Dog First Aid for Owners and Professionals
A Practical and Realistic Dog First Aid Course for Country hazards
We are excited to launch our new accredited Dog First Aid Level 2 course. This training course is designed specifically for dog owners and professionals who work with dogs outdoors. It offers the knowledge and confidence to help stabilise a dog in an emergency until veterinary care is available.
Life in the Suffolk countryside is rarely complete without a dog, they accompany us through woodland trails, sit patiently beside horses and work tirelessly during the shooting season.
However, the country life can also bring hazards. Cuts from barbed wire, injuries from rough ground, poisoning from agricultural chemicals or pest control methods or encounters with horses and livestock.
When these occur the first few minutes before veterinary treatment are often critical. Our Canine First Aid Level 2 (VTQ) course has been designed to give dog owners and professionals the knowledge and confidence to respond effectively in an emergency.
What is First Aid for dogs?
Our Canine First Aid Level 2 (VTQ) course focuses on the countryside and the dangers it can bring to dogs. The course provides structured, evidence based training to help people respond calmly and effectively when a dog is injured or unwell. Accredited and providing a recognised certificate valid for three years.
Participants learn practical skills including:
- Recognising pain or illness in dogs
- Canine CPR and breathing emergencies
- Treating bleeding and wounds
- Dealing with broken bones and spinal injuries
- Managing choking or drowning incidents
- Responding to poisoning, bites and stings
- Recognising seizures and shock
- Safe handling and transportation of injured dogs
Our aim with this dog first aid course is to give you the skills to stabilise a dog and prevent their condition from worsening until veterinary help can take over. Much like our human first aid courses we are not replacing a doctor or vet, we are just bridging the crucial minutes between an incident and professional treatment.
Who Is Dog First Aid Designed For?
While any dog owner can benefit from this training, this course is particularly valuable for people who regularly work with or handle dogs outdoors in the Suffolk countryside.
Professional Dog Walkers and Pet Sitters
If you’re responsible for someone else’s dog, you are effectively their first responder. Whether walking several dogs along the River Deben, exploring Sutton Hoo woodland trails or supervising play in large rural gardens, accidents can happen. Knowing how to react calmly and safely protects both the dog and your professional reputation, while also giving your clients peace of mind.
Gundog Owners and Game Shoots
Across Suffolk’s estates and farmland, gundogs work through dense cover, water and uneven terrain. Minor injuries such as cuts or strains to more serious illnesses such as hypothermia or exhaustion can quickly escalate without the right response.
First aid training for dogs helps handlers manage incidents safely during a shoot day.
Dogs Around Horses
Many dogs share yards, paddocks and bridleways with horses. Even the calmest horse can accidentally injure a dog with a kick or by stepping on them. Understanding how to assess injuries and manage shock can make a critical difference.
Dogs around Livestock
This one is slightly different in that it is the livestock that can be injured or killed by your dog. The consequences of these actions can be fatal for your dog. Responsible dog ownership is particularly important in rural communities where livestock are part of daily life. Recent updates to the Dogs (Protection of Livestock) Amendment Act 2025 have strengthened penalties for livestock worrying. Including unlimited fines for owners whose dogs attack or chase farm animals. Understanding the laws and the farmers’ rights around dogs and livestock is critical.
New Dog Owners
For those new to dog ownership, the countryside offers incredible freedom but also unfamiliar risks. Learning how to recognise early signs of illness, poisoning or injury can help prevent minor incidents from becoming serious emergencies.
What are the benefits of Dog First Aid Training?
Across the UK, vets treat an estimated 323 dogs for poisoning every day, often caused by substances encountered during walks or in gardens.
Common poisoning hazards include:
- Slug pellets used in gardens
- Rodenticides used on farms and estates
- Chocolate or human food
- Grapes and raisins
- Human medications left within reach
Even natural countryside environments can present risks, substances such as blue-green algae in ponds, toxic fungi, acorns and plants can cause serious illness if ingested.
Beyond poisoning, vets frequently see injuries caused by:
- Barbed wire or fencing
- Dog fights or attacks
- Broken limbs from falls
- Heat exhaustion during summer exercise
- Hypothermia after cold water retrieves
Understanding how to control bleeding, recognise shock or perform canine CPR can be the difference between a manageable incident and a life threatening emergency.
When an accident happens in the countryside involving your own or someone eleses dog, help may not always be minutes away. Knowing what to do in those crucial moments could save your dog’s life.
An Instructor with Frontline Experience
What makes this dog first aid training particularly valuable is the experience of the instructor delivering it. When an instructor has both taught in structured environments and worked in real emergencies, you gain more than knowledge. You gain confidence.
Lisa Kenyon completed her instructor training at the Naval Riding Centre and went on to work for the Navy as an instructor for three years. A British Horse Society (BHS) Intermediate Instructor, a former college lecturer in Animal Management and an an active smallholder. All of this creating a powerful foundation for this new dog first aid course.
