Unique Dog Training

By Morris Darbo

DURATION: March 3, to May 23, 2014

SPONSOR: Doggone Safe Canada

DATE OF SUBMISSION: May 26, 2014

NUMBER OF BENEFICIARIES: 13,949

Doggone Safe Canada is a strong partner to the Liberia Animal Welfare & Conservation Society. Through materials and monetary support from Doggone Safe Canada, the Liberia Animal Welfare & Conservation Society has a sustainable dog bite prevention program established in 10 schools and an outreach program in additional 11 schools.

Dog bite prevention education is cardinal in rebuilding a country- Liberia where nearly 85% of the population lives below USD 1 dollar per day and the means of accessing anti- human rabies vaccine is nearly impossible. Dogs are part of the family circle but suffered as the result of rabies and the dog meat trade. When there is an outbreak of rabies, killing had been the only easier and common method used by community people. This method failed to eliminate or reduce the spread of the deadly and neglected disease. In partnership with Doggone Safe Canada, the Liberia Animal Welfare & Conservation Society introduced the dog bite prevention program in various communities and schools in Lofa County, Liberia targeting mainly children- the main victims of dog bite. The program is making an impressive improvement in the fight against the spread of rabies and the killing of dogs as the mean of curtailing the spread of rabies. Today, as the result of LAWCS intervention, dog bite incident is drastically reduced in the communities where LAWCS is working and people continue to live happily with their dogs.

LAWCS presently has 5 teachers volunteering as dog bite prevention presenters in their various schools and communities.

These volunteers were trained and empowered with dog bite prevention materials to conduct activities with their school children.

13,949 students were trained during the awareness program.

Below are the schools and number of students educated during the program:

NO.

NAME OF SCHOOL

LOCATION

# OF STUDENTS EDUCATED

Voinjama Central Academy

Voinjama

390

New Life Community Sch.

Voinjama

525

Kormah Sharparhood Day Care

Voinjama

621

Kids Connection Day Care

Voinjama

553

Japan Cooperative Day Care

Voinjama

434

Voinjama Public Sch.

Voinjama

988

William A. Brown

Voinjama

641

Ansuwaru Arabic & English Sch

Voinjama

378

Kintorma Community School

Voinjama

612

Selega Public School

Selega Town

315

Tenebu Public School

Tenebu Town

254

Lawalazu Public School

Lawalazu Town

632

Koryanmai Public School

Koryanmai Town

275

Kabata Public School

Kabata

419

Malamai Public School

Malamai

368

Doggone Safe Across the US and Canada Scholarship NU AL LA NE

Diposting oleh imano , di 10.39

0 komentar

Doggone Safe has Be a Tree presenters in 47 US states and 10 Canadian provinces and 2 territories. Part of our goal during this years International Dog Bite Prevention Challenge is to have a presenter in every state, province and territory.

To help make this happen we have teamed up with Family Paws Parent Education to offer full scholarships to new presenters in the following areas of the US and Canada:

Nunavut
Alabama
Louisiana
Nebraska

We will award 4 scholarships, one for each area. Please pass this on to your colleagues in these areas.

Click here for more information and to obtain the necessary application documents

The Scholarship

The chosen candidates will receive:

Be a Tree teacher kit (value $100)
1 Year free membership in Doggone Safe (value $25)
Access to Be a Tree training webinars (value $30)
Materials and training to become a presenter for the Dogs & Storks and the Dogs and Baby Connection programs from FPPE (value $650)
1 Year free license for use of FPPE materials (value $100)

Qualifications

This is NOT a random draw. You must meet the entrance requirements and be willing to sign license agreements with both Doggone Safe and Family Paws Parent Education.

The requirements as as follows:

Dog-Related Experience Requirements:

Dog training and/or behaviour consulting experience, 5 years or more.
Commitment to continuing education.
Commitment to positive-reinforcement based training methods.
Provide 2 professional references (veterinarian, professor, dog trainer, dog behaviour consultant).
List professional certifications/qualifications related to dog training/behaviour.

Public Speaking or Teaching Experience Requirements:

Comfortable and experienced at teaching or speaking to a group.
Provide 1 reference that can attest to speaking ability.
List professional certifications/qualifications related to teaching/lecturing.

Other Requirements:

Join FPPE presenter yahoo group
Sign the FPPE license agreement
Pay license fee after the first year ($100 per year) if you wish to maintain the license
Collaborate well with others
View the 9 online pre recorded courses
Go through FPPE guidebook
Own your own laptop computer and projector capable of playing PowerPoint presentation with videos. Be familiar with the use of this equipment.

Dog Bite Prevention Challenge in Liberia

Diposting oleh imano , di 00.19

0 komentar

By Morris Darbo

The Liberia Animal Welfare and Conservation Society (LAWCS) is a locally based animal welfare organization established in 2000 and legally registered with the government of Liberia in 2004. LAWCS renewed its legal status with the government of Liberia on January 3, 2012.

The vision of LAWCS is to create a society where the welfare of all forms of nature matter. As Mahatma Gandhi said, “the greatness of a nation and its moral progress can be judged by the way its animals are treated”.

Liberia is one of the countries that do not provide rabies vaccine to dogs and anti-rabies vaccine to humans. Dogs are the main carriers and transmitters of rabies in Liberia. Children have been the main victims of dog bite. In partnership with a Canadian based organization, Doggone safe, LAWCS has been actively involved in dog bite prevention education in various schools in Lofa County using ``Be a Tree`` dog bite prevention program. From April to May, 2013, LAWCS` volunteers visited and inspired 10,076 school children in 19 schools.

See the details in the chart below:

No.

Name of School

# of female

# of male

Total

Kormah Shepherd hood Day Care

221

232

453

Japan Day Care

120

146

266

Kids Connection Day Care

241

255

496

William A. Brown School

224

200

424

Voinjama Central Academy

100

115

215

Voinjama Public School

250

305

555

St. Joseph Catholic School

235

140

375

New Life Community School

188

148

336

Answeru English & Arabic School

375

298

673

Kintorma Community School

412

421

833

Yandasu Public School

210

200

410

Selega Public School

200

231

431

Lawalazu Public School

220

245

465

Voinjama Free Pentecostal School

1007

994

2001

Malamai Public School

134

119

253

Koiyama Public School

254

201

455

Family Gathering Safety Tips for Kids and Dogs

Diposting oleh imano , di 23.43

0 komentar

The holiday season is coming up and with it the inevitable spate of parties and family celebrations. These events are great fun for the people, but can be very stressful for dogs. Here are some tips to help keep both kids and dogs safe and happy during family gatherings

Holidays Are Stressful for Dogs

The holidays are especially stressful for dogs due to changes in routine and the comings and going of visitors. Many dog bites happen at this time of year.

When visiting a house with a dog, children should be taught not to approach the dog (even if the dog has been friendly on other occasions). If the dog comes to them they should stand still like a tree and let the dog sniff. Only if the the dog is wagging and panting and coming to them for attention, and parent and dog owners are supervising and have given permission, should a child touch the dog. Dog owners should gauge their dog’s reaction to visitors. If the dog is overly excited, barking or growling, cowering away, trying to hide or otherwise showing signs of anxiety or aggression, the dog should be kept separate from visiting children for the ENTIRE DURATION of the child’s visit. The dog should have its own place in a crate or another room with toys, a bone to chew on and its special bed or blanket so that it can be happy and comfortable and away from guests. Even dogs who seem happy with visitors should never be alone in the room with visiting children. No preschooler, toddler or baby should be allowed to be near your dog unless you personally also have your hands on the dog and can prevent face to face contact between child and dog and can prevent the child from hugging or otherwise bothering the dog.

Greeting People at the Door

Dogs should not be allowed to greet visitors at the door. This is for the safety of the dog and the visitors. Keep the dogs in separate room or crate until the visitors are settled and then allow the dog to say hello if appropriate. If you are not sure about your dog, then leave him confined or keep him on a leash. Make sure that the dog associates visitors with something good for the dog, such as special treats or a stuffed bone.

Not the Time to Train the Dog

If you do perceive a problem between your dog and visiting children - THIS IS NOT THE TIME TO WORK ON IT. It is not reasonable to use visiting children to help train your dog. Take preventative measures to ensure that your dog does not have the opportunity to bite and once the holiday season is over seek the help of a dog behavior specialist who uses positive reinforcement methods to solve the dogs problem.

Family Gatherings

Family gatherings at a relative’s house are the source of fond memories for many. The relative’s dog may not enjoy these events as much as the rest of the family. Noise, confusion and changes in routine are stressful for dogs. Even a normally calm and docile pet may become agitated enough to bite under the extreme circumstances of a boisterous family celebration. Supervision may be lax if each adult thinks that another is watching the children. Children are the most likely victims of dog bites in this situation. Doggone Safe offers the following tips:

Put the dog in his crate with a bone or favorite chew toy, at least during the most hectic times – guests arriving and leaving as well as dinner preparation and serving.
Assign one adult to be in charge of the dog, to watch for signs of stress and protect from unwanted attention from children.
Signs of stress include: The dog yawns or licks his chops.The dog shows the white part of his eye in a half moon shape.
If the dog shows any of these signs, then he is worried and wants to be left alone. Put the dog in his crate or in a room away from the guests with a favorite chew toy or bone.
If the dog licks his chops, yawns or shows the half moon eye when a child approaches or is petting him, intervene immediately and ensure that the child cannot access the dog.
Do not allow visiting children to hug the dog. Dogs don’t like hugs and kisses. Even if the dog tolerates this under normal circumstances he may not tolerate this from strangers or in a high stress situation with lots of noise and people.
Other signs that the dog does not welcome attention from children (or adult) guests include the following:

The dog turns his head away, walks away or tries to hide under furniture.
The dog freezes and becomes very still, with his mouth closed. He may be staring intensely at the person who is bothering him and may growl. This dog is a few seconds away from a bite.
The dog growls or raises the fur along his back.

Assign one adult to supervise each baby or toddler with no other tasks expected.
If you have multiple dogs, consider kenneling them, crating them or keeping them in another room during large gatherings.
Supervise at all times.

Download our handout with a summary of tips for parents and dog owners

Articles:

Visit our article library for some articles about keeping kids and dogs safe during the holidays. Scroll through the list looking for those articles marked with a candy cane. Download the Doggone Safe Holiday Press Release with more tips

Members:

Doggone Safe Members: Download the Doggone Safe Holiday Press Release that you can edit to send to local newspaper, radio and TV media to promote your business and disseminate our safety messages. Join Doggone Safe.

Dog Bite Prevention in Liberia

Diposting oleh imano , di 00.11

0 komentar

by Morris Darbo

Students in Liberia holding the Be a Tree kit posters

Dog bite has been a serious concern in Foya District since the end of the war in 2003. In 2008, there was a mass killing of dogs in Foya as means of curtailing the spread of rabies and addressing the issue of dog bite in the District. This method failed to eliminate the spread of rabies or even significantly reduce dog bite cases in the district. Foya District is bordering with Guinea and Sierra Leone. There has always been an influx of unvaccinated dogs from those countries. The presence of large number of strange dogs in the districts has also been a threat in controlling dog bite.

Every year, there has been report of two or more deaths as the result of dog bite. Children have been the main victims. In May, 2012, the Liberia Animal Welfare and Conservation Society in partnership with Doggone Safe Canada took up the task to educate children in Foya District on dog bite prevention. The Liberia Animal Welfare and Conservation Society visited 10 schools and 4 communities with the education program. 15,520 children were educated on dog bite prevention. In August, we visited the hospital in Foya to ascertain the number of dog bites since our intervention with the education program.

We were told by the hospital that since May, there has been no report of a dog bite case in the hospital.
We at the Liberia Animal Welfare and Conservation Society want to extend our thanks and appreciation to Doggone Safe Canada for their support in empowering LAWCS to reach large number of children in the society. Our dog bite prevention program also ensures that today`s children grow up with compassion, empathy and respect for their dogs, as well as each other. We encourage compassion and responsible behavior toward dogs, as well as inspiring them to make a difference.

Morris Darbo is the founder and executive director of LAWCS and Doggone Safe Co-ordinator for Liberia

Visit the LAWCS website

Unique Dog Training

Selasa, 07 Juni 2016

Dog Trainer Continuing Education Incorporating Dog Bite Prevention into Dog Classes

Kamis, 26 Mei 2016

Dog Bite Prevention Challenge Report from Liberia

Rabu, 18 Mei 2016

Doggone Safe Across the US and Canada Scholarship NU AL LA NE

Jumat, 22 April 2016

Dog Bite Prevention Challenge in Liberia

Jumat, 08 April 2016

Family Gathering Safety Tips for Kids and Dogs

Kamis, 07 April 2016

Dog Bite Prevention in Liberia

Blog archive