The Paws & Affection team brings service dogs in-training and staff to your school/organization/group for an educational and interactive learning experience. Read more about our two programs below.
1. One Hour Presentation
Topics covered:
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- Disability awareness
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- Accessibility
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- Inclusion
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- Service Dog etiquette
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- Dog body language and basic training
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- The role of service dogs in our community
Our presentations are tailored to every group’s unique needs and age-range.
2. COMMUNITY K9 LEARNING MODULE (SERIES OF 4 VISITS)
This month-long program allows students to learn about service dogs through hands-on participation in the training process of a Paws and Affection dog. Each week, students enter the world of service dog training under the guidance of a professional dog trainer. This program is limited to small groups of ten students or less, allowing students to work together in teams with a P&A canine partner. Students enjoy bonding with our dogs and benefit from practicing positive reinforcement, patience and cooperative teamwork, too!
Week 1: The Role of the Service Dog
Students gain a deeper understanding of how service dogs help people with disabilities, while also learning some essential principles of caring for and teaching these special animals. Students gain better awareness of disability-related rights and challenges, while learning best practices for respectful interaction with a person that has a service dog.
Week 3: Body Language and Communication
Examination of the specific ways in which dogs express emotions. Discussion of body language in both dogs and people and how that translates into learning and communication. We draw comparisons to how body language and tone of voice impact both human and dog learning processes.
Week 2: Bond Based Learning
Exploration of the importance of relationship and respect when working with dogs. Demonstration and practice of specific exercises used to teach dogs skills that later translate into working dog tasks.
Week 4: Canine Development and Care
Students learn and practice tasks essential to caring for dogs in a cooperative manner which means asking the dog for consent before proceeding. This includes proper grooming, physical therapy exercises, and health maintenance. Students develop a broad understanding of how to care for a dog physically in a respectful way that is mutually beneficial to both the human and the dog.