This course is designed to teach you the knowledge and skills to deal with a sick or injured dog until veterinary care is available. The topics are covered in-depth so that students have a thorough understanding of the principles of canine first aid. Since this is a very comprehensive course, we need your full attention and dogs do not come to class. 126 page DOGSAFE® training and reference manual included ($18.95 retail value).
Hours: 8 hours
Maximum: 12 students
Prequisite: None
Minimum Age: 14 yrs/10 yrs if parent also enrolled
Registration fee: $139 + tax
Locations: ALL
Please check our FIND A COURSE page for dates and location information.
In DOGSAFE® Part 1, You will Learn How to:
- prevent common injuries
- conduct a head to tail assessment
- tell if your dog is experiencing pain
- recognize 4 signs of illness or injury
- respond to any emergency in 4 easy steps
- safely approach an injured dog
- take your dog's vital signs and 3 other health tests
- perform cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR)
- perform artificial respiration
- remove an airway obstruction (choking)
- prevent and treat for shock
- control deadly bleeding
- deal with penetrating objects
- prevent and treat eye injuries
- prevent and treat abdominal wounds
- recognize risk factors and respond to bloat
- prevent and respond to drowning
- assess and respond to bone and joint injuries
- prevent and respond to poisonings
- prevent and respond to frostbite and hypothermia
- prevent and respond to heatstroke
- treat minor burns
- treat various wounds
DOGSAFE® courses are designed to make complex topics easy. Our teaching techniques will appeal to auditory, visual and tactile learners. Everyone will learn thru seeing, listening, moving and doing which improves knowledge retention. This means that you not only learn the topics on course day, but more importantly, retain the information for years to come. This makes learning with DOGSAFE not only fun, but effective.
Our training techniques include:
- instruction
- demonstration
- hands-on learning
- discussion
- Q&A
- and videos
Our training tools include:
- canine resuscitation manikins
- plush demonstration dogs
- bandages
- splints
- even fake guts, eyeballs and much more!
“I enjoyed the course so much and I am now more confident in dealing with emergency situations. The DOGSAFE® course was great, thanks again!”
- Angela Du, new dog trainer, DOGSAFE™ Graduate, Nov 12, 2006
DOGSAFE® Course Manual Included:
DOGSAFE: Everything Your Dog Wants You to Know in an Emergency, by DOGSAFE® creator, Michelle Sevigny is included FREE with DOGSAFE® Part 1 course registration ($18.95 retail value). The 126 page comprehensive manual includes 56 real-life photographs and is spiral bound for durability. The course training and reference manual is reviewed & supported by veterinarians, including Dr. James Lawson, Chief Animal Health Officer of the BC SPCA.
PLUS, the course manual includes:
- a Vital Signs Checklist for keeping track of your dog's essential information,
- a Disaster Preparedness Checklist,
- an Essential Phone Numbers list for easy access in emergencies
- a K9 Incident Report Form to ensure accurate info during veterinary follow-ups
- a multiple choice & true/false quiz to test your knowledge.
The DOGSAFE® training and reference manual contains even more topics that are not covered in the course -- a priceless manual for future reference.
Hands-on Experience with Canine CPR Manikins
DOGSAFE® Canine First Aid Authorized Instructors have 
invested in your canine first aid education by providing canine CPR manikin(s). The canine CPR manikins are vital educational tools that are considerably more life-like than using stuffed toys. Our manikins have working pulse and lungs enabling you to actually perform canine CPR, a technique that is not possible to conduct on live dogs.The DOGSAFE course goes beyond just watching an instructor demonstrate CPR and provides opportunities for hands-on practice with canine CPR manikin(s) -- an essential component to effective learning. *Note: some Authorized Instructors will have a manikin for each student and some will have shared manikins.
"I learned, and became aware of, so much during my two, very worthwhile, DOGSAFE courses. I will speak of them positively to other dog owners. "
- Shantal Cashman, DOGSAFE Graduate, August 8, 2009
DOGSAFE™ Written Test
DOGSAFE® Canine First Aid Part 1 concludes with a written test to ensure that you leave the course with a thorough understanding -- and confidence -- to take positive action in any emergency involving a dog. We strongly believe in maintaining high standards in canine first aid education and we also believe in helping students be successful when learning new skills, so don't worry, we are confident in our instructors, which results in our 100% student pass rate.
Certificates Awarded
Upon successful completion of the hands-on practical and written test, you will be granted a frame-ready, 8 1/2" x 11" DOGSAFE® certificate that you can be proud to show your family, friends, clients and even your dog!
"Thank you for creating the DOGSAFE™ Canine First Aid course; it was the most involving and enjoyable first aid course I have ever taken."
- Donna Hill B.Sc., Games with Dogs, DOGSAFE™ Graduate, Mar 18, 2007
