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For further information on the 'BE A TREE' concept
Pictures Courtesy of Doggone Safe
Savannah is happy Savannah is telling you to stay away
Bear is afraid Bear is happy
Jubilee is happy Jubilee is alert to danger
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SAFETY AROUND DOGS - PRESENTATIONS & WORKSHOPS Tru Nature's aim to help the general dog loving public understand and communicate better with dogs includes a very significant contribution towards the education of children between 5-10 years old. It is thought that around 60% of recorded dog bites involve children, the majority of which are children under 9 years old, primarily due to their lack of knowledge and understanding in accurately reading possible danger signals. Many of these incidents involve family pets or dogs that are known to the children, so it is important that they realise both familiar and unfamiliar animals can at times be unpredictable. Dogs are amazing animals. They love us unconditionally. They protect our homes. They find lost children. They fetch the newspaper. They swim. They lie by the fire. They pull sleds in the snow. They predict seizures and sniff out cancer cells. They lead the blind. They hear for the deaf. They comfort the elderly. They leap from helicopters to rescue the drowning. They roll in dead stuff. They chase the cat. They dig up the garden. They die for us in war time. They sniff out drugs and bombs. They pull wheelchairs. They race agility courses. They steal the remote. They warm our feet and our hearts. Despite 12,000 years of living with dogs, they remain largely misunderstood by humans. When a dog bites we interpret this in human terms. In most cases the bite is a normal dog behavior. The dog that bites is not necessarily a mean dog or a bad dog - he is just a dog. To prevent dog bites we need to understand what motivates the dog to bite and reduce risk through modification of both human and dog behavior.
Dogs and Children are a fantastic combination, as long as some basic guidelines are adhered to. We often assume that all dogs are the same and will predictably react the same way , this is just not the case. There are so many factors which contribute to how a dog behaves, health, diet and stress to name but a few, it would be impossible to accurately predict the behaviour of even the most reliable pet under every single circumstance. We expect dogs not to bite because it is unacceptable behaviour to us, but there are many reasons why it does happen and often it can be easily prevented and avoided if we understand the 'dogs perspective'. Even if you think you have the most perfectly trained, perfectly behaved, controlled, placid pet - CHILDREN SHOULD NEVER BE LEFT UNATTENDED WITH DOGS. CLICK HERE - For details of our Presentation Packages & Workshops Tru Nature's Safety Around Dogs presentations and workshops are available to all schools, clubs and organisations who feel that the participants would benefit from acquiring a greater knowledge of how a dog thinks, reacts and behaves under certain circumstances. The presentations include information about how to read canine body language and facial expressions, (including how a wagging tail does not necessarily mean a 'happy dog'!). This is the primary way in which a dog communicates to us how they are feeling at any given time and will help children to recognise situations, which could place them in danger. The presentations will also explain what actions will keep them safe, what to do if approached by a strange dog or how to use calming signals if a dog displays any kind of aggression or over excitement. Children will also learn that sometimes the way they behave when around dogs, can be the cause of them getting bitten, and why. The presentations incorporate the highly successful 'Be A Tree' concept used extensively in America and recommended by the Kennel Club in the UK.
The Be A Tree programme is an innovative and interactive dog bite prevention education programme created by the non-profit organisation Doggone Safe and is used successfully in America for teaching school age children to learn about safety around dogs. The Be A Tree programme is unique in its use of several different teaching strategies, its focus on physical activity and its emphasis on positive message. Instead of telling children "don't do this and don't do that", the Be A Tree programme empowers them with the knowledge they need to make safe decisions based on the body language and the actions of the dog and the situation at hand. The central message of the programme is "Be a Tree" (stand still and quiet and don't look at the dog) if a strange dog approaches or any dog is causing concern or becoming too frisky. In order to 'Be A Tree' you need to :-
The idea of folding the hands gives children something to do with them and makes them less likely to put their hands up. By keeping the hands low and folding them across the body, the dog's head will stay low, if the child raises their hands in the air or even folds them across their chest, it brings the dogs attention up towards the face. The movement of the hands upwards also attracts the dog to move closer and investigate the hands. Having tested many 'tree' configurations it was found that the less movement the better. The suggestion that children look at their feet (watch their roots grow) gives them something to look at other than the dog. It gives them a positive image to focus on (roots growing). It was found in testing that even when instructions were given to look ahead, or look up to the sky, or look at something in the distance the children still felt compelled to move their eyes to look at the dog. By giving a specific instruction of something to look at the child does not have to judge anything for themselves, or decide what to look at, they just look at their feet. The idea behind getting children to count in their head to the highest number they know, over and over until help comes or the dog goes away, gives them something to do with their minds while they are frightened.
The concept is also recognised by The Kennel Club under the title of the Safe And Sound Scheme. Full details can be found on their website along with an online interactive game which children can play to test their knowledge of safe and dangerous situations with dogs.
SAFETY AROUND DOGS - PRESENTATION PACKAGES & WORKSHOPS There are three levels of Presentations available, full details of which are given below, if you have any special requirements or would like to discuss any aspect of the packages further then we will be happy to hear from you. We look forward to providing you with an interesting and interactive presentation which will be both enjoyable and informative for everyone present.
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Pictures Courtesy of Doggone Safe
Jack is telling you to stay away Jack is calm and happy
Lily is happy Lily and her friends don't want to share the couch
Trevor is alert Trevor is relaxed
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