Dog owners gain better understanding at workshops

LOCALS who attended Barwon Coast’s Understanding Dogs workshops in Ocean Grove earlier this year said they found them informative and invaluable.

The two workshops, developed and delivered by the Cherished Pets Foundation team, provided participants with the necessary understanding to better equip and prepare them to minimise potential conflicts and manage dogs in a public setting or at home.

Participants came from across the Bellarine, Geelong and Torquay area, with 89 per cent of participants being a dog owner.

About 70 per cent indicated they had gained better understanding of dog behaviour, and that the workshop helped them to better manage their dog in a public setting and how to seek future assistance with any future concerns they may have regarding their dog.

The workshop identified the need by some owners that they required more training to improve their dog’s behaviour, while others identified a need for more educational opportunities, and skills for dealing with difficult owners and that more needed to clean up after their dogs.

The Understanding Dogs workshops were part of the Share Our Shores campaign, which focuses on creating awareness on respect, responsibilities and rights of beach users across Barwon Coast’s reserves.

Current projects under this campaign include Responsible Boating Behaviour, Reducing Human Impact on Sand Dunes and Responsible Pet Ownership.

Barwon Coast would like to thank all those who participated and said they would continue to assist community through new and innovative ways to engage all beach users on how we can ensure equity for all along our coast.

To find out more about Share our Shores and the number of ways you can be involved, head to the Barwon Coast website, email [email protected] or phone 5254 1118.