IPPN 2014

The Dogs Trust Education Team would like to say thank you to all the principals who stopped by to see us at our stand at the IPPN (Irish Primary Principals' Network) last week.  We now have many more schools to add to the list of those who have benefitted from our free Educational Workshops and the whole team is looking forward to meeting all your students and teachers!

Meet the Education Team Part 2

Meet South East Education Officer Deirdre and her dogs Sadhbh, Cónán and Béibhinn.  Deirdre tells us about her role as part of the Education Team.

 

 

 

Hi Deirdre, tell us a bit about yourself.

My name is Deirdre Uí Dhubhda.  I am a fully qualified secondary school teacher, but my passion for dogs brought me to the role of Education Officer at Dogs Trust where I can combine my love of teaching with my love of dogs!

 

How long have you worked at Dogs Trust?

I first began working at Dogs Trust in January 2011, but I moved to the South East region in January 2012.

 

What parts of Ireland do you visit?

I visit primary schools and community groups in the five counties in the Sunny South East – Waterford, Kilkenny, Carlow, Wexford and Tipperary.

 

Tell us about your Education Dogs.

I am lucky enough to have three Education Dogs, Sadhbh and Cónán are lively 4 and 3 year old Miniature Schnauzers while Béibhinn is an affectionate Crossbreed.  Sadhbh and Cónán come with me the first time I visit a school while Béibhinn normally comes with me the second time.  They all have tonnes of personality and must be some of the luckiest dogs in the world to get to come to work with me every day and meet so many lovely children.

 

What makes a good Education Dog?

Any Education Dog must be trained and undergo a temperament and behaviour assessment with our qualified Training and Behaviour Advisors to ensure their suitability to work with children and in a school environment.  As you can imagine, schools are a very different environment to what a dog comes across in his or her daily life so an Education Dog must be very adaptable to change and able to cope with noisy, busy places.  Our Education Dogs are always friendly, calm, patient and well-behaved.  They all enjoy meeting children safely on a daily basis and bring such joy to them; even children who have previously been afraid of dogs.

 

Do you have any advice for people who are considering getting a dog of their own?

As part of Education Programme, we encourage children and their families to ‘press paws’ and stop and think about the decision to take a dog into their lives.  After all, they are a 15 year commitment.  It is important to think about what your dog will need to be healthy and happy, how much it costs to keep a dog, how to interact safely with your new pal and whether you have the time to commit to such a sociable animal – children can learn all this information when they attend our free educational workshops. And of course we would also love people to consider adopting a dog from Dogs Trust to give a dog in need the happiness they deserve – I have to say my favourite breed of dog is rescue dog!

 

If you would like to book a workshop with Deirdre you can contact her on 087 296 5883 or at deirdre.uidhubhda@dogstrust.ie.

If you would like to find out if Dogs Trust offers FREE Education Workshops in your area, contact education@dogstrust.ie.

Meet the Education Team Part 1

Meet Education Officer Fiona and her dog, Jake!  They are our Dublin and East Education Team.  Fiona has taken time out of her busy schedule to answer some questions all about her job at Dogs Trust:

Hi Fiona, tell us a bit about yourself.

My full name is Fiona Simpson.  I am Scottish and have been living in Ireland for 7 years now. I love dogs, am passionate about animal welfare and education.

 
How long have you worked at Dogs Trust?

I have been lucky enough to work in Dogs Trust for nearly two and half years.

What parts of Ireland do you visit?

I am the Education officer for the Dublin and Eastern area.  I cover County Dublin and the borders of County Meath, County Kildare and County Wicklow.

Tell us about your Education Dog, Jake.

Jake is my beautiful 4 year old Boxer dog.  He is a gentle giant and has been visiting schools with me over the last couple of years.  He loves meeting hundreds of pupils each week and helping to spread the word on responsible dog ownership!

What does a typical day as an Education Officer involve?

We present FREE responsible dog ownership workshops for primary schools 5-12 year olds. I cover up to 4 workshops a day.  If the school has more than 4 classes we can visit over a couple of days.  We have a variety of responsible dog ownership workshops I present with my trustee companion, Jake! The workshops lasts 30-45mins, depending on the age group, and are curriculum linked.

What do you do during the school holidays?

We are kept busy in the holidays visiting libraries, special needs groups and Montessoris!

Do you do school tours of the Dogs Trust centre?

We offer tours of our Dogs Trust centre here in Finglas.  These are FREE and are for all groups, primary education, secondary education, disability, Montessori groups etc.  These run on Fridays only between 12 noon and 1pm. 

What do you like most about your job?

I love educating the future dog owners about responsible dog ownership and knowing that this will make a difference in lowering the volume of stray and abandoned dogs.  I love being with my dog each day and visiting a variety of schools.

If you would like to book a workshop with Fiona you can contact her on 087 136 0771 or at fiona.simpson@dogstrust.ie.

If you would like to find out if Dogs Trust offers FREE Education Workshops in your area, contact education@dogstrust.ie.

learnwithdogs.ie

Did you know that the Dogs Trust Education Team has its very own website called www.learnwithdogs.ie?  Bursting with ideas, our education programme is linked to the Primary School Curriculum and offers a fresh perspective on looking after dogs.  So whether you are a teacher in search of exciting classroom resources or a young person in search of fun activities and games all about our furry friends, www.learnwithdogs.ie is the site for you! 

Hello World!

Welcome to the brand, spanking new Education blog from the Education Team at Dogs Trust Ireland!  This blog will keep you up to date with Education Officers Fiona, Deirdre and Aoife as they deliver fun, FREE educational workshops to primary schools and community groups around Ireland.  You can also contact the Education Team to make a booking at education@dogstrust.ie.