Resources for teachers
Discover our workshops and resources for teachers for pupils of all ages to learn about dogs.
Since 2003, we’ve been working within schools across Britain to deliver educational programmes and encourage positive attitudes and safe behaviours towards dogs.
With nearly 9 million dogs in the UK, children will develop an important and necessary understanding of safe and considerate behaviour around the dogs they know and live with, and those they may see out and about in the community.
As well as workshops, we also provide free curriculum-linked teaching resources which bring dog-themed learning to life.
Book a free school workshop
Our free school workshops focus on the theme of staying safe around dogs, and our supplementary resources help cover topics such as responsible dog ownership and building confidence around dogs.
Our workshops:
- are free, fun and interactive school assemblies and workshops where we bring all the resources to explore the ABCs of being a dog's best friend and are designed using behavourial science to help children behave in a safer way around all dogs.
- are closely linked to the National Curriculum
- are inclusive and are designed for children aged 7-11, with a variety of learning needs and styles in mind
- last 1 hour and are delivered in your classroom by our experienced and qualified Education and Community Officers
- we offer a two-visit option for further learning. Delivered 2-4 weeks after the first visit, these workshops consolidate learning, reinforce changes in safe behaviour, and cover an important additional topic - how to play safely with dogs.
- we can also extend our offering to 5-7 year old's when minimum booking requirements are met
- we require a minimum of two workshops for 7-11 year olds per booking, ensuring a comprehensive and enriching experience
- our goal is to reach as many young people as possible and create a lasting impact.
Need to know if your school area is covered? Search our map to see what areas our Education officers cover.
Find out more about the topics covered in our workshops.
Jo was brilliant! Communication before the visit was fab. It was very easy to organise, and the 2 days ran really smoothly. Jo was excellent with the children (of all ages) and we will look forward to having her back again.
Primary school teacher
It exceeded my expectations. Alison had both the expertise in the field and great expertise with managing a group of children. Very impressed.
Primary school teacher
Learning resources
Our suite of free resources will provide an engaging and memorable learning experience with fun dog-themed content.
Our resources can be used with pupils between the ages of four and 16 and can be downloaded according to each age group.
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Frequently asked workshop questions
Do workshops involve a dog?
No, we do not take dogs into schools to be part of our Dog Safety Assemblies and Workshops, and Education Officers …
What equipment will the school need to provide?
We bring all the resources we need to deliver our workshops. We will be delivering a visual Power Point presentation, …
Do teachers need to be present during workshops and assemblies?
Although our Education and Community Officers are skilled in the classroom, have teaching qualifications and up to …
How far in advance do we need to book a workshop?
We would generally advise booking a visit a term in advance. We can get booked up quite fast so we can’t always meet …
Do you visit other settings, eg. SEN schools, Secondary and home school groups?
Unfortunately no, we do not have provision outside of mainstream primary school settings. Our resources are limited, …
Can our school dog come along to the workshops?
No, we want to have the full focus of the children during the workshop on the safety messaging being delivered. We …
The importance of our workshops
Our school workshops and assemblies are relevant to the personal and social development, as well as the safety, of all children. Some of your pupils will live with dogs, some will not. Through our sessions we help all children have safer interactions with dogs in different settings.
Research conducted, tells us that the most at-risk in the UK for dog bites are primary school-aged children, when at home. So, we focus largely on safe behaviours around dogs in the home; but also, dogs of friends, family, and strangers when out and about.
How you can help
There is absolutely no cost for our assemblies and workshops and you can book as many as you like. Though donations will of course always be gratefully received!
Your funds support our aims to look after the dogs in our care, and to continue to provide educational workshops to children for free. Please visit our guide to fundraising for us to see how you can help support our work.
More advice on how to support children around dogs
Guest lectures with behaviour experts
Our canine behaviour experts use science-led behaviour knowledge to support Further and Higher education providers to improve their students’ understanding of dogs.
We can deliver engaging and interactive guest lectures in person or online throughout the year.