No Hot Dogs or Melted Mutts!

 

 

  

Hi, I’m Cónán, one of the Dogs Trust Education Dogs. Now that summer is finally here and the temperature is rising, I'd like to share with you some very important advice so that your precious pet doesn’t become a Hot Dog!

 

 

 
• Remember, dogs cannot cool down as easily as humans: While humans get sweaty all over when they are hot, dogs like me only sweat from their paw pads. We rely mainly on panting to keep us cool – easier said than done!
 
 
• Make sure your dog always has plenty to drink: Dogs need to drink lots of water to keep themselves cool. Us doggies will drink more water than usual when the weather is hot so make sure we always have fresh, clean water in our bowls.

 

 
  
 

• Never leave your dog in the car, even if it feels cool outside: Remember, dogs find it harder to stay cool than humans, so what seems cold to you might seem warm to us! Dogs left in cars have been known to suffer from heat stroke and even die L


 
 
• Parking in the shade or leaving the car window open does not make it safe: Even with the window down, it is always hotter in the car than it is outside. Think of a car as a bit like an oven: air finds it hard to get in and out. We don’t want any melted mutts!


 
 
• If you are driving with your dog, avoid the hottest part of the day when possible and try to use a sunblind in the window: This will make the journey much more comfortable and enjoyable for your furry friend.
  
 
 
• Keep plenty of water on hand in the car and make sure to take breaks: This way your dog will arrive at your destination relaxed and refreshed – not frazzled and stressed! Maybe you could even ‘paws’ yourself and take a short stroll with your pal to get you both some fresh air.
  
 
 
• Some breeds of dog need a summer groom: Some breeds of dog have lots of fur that will need to be cut or trimmed to make sure they don’t overheat when the weather is warm. As you can see from this photo below, I’ve just been to the groomer to have my furry coat cut short. I kept my handsome beard though – and I think I look ‘pawsitively’ amazing! ;)
 

 

Check out our Dogs Trust ‘Hot Cars Kill Dogs’ campaign video on YouTube – and be sure to share with all your friends!

 

 

Welcome Back Liadh!

The Dogs Trust Education Team is delighted to welcome back Liadh Fitzgerald, our South West Education Officer.  Liadh is very excited to be returning to the team and to resume visiting primary schools and community groups in Cork, Kerry and Limerick.

Liadh first became an Education Officer for Dogs Trust in 2010 and has been delivering workshops ever since in the company of her Education Dog, Molly.  Molly is a fabulous three-legged, white German Shepherd who has been dedicated to educating the children of South West Ireland all about Responsible Dog Ownership and Safety Around Dogs.  She has never let having three legs hold her back and has been a firm favourite with everyone she meets.

However Molly is now 9 years old - that's 63 in human years - and has decided that the time is right for her to retire, as health is not the best.  As an Education Dog, Molly has delivered at least 4 workshops a day, 4 days a week by Liadh's side - a heavy workload for a dog half her age!  She's now looking forward to lazy days spent curled up on the couch with her favourite dog treats.  The Education Team would like to thank Molly for her years of bringing joy to the classroom and hope that she thoroughly enjoys her retirement.

Liadh is currently taking bookings for her summer workshops in Cork, Kerry and Limerick, so if your summer camp, local library or other organisation would like a visit from Dogs Trust, you can contact Liadh on 087 923 9221 or at liadh.fitzgerald@dogstrust.ie.  You can also contact the Education Team at education@dogstrust.ie to see if workshops are available in your area.

Farewell Aoife and Brave!



The Education Team would like to bid a fond farewell to South West Education Officer, Aoife, and her wonderful Education Dog, Brave.  Aoife and Brave have made a great team, visiting schools and community groups in the South West since September 2013 to educate the dog owners of tomorrow about Responsible Dog Ownership.

Aoife and Brave met so many wonderful children and teachers on their travels through Cork, Kerry and Limerick, and Brave in particular enjoyed the attention and positive response he received in the classroom.  Brave has also been a great ambassador for Greyhounds, helping to show so many people what we at Dogs Trust already know - Greyhounds and Lurchers make great pets.  They are the 80km per hour couch potatoes!  In fact, Aoife has already been in touch to say Brave has taken to his retirement very well and is enjoying lounging around the house and in the sun.

Deirdre and Fiona would like to wish Aoife and Brave the very best for the future, along with the rest of the Dogs Trust Team. 

 



 Aoife and Brave, Muskerry News, April 2014

 

But don't despair, South West Munster!  The Education Team is pleased to announce that Education Officer Liadh has returned from leave and will be coming to a school near you soon!  There will be more on her return next week but in the meantime don't forget you can contact the Education Team on 01 879 1827 or at education@dogstrust.ie .



Thanks to all our waggy walkers!



Last Sunday, May 25th 2014, Dogs Trust held our first national Pooch in the Park Dog Walk in Dublin, Kilkenny and Cork.  The day was a great success with walkers and their dogs of all shapes and sizes coming out to support Dogs Trust and our brand new Puppy Wing!

 



 

 

 

The walkers all waited patiently for the 12pm kick-off - dodging the rain in Kilkenny! - with eager dogs getting to know their fellow waggy walkers.  Some of our past Dogs Trust residents, including Angel the Neapolitan Mastiff, came out to support the walk and raise funds to help up to 70 puppies and their mums have a space to call their own in Dogs Trust. 

 

 

Local businesses in Dublin, Kilkenny and Cork also donated some fantastic prizes for our raffles, meaning some lucky families went home with goodies ranging from hampers full of products for pampered pooches to skincare products for happy humans!  And the Dogs Trust and Maxi Zoo volunteers were on-hand giving out information packs and dog treats.  There were even face painters for any children who fancied a doggy 'makeover'!

 

 

 

 

 

By 1pm most doggies and their owners had crossed the finish line, tired but happy from their adventures.  Dogs Trust would like to thank everybody who turned out on the day; your support is greatly appreciated.  Best of all, your efforts have raised over €2,000 for our Puppy Wing, which is opening later this Summer.  We hope to see you all again next year! X

 















Pooch in the Park Dog Walk

 

The Education Team has been working away behind the scenes on a very exciting project - our very first national sponsored Dog Walk!  Dogs Trust is already home to up to 170 dogs and puppies at any one time, but there are still so many more dogs who need our help.  The walk is to raise money for our brand new puppy wing extension, which will house up to 7 mammies and 70 puppies at any one time.  The puppy wing will create 7 new jobs at Dogs Trust, including specialist puppy Canine Carers and Veterinary staff. 
 
Our Pooch in the Park event will consist of three dog walks kicking off at the same time, in the areas where the Education Officers are already active.  Entry is €5 per person - and doggies go free!  Registration is from 11am with the walks kicking off at 12pm.  Dogs must be kept on-lead at all times and don't forget to scoop-the-poop to ensure we leave nothing but footprints behind.
 
Some come join us for our first ever Pooch in the Park Dog Walk in the following regions:
 

• Dublin and Eastern Area:  Corkagh Park, Co. Dublin
• South East Area:  Kilkenny Castle, Kilkenny city
• South West Munster Area: Curraheen, Cork city

 
You can book tickets for the event by clicking on the link below, or limited tickets will be available on the day:

http://www.eventbrite.ie/o/dogs-trust-6394396629

Busy B's get Busy!

Fiona and her lovely Education Dog Jake recently visited Busy B's childcare in Loughshinny, Co. Dublin.  Fiona and Jake visited two groups of pre-school aged children who picked from flashcards all the different items that dogs need to be healthy and happy - they learned that dogs need a lead and collar, but definitely not chocolate!

 

 

 

 

The children also learned the WALT method of how to safely pet a dog with the owner's permission:

 

W - Walk slowly up to the dog's owner.

A - Ask if you can pet the dog.

L - Let the dog sniff your closed fist.

T - Touch the dog where the owner says it is ok to pet him/her.

 

 

 

 

 

Thanks to Brenda and all the staff and children at Busy B's for a lovely visit.  Don't forget, you can see if you can avail of a FREE Dogs Trust Educational Workshop by contacting education@dogstrust.ie .

 

 







Tea and Tales

 

Last Wednesday  23rd April the Dogs Trust Education Team held their very first 'Tea and Tales' event at the Dogs Trust 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.  We heard from fantastic speakers, from dog groomers to trainers and even a doggy daycare owner!  Attendees were also treated to a behind the scenes tour of our Rehoming Centre and learned how to safely 'meet and greet' Education dogs Jake, Sadhbh, Cónán and Béibhinn.  And, of course, there was plenty of tea and cake on offer as well as goody bags galore!

 

 

 

On hand from the Dogs Trust to speak about their jobs were Ali the Training and Behaviour Advisor, Graham the Post Adoption Supervisor, Kim the Canine Carer, Sam the Volunteer and Fiona, Deirdre and Aoife the Education Officers.

 

The Education Team would also like to thank the following Canine Professionals for volunteering their time to tell us all about their fantastic jobs working hands-on with dogs every day and for promoting Responsible Dog Ownership:

• Fiona Dunphy, dog groomer: https://www.facebook.com/FionaDunphyDogGrooming
• Louise Jones, dog trainer: http://www.pawsitivedogtraining.ie/
• Suzi Walsh, dog daycare owner: http://www.positivedogtrainingdublin.com/
• Jacinta Codd, veterinary nurse: http://anicare.ie/
• Donal Moroney, dog warden: https://www.facebook.com/ashtondogpound



We're sure some younger members of the audience came away from the event eager to pursue a career working with dogs.  In the meantime we're sure they will continue to give their own dogs the very best of care.

 

A huge thank you to everyone who spoke and attended our first Tea and Tales event; we're already looking forward to the next one!  You can keep up to date on future events by following Dogs Trust on Twitter and Facebook:

 

• https://www.facebook.com/dogstrustireland
• https://twitter.com/DogsTrust_IE