The Canine First Responder™ Course
Two wildly differing answers but the second one is the one we get 99% of the time and is borne out by the testimonials we receive. Now you are probably thinking
“What makes the Canine First Responder Course so special?”
To answer that, let me take you back to the beginning of how it came about and why so much work went in to getting it right the first time.
As I’ve said elsewhere on this site, I have been in the First Aid Training Industry a long time and we frequently got asked if there were pet First Aid Courses and in the early days if I’m honest the trainers probably had a little snigger when asked as who would want to blow up a dog or cats nose?
In 2007 I seemed to get an excessive amount of enquiries at the end of courses for Pet First Aid Courses which triggered something in the old grey matter because the usual smile wasn’t forthcoming just a quizzical expression of;
“There may be something in this.”
With a few days to spare and being at an unusual loose end I decided to put some serious research in to the possibility of writing a course. First thing I needed to know, was there any support materials? No point spending a year writing a course if there were no doggy CPR manikins available and low and behold, Simulaids make Casper, the CPR dog, looking good so far.
Next thing was to look at what audio visuals were available, a couple of Pet First Aid DVD’s were available from the States but that wouldn’t help much as from the clips I’d seen they were way out of date so we set about producing our own which is now available to buy.
“What makes the Canine First Responder Course so special?”
To answer that, let me take you back to the beginning of how it came about and why so much work went in to getting it right the first time.
As I’ve said elsewhere on this site, I have been in the First Aid Training Industry a long time and we frequently got asked if there were pet First Aid Courses and in the early days if I’m honest the trainers probably had a little snigger when asked as who would want to blow up a dog or cats nose?
In 2007 I seemed to get an excessive amount of enquiries at the end of courses for Pet First Aid Courses which triggered something in the old grey matter because the usual smile wasn’t forthcoming just a quizzical expression of;
“There may be something in this.”
With a few days to spare and being at an unusual loose end I decided to put some serious research in to the possibility of writing a course. First thing I needed to know, was there any support materials? No point spending a year writing a course if there were no doggy CPR manikins available and low and behold, Simulaids make Casper, the CPR dog, looking good so far.
Next thing was to look at what audio visuals were available, a couple of Pet First Aid DVD’s were available from the States but that wouldn’t help much as from the clips I’d seen they were way out of date so we set about producing our own which is now available to buy.
Next step was to find out if I could get an approval for the course if I wrote it to give it credibility as none of the courses available in the UK to date are accredited by any professional body. Being an EFR Instructor I contacted Emergency First Response in the UK to see if I wrote and submitted the course outline they would consider it as an “Instructor Authored Distinctive Speciality?” The very quick reply was “Yes” it would be given due consideration as long as it met the educational criteria and standards for the Application procedure, all looking good so far.
I also needed to know if there was any other courses out there. I managed to find two at the time, one was of 2-3 hours duration and you practiced on a stuffed Dragon from a toy shop and you got a pamphlet to take home and the other seemed a very professional course run with a Casper but seemed subject to minimum numbers of participants (usually 12) or the course just didn't happen! |
In October of 2007 I sat down and began researching and typing, then researching and retyping and that’s was pretty much how life went until June of 2008. With the first Draft of the student manual and Only Half the Instructor Manual written, off I went to the AGM of a Dog Training and Behaviour Association I was a member of at the time. I was allocated a 10 minute slot if memory serves (which it doesn’t too well these days) I handed out a few printed student manuals for members to look at while I set up and I was asked before I had time to fire up the Laptop;
“Where do we all sign?”
Presentation straight out the window! The response was fantastic and far from what I expected so I was driving home that afternoon then it hit me, not only did I have to finish writing the Instructor Manual but also the Instructor Trainers Manual and Course, luckily I had been trained by the best (PADI) to this end so it went a little smoother than anticipated.
By the beginning of September 2008 I was ready to run the inaugural Canine First Responder™ and Instructor Course for the association and it was a great success. EFR granted approval for the course outline on October 01st 2008 and it has gone from strength to strength since.
So what sets the Canine First Responder™ Course apart from all the rest? During the writing stage I sat down and thought it through logically and I know that at some point a governing body will be introduced so I set out to standardise the CFR course outline following and borrowing from the same standardisation in human first aid.
“Where do we all sign?”
Presentation straight out the window! The response was fantastic and far from what I expected so I was driving home that afternoon then it hit me, not only did I have to finish writing the Instructor Manual but also the Instructor Trainers Manual and Course, luckily I had been trained by the best (PADI) to this end so it went a little smoother than anticipated.
By the beginning of September 2008 I was ready to run the inaugural Canine First Responder™ and Instructor Course for the association and it was a great success. EFR granted approval for the course outline on October 01st 2008 and it has gone from strength to strength since.
So what sets the Canine First Responder™ Course apart from all the rest? During the writing stage I sat down and thought it through logically and I know that at some point a governing body will be introduced so I set out to standardise the CFR course outline following and borrowing from the same standardisation in human first aid.
When that governing body is introduced then most, if not all, current course providers will have to go back to the drawing board if not scrap their course altogether and start again to comply with the standards.
As the CFR Course already meets those standards we can focus on more important things like making our current materials the best they can possibly be with up to date revisions in protocols and techniques. Producing our own audio visual materials like the Canine First Responder DVD which has been three years in the making but now on sale from our websites. |
Our Student Manuals rival the best efforts of Barns and Noble Educational materials which are graphic rich and built to aid self study, cutting down on traditional classroom time allowing for the more fun, practical, hands on work. Instructors trained to the highest standards who not only know about First Aid and CPR but also know dogs too. All this is what makes the difference between:
“Oh, it was ok.” and “It was fantastic, I learned so much and never thought I would take it all in but I did."
As a proactive training provider we listen to our customers and Instructors so the CFR course, materials and Instructors are constantly evolving where as other courses are produced then stagnate at that point as there is no reason to change them which is also what makes it a truly Worldwide Course with Global recognition as "The Best Canine First Aid and CPR Course" on the market which is why HM Prison Service have chosen it as their training course of choice for it's dog handling section across the UK and also Cheshire Police Force's Kennel Staff were trained by us with the list growing on a weekly basis of official agencies recognising the CFR Course as the course of choice for their staff.
As of 2017 it also now the official course of Cambridge, Northamptonshire, Bedfordshire and Hertfordshire Police Forces having trained their own Instructors to deliver the CFR Course to all the dog handlers.
Canine First Responder™ Course Content
The content of this course far exceeds other, more basic courses out there and does provide realistic CPR practice on a canine manikin. All our canine CPR Instructors are trainers and behaviourists with extensive knowledge of communicating with dogs which is also passed on during the course. Below are just some of the things we cover;
Canine Communication
· Scene Assessment and Barrier use
· Primary Assessment
· CPR and Rescue Breathing
· Choking
· Control of serious bleeding
· Shock Management · Spinal Injury Management
· Injury Assessment
· Illness Assessment
· Splinting for Fractures and Dislocations
· Bandaging Minor Wounds
· Emergency Evacuation to Advanced Medical Treatment
· Burns, Poisoning, Hypothermia/ Hyperthermia And More…..
Our Canine First Responder Course™ Curriculum is the Only Course Approved by Emergency First Response, The Largest Certification Agency, Worldwide for first aid and CPR training. You know you will be issued with a globally recognised certificate by the only centre and Instructor authorised to issue it.
We now have a few course options available when you book, the course as a stand alone or you can purchase the course and DVD option. This gives you your own copy of the CFR DVD which you can watch prior to attending class cutting down on the amount of time we need to spend in class. You can also review it a 12 months to refresh your knowledge and just before you come back to us in two years for your refresher.
We now also offer a short, 1/2 day course, Canine Primary Care Course, again, with the above booking options. Both courses qualify for Continued Professional Development (CPD) Credit, Separate proof of CPD can be provided alongside the course certificate issued as well if requested before the course date.
“Oh, it was ok.” and “It was fantastic, I learned so much and never thought I would take it all in but I did."
As a proactive training provider we listen to our customers and Instructors so the CFR course, materials and Instructors are constantly evolving where as other courses are produced then stagnate at that point as there is no reason to change them which is also what makes it a truly Worldwide Course with Global recognition as "The Best Canine First Aid and CPR Course" on the market which is why HM Prison Service have chosen it as their training course of choice for it's dog handling section across the UK and also Cheshire Police Force's Kennel Staff were trained by us with the list growing on a weekly basis of official agencies recognising the CFR Course as the course of choice for their staff.
As of 2017 it also now the official course of Cambridge, Northamptonshire, Bedfordshire and Hertfordshire Police Forces having trained their own Instructors to deliver the CFR Course to all the dog handlers.
Canine First Responder™ Course Content
The content of this course far exceeds other, more basic courses out there and does provide realistic CPR practice on a canine manikin. All our canine CPR Instructors are trainers and behaviourists with extensive knowledge of communicating with dogs which is also passed on during the course. Below are just some of the things we cover;
Canine Communication
· Scene Assessment and Barrier use
· Primary Assessment
· CPR and Rescue Breathing
· Choking
· Control of serious bleeding
· Shock Management · Spinal Injury Management
· Injury Assessment
· Illness Assessment
· Splinting for Fractures and Dislocations
· Bandaging Minor Wounds
· Emergency Evacuation to Advanced Medical Treatment
· Burns, Poisoning, Hypothermia/ Hyperthermia And More…..
Our Canine First Responder Course™ Curriculum is the Only Course Approved by Emergency First Response, The Largest Certification Agency, Worldwide for first aid and CPR training. You know you will be issued with a globally recognised certificate by the only centre and Instructor authorised to issue it.
We now have a few course options available when you book, the course as a stand alone or you can purchase the course and DVD option. This gives you your own copy of the CFR DVD which you can watch prior to attending class cutting down on the amount of time we need to spend in class. You can also review it a 12 months to refresh your knowledge and just before you come back to us in two years for your refresher.
We now also offer a short, 1/2 day course, Canine Primary Care Course, again, with the above booking options. Both courses qualify for Continued Professional Development (CPD) Credit, Separate proof of CPD can be provided alongside the course certificate issued as well if requested before the course date.
To book on a Canine First Responder Course© click on the MJ First Aid Training Logo at the bottom of any page or on the Links page to go through to our main site or use the contact form to find a Canine First Responder© Instructor near you.
Take our Quick Quiz on-line to see if you would make a Canine First Responder.
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Already completed the course with us or one of our Instructors? Then please take a minute to complete our course evaluation form, we appreciate your feedback.
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If you have used your skills or know someone who has to help a sick or injured dog then please let us know by completing the Good Samaritan Form.
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