OTHER ACTIVITIES
This is where my life becomes interesting! (well for me anyway!)
ALDER HEY CHILDREN’S HOSPITAL
Along with the team at Alder Hey hospital we run regular courses on the similarities between dogs and kids and the links to nutrition and its consequences.
This is a two day course with the first day being for the carers/foster carers of children in care, we cover the body language of kids and dogs coupled with the effects of food on both dogs and kids and the similarities between them, this can be quite an eye opener for some people.
On the second day we have a meet and greet with the kids and dogs, the kids are given homework by their carers on how to meet and greet dogs before they attend this day, once they have met the dogs they then spend a couple of hours playing with them, we usually take about 5 dogs and 6 or 7 doggie board games – both dogs and kids love this.
This is a rewarding experience as often the kids have quite severe problems or learning difficulties such as autism, speech problems or interaction problems with people, to see them interact with the dogs – and subsequently us when they need to ask questions is wonderful.
WORKING IN THE PRISON SERVICE
This scheme has been up and running about 4 years now, I was first contacted about socialising and training two dogs for working as therapy dogs within the prison service.
They went through a basic training programme (up to gold good citizen level) and loads of different socialisation and stimuli that may happen within the prison, this led on to me visiting the prison and working with the dogs and people there, we now have regular visits to keep the programme going (though it is now a different prison as the governor changed prisons) our aim is to continue this programme and increase it by breeding our own service dogs and training them on for other prisons as we have had so much interest. It is amazing to see how the dogs help different situations within the prison,
Long term it is hoped that we will set up a training facility for grooming and dog day care/boarding alongside local colleges to provide NVQ’s or City and Guilds for inmates so when they leave they have a qualification to get them started on a new life.
PETS AS THERAPY DOGS (PAT DOGS)
I have several of my own dogs registered as ‘PAT’ dogs, once a month one of them comes with me to a elderly persons residential home where their visits are really looked forward too by the residents who love to cuddle them, both the dogs and I thoroughly enjoy doing this. I have also recently started prison visiting with one of my PAT dogs – very rewarding.
I am a qualified PAT dog assessor
WE ARE AN APPROVED SCHOOL WORK PLACEMENT PROVIDER
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