow rough treatment, the dog becomes a “ticking bomb.” Recently a 4 year old was seriously bitten when being supervised by his grandma. She allowed him to tease and pull the dog’s ears because that’s what he usually did and the dog usually allowed this. Turned out that on this occasion the dog had a severe, painful ear infection. Also, it’s known that children that have been taught to be gentle and respectful with animals can grow up as kinder and more thoughtful adults. We’ve taken all of this into account and formulated a fun, informative and highly valuable program for families, groups and individuals. Velma’s All classes are given by professional dog trainers and include handling of cats, rabbits and other pets owned by the family Our program is tailored to each family or group teaching adults and children not only safe and respectful pet handling skills but also a foundation in how to read the dog’s body language and facial expressions so you will know when the dog is not happy and needs space. We know that the best way to learn new skills even serious ones is by using fun. Our classes can include games, songs, musical instruments, expressive dance, interactive stories, videos, discussions, drawings, quizzes, team work, role play and puppets! We are confident that by teaching our skills to adults and children we can dramatically reduce or eliminate the number of bites to children, and also increase trust, develop a stronger relationship bond between the pets and the family, and teach children to be kind. Velma’s Pets As Therapy Ph 0432 578 210 [email protected] Velma Violet Harris – Dog Behaviour Consultant and Founder of Velma’s Pets As Therapy Family Prevent-A-Bite Paws Parties call 0432 578 210 or email Velma [email protected] FEBRUARY/MARCH – ISSUE 98 15