Dog Safety Talks

Helping children understand how to approach dogs and behave around them.

Katie Brill gives a dog safety talk in a classroom with a child and a dog

Surrey School and Nursery Visits

At Katie Brill PDT, I am committed to raising awareness of dog safety with both adults and children.

I have visited a large number of schools, nurseries and special educational settings within the Surrey and South East area to help children understand how to behave and ensure they stay safe around dogs.

I hold certifications as a Dog Bite Prevention Educator and am also a licensed presenter for the "Be A Tree" program. In this role, I educate children on understanding dog body language and practicing safe interactions with dogs through engaging activities, including the use of large-format photographs and interactive games. We discuss situations where it may be unsafe to approach a dog, and how to read dogs body signals whilst out and inside of the home.

If you are a school teacher, child care professional, or a parent interested in arranging a talk, please contact me using the form below.

Why it's Important for Children to learn about dogs

Much like humans, dogs have different likes, dislikes and anxieties, meaning that not all are comfortable being approached by people they do not know. Some may not liked to be touched or stroked, whilst others can be over-stimulated by sudden movements and loud noises, causing them to jump up or chase.

It's important that from a young age children learn how to approach a dog and communicate with its owner before any interactions. For those with dogs at home and within the family, it is vital children understand the body language signals that their dog is trying to convey, especially when the dog may want space. Many dog bites and negative interactions are preventable if we learn about boundaries and the proper etiquette to interact with a dog.

With my 21 years experience in working with dogs, I am available for school and nursery visits in the Surrey area to help children learn and understand how to safely behave around dogs.

Katie stands on a platform with a big screen behind her and a black dog

Feedback from Teachers and Headteachers:

“We had really good feedback from the parents, saying how the children talked about how to approach and touch a dog. Really good for our special needs children and tackling fears around dogs. The session length was perfect and the content was great for their age. All the staff loved having you and your beautiful dogs, we would love to do an annual visit“

Feedback from Pupils:

Yellow post-it note with feedback from the dog safety talk from Tami in year 5

Green post-it note with feedback from Lyla in year 2 about Katie's dog safety talk

Blue post-it note with hand written font showing feedback from Alyssia in year 6

Feedback from Parents:

“Ronan was telling me a load of facts about dogs”

“Giuseppi was telling me all about your assembly this morning, sounded very interesting. He showed me what to do when a dog jumps up, he has taken it all in”