Long time dog trainer and veterinary nurse Shannon Bamford set up dog behaviour training after seeing many poorly behaved dogs and identifying a lack in the industry for people to get the support they needed to train their dogs.
“My aim was to help people to educate their dogs to be better community members and have happy, healthy dogs,“ she said.
Unleashed dog behaviour training shows dog owners how to modify their pets unwanted behaviours and get out with their dogs and do fun activities.
Shannon and her team were among a range of services providing information and demonstrations at DogFest, brought together at Nambour Showgrounds last Saturday through a partnership between Griffith University, Sunshine Coast Council and the Department of Environment and Science.
Sunshine Coast Council’s response services education officer Hannah Maloney said the training demonstrations and workshops were aimed at helping owners create a safer and more harmonious co-existence between people and animals, including wildlife.
“Sadly, if our dogs don’t have the necessary wildlife avoidance training, they can kill or harm native animals such as koalas and possums, our protected bush turkeys or migratory and resident shorebirds,“ she said.
“The first of the skills in the ‘wildlife avoidance’ toolbox is having a solid recall. This will be useful around wildlife, and in everyday life.”
Also at the DogFest were organisations which care for wildlife and others such as Story Dogs which tap into the benefits of relationships between dogs and people.
Julie Anne from Story Dogs said the local branch of the national organisation had 80 dog and owner teams which, having completed training and behaviour training, attend school across the region to assist children to read by having them read to their dogs.
WILVOS (Wildlife Volunteer Organisation) with its team of volunteers has been caring for sick and injured wildlife and providing advice to the public through its 24 hour emergency hotline for almost 30 years.
WILVOS 20-year volunteer, Roslyn, said spring was its busiest time of the year, but advice to anyone finding wildlife in trouble was just a phone call away 24 hours a day on 5441 6200.
Sunshine Coast Turtle Care are gearing up for the turtle nesting and hatching season which runs from November to May with 97 turtle nests recorded last year from Mooloolaba to Bribie Island. Julie Marsland said the group had beach walkers out every day to check on nesting sites to ensure the best outcome for hatchlings.
More dog training resources can be found on Leave It, another initiative of Social Marketing @ Griffith to support our native wildlife and dog owners in South East Queensland.
