Chocs Away this Easter!

Easter is almost upon us and the house is full of chocolate! It’s hard to resist the temptation to give your doggy a little choccy treat. Please remember that human chocolate can be extremely harmful to your dog.

 

 

 

Many people are unaware that chocolate is poisonous to dogs.

• Chocolate makes dogs extremely sick and may even kill them.
• Chocolate contains a chemical called theobromine which is safe for humans but not safe for dogs.
• The darker the chocolate, the more poisonous it is for you doggy pal.
• As a rough guide, Dogs Trust estimates that 50g of plain chocolate could be enough to kill a small dog, such as a Yorkshire Terrier, while just 400g could be enough to kill an average size dog.

Other dangers:

• Risk of obesity
• Dangers of eating the foil wrapping

 

 So that everyone can have an egg-cellent Easter, remember these rules to keep your dog safe:

 

• Keep your "chocs away" in a safe place so your dog can't get to it.

• NEVER feed your dog chocolate that's meant for humans.

• If your Easter egg is missing and you think your dog may have stolen it, contact your vet straight away.

• Look out for any of the following symptoms; vomiting with blood, a sore tummy, extreme thirst, excitability, drooling, rapid heart rate and in severe cases, fits.

• If your dog is displaying any of these signs then take him immediately to your vet.

• The sooner your dog gets to a vet, the greater the chance of recovery from chocolate poisoning.

• If you want to treat your dog this Easter, stick to natural doggy snacks that are kinder to your canine.

  

Don't forget, raisins are also poisonous to dogs so if you're enjoying a yummy hot cross bun, make sure you resist the temptation to share it with your pooch!

 

 

 Happy Easter from the Education Team! xx

 

 

 

 

 

Tea and Tales 2015

Tea and Tales is back....

 

 

Last year the Dogs Trust Education Team held their very first 'Tea and Tales' event at the DogsTrust Rehoming Centre in Finglas.  This family-friendly event was attended by 41 parents and children, all eager to hear from some canine professionals about how they came to be working with dogs. 

Tea and Tales 2014

 

As it was such as success in 2014 we've decided to do it all again this year! Tea and Tales will run on Saturday the 11th April from 12-2pm once again in our Rehoming Centre. We'll have speakers from all manner of dog related careers who will be answering any questions you may have about their jobs. We'll also have some fun and games, you'll get a tour of the centre, and also get to safely meet one of our fantastic Education Dogs. To top it all off, we'll enjoy some tea and cake too!

 

This event is open to 7-13 year olds

Tickets are €6 for a single child

OR

€5 per child if more than one attending

No ticket required for accompanying adults.

 

Places are limited so click HERE to book!

See you there :)

 

 

 

 

 

Meet W.A.L.T.

One of the key messages that the Education Team share with the young people they visit is one of safety, and over the next couple of weeks we'll be blogging some of those safety messages.

 

This week is a video all about W.A.L.T - which reminds us of how to safely approach and meet a dog when they're with their owner, and what to do if the dog is by itself without an owner.
 

 

 

 

Remember the GOLDEN RULE:  You should always ask the owner if you can pet their dog.

(We also think it's nice to ask where their dog loves to be stroked - Meg loves head rubs!)

Only ask to meet a dog if he/she is with someone you know. Don't forget, we shouldn't talk to strangers, even if you'd like to say hello to their dog. :)

Jake's Canine Credentials

You may remember that last year we shared Meg's CV with you when she joined the Education Team. As our newest Education Dog, we thought that we should show you just why she got the job.

 

We thought that if you got to see Meg's CV,  it was only fair that you got to see Jake's too, so here is it! Jake is our Senior Education Dog, and covers Dublin and the East with Education Officer Fiona S. He's Top Dog around the Education Team, and we're sure that you'll agree he's very qualified for his job!

 

If you would like to see if Jake is available to visit your school, contact Fiona on 087136071 or Fiona.simpson@dogstrust.ie.

 

You can also find out who your local Education Officer is, and request a booking via our website www.learnwithdogstrust.ie or by contacting education@dogstrust.ie.





Pawsitively Pawsome Pictures

Every so often the Education Team get sent Thank You cards and pictures from children that they visit to talk about Responsible Dog Ownership. It's lovely to receive these cards, and great to see the effort that has been put into them.

 

As we love seeing these so much, we thought that you might too. So here's a selection of some of the Thank You's we've been sent!

 

 

 

 

We hope that you agree that we visit some very talented young people! The Education Team would like to say a big THANK YOU in return for all the fantastic cards and drawings!

Dogs In School

A dog in the playground is a common sight in schools all over the country. They're attracted to all the noise and excitement of children playing and naturally want to check it out!

The Education Team is often asked by children and teachers about what to do when there's a dog in the playground. This is our advice:

 

• Remember a dog that is out in public without an owner is a stray dog, even if it has a collar and tag!
• Children should never approach a dog if he's by himself without an owner, even if they recognise the dog.
• You may be happy to see a dog, but he may not be so happy to see you. Don't forget some dog's are afraid of children.
• If you see a stray dog in the playground, tell a teacher! If you see someone who looks like they’re going to pet the dog, remind them not to.
• The teacher can, if they feel confident to, check the dog for a tag and call the owner to collect the dog.
• If the dog doesn’t have an ID tag, he may have a microchip – if possible a responsible adult can bring the dog to a local vet to check.
• If no one can bring the dog to the vet, or the pound, then they can call the dog warden. The dog warden is also trained to deal with dogs that appear aggressive or injured - DO NOT approach these dogs yourself.  The dog warden can collect the dog and bring him to the pound.
• If you're worried about the dog, stay calm and bring your hands up, crossing your arms across your chest, or doing the 'X-Factor'. Don't talk to the dog or give him any attention. Walk away calmly and tell a teacher, or go back into the school building.

 

And they call it Puppy Love.....

Happy Valentine's Day all! Isn't it lovely to have one day a year dedicated to showing someone that we love them? :) Awwwwww....

Those of you with dogs will know that every day is Valentine's Day for our four legged friends though, as they shower us with love regardless of the date!

 

 

Dogs show us unconditional love in lots of different ways, from their unique way of snuggling up, to protecting us from all those dangerous birds and insects in the house/garden! And just like it's easy for them to show us how much they love us, it's just as easy for show our pets how much we love them! 

 

 

Being a Responsible Dog Owner, and giving our dogs all the things that keep them healthy and happy is all we need to do to show our love.  We think a great way to do this is to pledge to keep these five promises!

 

Promise 1 - Love

I promise to provide my pet with love and attention.

 

Promise 2 - A home

I promise to provide my pet with a suitable place to live.

 

Promise 3 - Safety

 

I promise to protect my pet, to keep her or him safe and healthy.

Promise 4 - Food and water

I promise to provide my pet with a healthy diet.

 

 Promise 5 - To be themselves

I promise to provide my pet with a life that she or he will enjoy.