A group of Calgary students are really enjoying welcoming some canines into their classroom.
They’re also learning some important lessons on comfort and safety, for people and pets.
Students in the new veterinary assistant program at Bow Valley College are benefitting from having dogs visit as part of their training.
“There’s going to be fidgety dogs, dogs with different personalities,” student McKenna Jodoin said. “It’s good to understand how to handle that, because nobody wants to get bit, right?”
During a visit by three dogs to the classroom, instructor Kate Pymont was leading the students in hands-on activities such as lifting the animals onto an examining table.
“When they go out into the clinics, it’s a safety issue: to be able to handle an animal properly,” Pymont said. “Nobody likes going to the doctor and a lot of animals don’t like going to the vet, so it’s important for the safety of the patient, for the trust of the client and for the safety of the veterinary team.”
She also gave the students tips on how to read a dog’s body language, which can help predict its behaviour.
Pymont pointed out how one visitor, a small dog named Nora, appeared to be quite nervous.
“She has a furrowed brow, eyes darting around,” Pymont said. “She’s taking treats quite aggressively and that’s a sign that she’s anxious.”
The students are learning to watch out for many signs that a dog might be tense.
“You can see the whites of their eyes when they’re very scared,” student Dani Brawner said. “And sometimes they’ll shake.”
Callie, a dog brought in by student Karin Pinkett, wasn’t shaking at all while being lifted in the classroom.
“Callie’s pretty chill,” Pinket said.
Pymont also arranges for cats to come in for classroom visits with her students.
Whether their patients are feline, canine or another type of animal, the students say the hands-on training is definitely adding to their learning.
“It’s really important to learn how to lift them properly,” student Yeanor Williams said, “so that you don’t injure them or yourself.”
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