How long are the courses?
The full day, DOGSAFE™ Canine First Aid - Part 1 course is 8 hours in length, including morning, lunch and afternoon breaks.
Our DOGSAFE™ Canine First Aid - Part 2 and Operation Find Fido™ workshops are each 2 1/2 hours in length including breaks.
The DOGSAFE™ for Puppies and DOGSAFE™ Intro to K9 First Aid & Safety workshops are each 2 hours in length with plenty of breaks for the pooches.
Where are the courses held?
All North Vancouver DOGSAFE™courses, workshops and seminars are held at our designated training facility located at #2 - 151 Riverside Drive West, North Vancouver (just seconds off the 2nd Narrows bridge).
Victoria courses held at K9HQ Doggy Day-Care Plus, 102-721 Station Avenue, Langford.
Nanaimo courses held at Dog n Suds Pet Services, 2209 Wilgress Road, Nanaimo.
C'mon, I don't live in North Vancouver, don't you have courses closer to me?
All our lower mainland courses are held at our designated training facility in North Vancouver. Our new space is conveniently located just a minute off Hwy #1 and provides the best in canine first aid equipment, supplies and atmosphere. We understand that everyone's time is precious yet I am sure you will agree that your pooch is worth an extra 30 - 40 minute driving time investment to reach Canada's only training facility dedicated to canine first aid and safety. We regularly have students come from Surrey, Langley, Chilliwack, Whistler and even Pemberton, Kamloops and Kelowna! And remember, most of our courses are on weekends which means no commuter traffic.
How often are courses offered?
In North Vancouver, we offer courses and workshops almost every week throughout the year except for December, July and August when courses are offered a little less.
DOGSAFE™Part 1 courses are offered on Saturdays or Sundays. DOGSAFE™Part 2, Operation Find Fido™, DOGSAFE™ for Puppies and DOGSAFE™ Intro to K9 First Aid and Safety workshops are offered on a rotating basis on Tuesday, Wednesday or Thursday evenings.
Courses in Victoria and Nanaimo are held three to four times per year. Please check our CALENDAR page for a list of current dates.
How far in advance should I register?
There is no deadline for enrollment, however, the courses generally fill up quickly, so to avoid disappointment, register early to reserve your space. Please ensure that you have checked your calendar, as registrations are non-refundable and non-transferable.
What is the minimum age for students?
Our age guidelines have been set due to the mature subject matter of the course topics (bodily injuries to dogs, death in dogs, realities of emergencies, worst-case scenarios and more), hands-on skill level requirements, concentration demands of an 8 hour course and academic level of the final course test.
Students need to be 14 years of age or older to attend on their own in the DOGSAFE Part 1 course and 16 years of age for any course or workshop where dogs are also in attendance - we're sticky on these and there will be no exceptions.
Students should be a minimum of 10 years of age to attend with an adult - we may make exceptions to this after discussion with a parent, please call us.
I just want to buy the course manual, can I do that?
You bet! Please remember that reading a canine first aid handbook is not a replacement for hands-on learning in a classroom environment but we do understand that such training is not available in every area.
Our DOGSAFE course manual is a comprehensive 126 page handbook that is a priceless reference. The cost is $18.95 CDN plus GST federal tax and shipping/handling. We ship via Canada Post to anywhere in Canada or the USA. We can provide a shipping/handling quote prior to shipping once zip or postal code is provided. Simple call us at 778-340-0855 Tuesday to Friday 10:30am - 6pm Pacific with your name, address and a Visa or MC number.
Do you have a distance education option?
Not yet. We strongly believe that canine first aid is a skill that needs to be learned in an environment that allows hands-on practice with realistic canine manikins while under the supervision of an experienced instructor. However, we also believe in win-win situations and we've certainly have had a lot of requests for a distance education option. So, we are currently brainstorming how we can accomplish our requirements in a distance format. Please check back about this development or sign up for our email newsletter here.
Does my dog come too?
The full day, DOGSAFE™Canine First Aid - Part 1 course is for people only so your dog gets the day off school. We believe that whenever you are with your dog, your focus should be 100% on them and since our DOGSAFE™ Part 1 course is very comprehensive, we will need your full attention. We use canine manikins where you can practice emergency skills that you cannot practice on live dogs.
However, we do feel that it is important to have supervised practice on your own dogs, so we also offer a DOGSAFE™Canine First Aid Part 2 Workshop -- both you and your dog attend. This is a fun 2 1/2 hour workshop where you practice all the skills you learned in Part 1, on your own dog. Bring your camera!
Prerequisite: DOGSAFE™Part 1.
Do I get a certificate?
Yes! After successful completion of the hands-on practice and written test, you will receive a frame-ready certificate that you can be proud to show your clients, friends and pooches. Certificates are valid for three years. All dog professionals, will also receive a DOGSAFE™CERTIFIED jpeg logo for display on their websites, brochures and business cards and be listed on our Find A Certified Dog Professional webpage.
I have two dogs, can they both come?
Sorry, just one dog per handler. This is for the safety of everyone in the class, including students and dogs.
My dog is very rambunctious, can she still come?
Yes! We recommend that you full exercise your dog before the class which will help her be successful. Working with a wiggly, higher energy dog will give you a good idea of the realities of dealing with a dog who might not want to be muzzled, restrained and bandaged! We always respect the limitations of the dog however, and take multiple breaks to chill out.
What if my dog doesn't like other dogs?
The DOGSAFE™ Part 2 workshop is about hands-on practice for you and your dog in a calm environment. Dogs are permitted to greet, if appropriate and with approval of the owners, but face-to-face greetings are not necessary and there is no off-lead play during the course. If your dog requires more physical space to feel comfortable, we can accomodate this. In extreme cases, we can arrange visual barriers for your dog in order to reduce visual stimulation. DOGSAFE™instructors are very experienced in all aspects of general dog handling skills...we are there to assist you and your dog in any possible way. Limitation: if your dog has a history of physical aggression involving bites to another dog or human, they will not be permitted to attend. Please call us to discuss your particular concerns further.
What do you require regarding vaccinations?
Generally, for dogs-are-welcome workshops, we will request that all dogs have vaccinations for canine distemper, canine parovirus and rabies within the last three years. We also accept serum antibody titer tests. We also feel strongly that individual dog owners should be responsible for their own decision regarding vaccinations based on risk assessment of their dog's activities and health upon discussion with their dog's veterinarian. If you choose not to vaccinate your dog, please call to discuss and we will likely permit your dog. Please refer to our Vaccination Information webpage for further details.
Can't I just read a book about finding lost dogs?
We understand that everyone's time is precious, however, we strongly believe that people learn best when auditory, visual and tactile learning styles are all addressed. Learning thru seeing, listening, moving, doing and touching is more memorable. And most importantly, we help you design and make the most effective lost dog flyers and posters in advance. Many people have good intentions to do this on their own but most just simply--do--not--get--it--done on their own!
Especially for dog professionals, attending the course and receiving the Operation Find Fido certificate is a way to promote to your clients that you are committed to safety -- much more credible than simply saying, "I read a book".
I am taking a puppy class already, what will I learn here that is different?
This workshop will add to your puppy's socialization by introducing your puppy to even more new experiences such as body handling, vital sign assessment and safety training such as drop it / leave it and door manners which is more effective if you train them right away. We will also teach YOU about how to assess your puppy for illness, home safety and where to go for help. This gives you confidence and peace of mind so you can just enjoy your little bundle of fur.
How is this workshop different than the full day DOGSAFE Part 1?
DOGSAFE Canine First Aid Part 1 is a full day comprehensive training class where we not only introduce the topics of first aid but teach you what to do in response. The Intro workshop does not go into details about first aid response but will teach you the basics of assessing the baseline health of your dog now and how to decide whether you need veterinary intervention. This is the bare bones basics that every dog owner should know. If you are interested in learning how to respond to a canine first aid situation, please register for the DOGSAFE Part 1 course.
Can I organize a private course for a group of friends?
Absolutely! If you have a group of friends that are interested in learning about canine first aid, why not organize a private DOGSAFE™course or workshop? All private courses are held at our DOGSAFE™ training facility in North Vancouver. Click here to download more details.
Please note: our DOGSAFE™ Canine First Aid Part 1 course is no longer available at-your-location since our specialized training equipment and video presentation materials are not portable.
Can I organize a private course for my customers or staff?
You bet! We love teaching private classes as the group dynamics are awesome since everybody already knows everybody else. Please click here to download more details about our private commercial (for customers) classes or click here to download more details about private corporate (for staff) classes.
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