At Parker’s Canine Training, we are proud to deliver Kids Around Dogs accredited school talks that help children build respectful, safe relationships with dogs — both at home and in their wider communities.

Every year, thousands of children experience bites from dogs. Many of these incidents are preventable and occur because children simply haven’t been taught how to understand a dog’s communication or when a dog might need space. According to NHS data, children aged between 4 and 11 are consistently one of the highest-risk groups for dog-related injuries. In Wales, hospital admissions for dog bites have seen a concerning rise, particularly in young children. These are not “dangerous dogs” — these are family dogs, neighbours’ dogs, dogs in parks, or dogs that children see every day.

Our goal is prevention through education. Our School Talk Programme empowers children to become confident, compassionate, and safety-savvy around dogs. Through two engaging visits per academic year, we teach vital life skills in a warm, memorable, and age-appropriate way.

How the Programme Works:

Visit 1 – Without the Dog: We introduce children to the foundations of safe dog interaction. We explore how dogs communicate, where it’s safe to stroke a dog, when to leave dogs alone, and how to read basic body language signs like yawning, turning away, lip licking, or freezing. For younger groups, this is delivered through stories, games, and interactive visuals. Older children explore real-world scenarios and begin to reflect on responsibility and consent in animal interactions.

Visit 2 – With the Dog: During our second visit, we bring along a specially assessed, child-safe dog. Children practise what they’ve learned in a controlled, calm, and supported environment. They observe body language in real time, practise gentle greetings, and build confidence in how to behave respectfully around dogs.

Each year group receives developmentally appropriate content:

Foundation and Key Stage 1: Story-led sessions and guided group games. Children learn through rhythm, rhyme, and storytelling, using fun characters to reinforce learning.

Key Stage 2: The stories begin to fade out and are replaced by hands-on learning, critical thinking discussions, and creative tasks like making posters or building “safe greeting” charts.

Year 6 and Transition Years: We begin linking emotional intelligence, autonomy, and empathy into wider citizenship lessons — helping children carry these values into adolescence and adulthood.

Why It Matters:

In a world where digital connection is ever-growing, real-life emotional understanding is more vital than ever. Teaching children to respect another species, to interpret non-verbal communication, and to respond kindly and appropriately are not just dog-safety skills — they’re life skills. They help shape how children treat their peers, their families, and eventually, the world around them.

Our school talks aren’t just about preventing bites — they’re about nurturing empathy, autonomy, and a lifetime of safe, compassionate choices.

Dogs in Schools: Creating Safe, Supportive Spaces for Canine Companions

With more schools recognising the emotional, social, and educational benefits of having a dog onsite, it’s never been more important to ensure that these partnerships are safe, ethical, and supportive — for both the children and the dog.

At Parker’s Canine Training, we offer Kids Around Dogs (KAD) accredited support to schools considering welcoming a dog into their environment. Whether you already have a dog onsite or are at the beginning stages of planning, our Dogs in Schools service ensures that everything is in place for a successful and welfare-focused setup.

We help schools create a structure that prioritises everyone’s wellbeing — from the pupils to the dog, to the staff responsible for them.

What We Offer:

Professional Dog Suitability Assessment:

We carry out a thorough assessment of the dog to ensure they are suited to a school environment. This includes temperament observation, comfort around children, coping thresholds, and signs of stress. Our assessments are always dog-centred — the dog’s welfare comes first.

Staff Support & Planning:

We meet with staff to discuss the school's goals and structure, assess the environment, and ensure there are suitable rest areas, exit routes, and quiet spaces for the dog. We’ll help you plan out how long the dog can “work” at any one time, and when they need breaks to decompress and reset.

Wellbeing & Body Language Training:

Staff will be guided through key canine stress signals — from yawning and blinking to whale eye and displacement behaviours — so they can respond quickly and appropriately. We’ll also introduce the concept of exit strategies for dogs: clear, accessible escape routes so dogs always feel safe, never trapped.

Risk Assessment Guidance:

Safety is paramount. We’ll walk you through how to create robust, dynamic risk assessments that account for both the human and canine participants, including safeguarding protocols, allergy considerations, and hygiene procedures.

Why It Matters:

Dogs can bring incredible emotional support to children — from reducing anxiety and increasing motivation, to improving attendance and nurturing empathy. But only when done right. Without the right framework in place, dogs can become overwhelmed, children may miss out on the full benefit, and staff can become overstretched trying to manage it all.

Our Dogs in Schools service helps you build a program that is structured, safe, and sustainable — so that every wag, every interaction, and every moment shared is a positive one.

Safety & Interaction Workshops: Helping Children Build Confidence, Compassion, and Canine Know-How

Our Safety & Interaction Workshops are designed to give children the tools they need to build lifelong respectful relationships with dogs — whether they live with a dog already or not. Using the Kids Around Dogs framework, these sessions blend fun, movement, and creativity with the essential life skills every child should know about dog safety and emotional awareness.

These aren’t obedience classes. These are hands-on, engaging, and age-appropriate workshops that help children understand how dogs communicate, what they need to feel safe, and how to be a calm, confident presence around them. Every workshop includes a focus on canine body language, boundaries, safe interactions, and empathy.

Two Core Safety Workshops:

Workshop for Younger Children (Ages 4–7):

Delivered with short attention spans and big imaginations in mind, this session is packed with storytime, movement-based games, and interactive activities. Children learn how to greet a dog, where dogs like to be stroked, how to be a statue if a dog gets too bouncy, and why it’s important to let sleeping dogs lie. They’ll also piece together a giant jigsaw puzzle to learn about safe and unsafe zones for touch.

Workshop for Primary Ages (Approx. 7–12):

Building on earlier knowledge, this workshop includes more in-depth activities, including discussion, observation, and confidence-building games. Children learn how to interpret subtle dog signals, spot signs a dog might want space, and practise thoughtful decision-making in dog-related scenarios. Movement and creativity still take centre stage, with group tasks and hands-on learning to keep things lively and memorable.

All children must be accompanied by a parent or guardian for the duration of the workshop. We believe this shared experience helps families grow together in their understanding of dog welfare and safety, and it reinforces a united, consistent approach at home.

Additional Summer Workshops:

Tricks & Teamwork (Ages 12+):

A brilliant confidence-builder for teens and pre-teens. In this practical workshop, young people will learn how to teach dogs fun tricks using positive reinforcement — including middle, leg weaves, paw, and targeting. Along the way, we’ll explore canine motivation, timing, and reward-based communication, all while keeping it light, engaging, and relationship-focused.

Make & Treat (Ages 7+):

This feel-good workshop blends crafting and kindness. Children will create safe DIY enrichment toys, bake dog-friendly treats, and explore how enrichment contributes to a dog’s wellbeing. Between crafts, we continue to weave in learning about dog body language, boundaries, and emotional care in a way that sticks.

These workshops are fun, meaningful, and crafted to stay with children for years to come — helping them grow into respectful, responsible, and animal-aware young people.

Fear of Dogs Support – Helping Children Feel Safe, Heard and Empowered

Fear of dogs is a very real and often misunderstood experience for many children. Whether it stems from a past incident, a traumatic moment, or simply from uncertainty around unfamiliar animals, that fear can affect everyday life — from walking to school, to visiting friends, or even feeling safe in public spaces.

Our Kids Around Dogs Fear of Dogs programme offers a gentle, structured, and relationship-led approach to helping children feel more confident around dogs — always at their pace, with complete emotional safety in mind.

This isn’t about forcing contact. This is about empowerment, understanding, and choice.

Programme Overview:

The full programme is made up of 10 sessions.

6–7 sessions take place online, using engaging games, stories, videos, and discussion-based learning to build knowledge and emotional readiness.

3–4 sessions are in-person, with our calm, child-safe therapy dog. These sessions only begin when the child feels ready, and even then, interaction is completely optional and consent-based.

We follow the Kids Around Dogs (KAD) protocol throughout:

Step-by-step desensitisation using role-play, visual aids, and movement-based games

Empathy-led education, helping children understand dog body language, behaviour, and how to feel safe around dogs

Consent-based introductions to our therapy dog, guided by the child’s comfort level — including the “1-2-3 Stop the Cuddles” game to teach safety and mutual respect

The approach is grounded in principles similar to Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT), helping children gently reframe their fears, develop emotional coping tools, and build new, positive associations at a pace that feels right for them.

Parents or guardians are included every step of the way, with resources and guidance to continue the support between sessions.

Why It Matters:

This isn’t just about helping a child feel better around dogs — it’s about giving them back confidence in the world around them. With the right support, children often go from feeling fearful and frozen, to curious and empowered. Some even go on to become the biggest advocates for canine kindness and welfare.

We’re here to support them on that journey — one small, safe step at a time.

One-to-One Family Dog Support – Personalised Help, Right Where You Need It

Family life can be joyful, busy, and beautifully chaotic — especially when children and dogs are growing up side by side. But sometimes, even with the best intentions and the strongest bonds, families need a little extra support. That’s where we come in.

Our one-to-one dog training service is designed specifically for families, offering compassionate, tailored guidance in your own home and in the real-life spaces where you need it most — whether that’s your kitchen, your garden, the school run, or the local park.

We’re proud to specialise in working with neurodivergent families, drawing on a unique and deeply insightful course written by a psychologist. This training has given us a thorough understanding of how neurodivergent children may experience dogs differently, and how we can adapt our approaches to create harmony, understanding, and mutual respect in the home.

What We Support With:

No two families are the same — and neither are the challenges. That’s why our one-to-one sessions are fully customised. We can help with:

Dogs feeling overwhelmed or overstimulated by children’s play or movement

Children displaying behaviours that may confuse or frighten the dog

Mealtime routines and keeping everyone safe and calm

Helping children learn how to engage with dogs safely, kindly, and confidently

Supporting routines, boundaries, and emotional wellbeing for both dogs and kids

Our goal is never to judge. It’s to offer clarity, kindness, and practical solutions that work for your family.

We know how demanding life can be. Juggling the needs of children and dogs takes a huge amount of emotional energy, especially in neurodivergent households. Having someone to guide you, reassure you, and take some of the guesswork out of the equation can make all the difference — and we’re here for that.