First Aid for Dogs

Level 2 Award in First Aid for Dogs From iPet Network

Overview

This course provides a nationally regulated qualification (Ofqual) in First Aid for Dogs.

If this is your first canine first-aid course, we actually recommend not starting with ours! Strange but true. While our course is nationally regulated and meets all independent standards for quality and suitability, there’s no substitute for hands-on experience with a live dog or to practice on “Casper,” the CPR manikin dog.

That said, we understand that a hands-on course may not be accessible or scheduled conveniently for everyone. Our online course is perfect if you’re looking for flexibility to spread out your learning, refresh knowledge from a course originally taken three years ago, or if you wish to gain a recognised Ofqual-regulated qualification to support your career in animal care.

This course covers essential knowledge and skills for any dog owner, animal care student, or professional. You’ll learn or remind yourself how to handle emergency situations with confidence, covering topics such as wound care, choking, poisoning, seizures, heat-related illness, and water inhalation.

It’s a comprehensive introduction or reminder that will equip you to respond effectively in canine emergencies. And at the end of your course, once independent confirmation has taken place, for your successful achievement you will receive an Ofqual Level 2 Award certificate in First Aid for Dogs.

This qualification is designed to enable candidates to:

• Define the objectives of first aid and classify different types of emergencies.
• Safely handle dogs in emergency situations.
• Complete a primary survey of a dog, including taking temperature, pulse, and respiration rate.
• Conduct CPR, abdominal thrusts, and place a dog in the recovery position.
• Identify signs and first aid management of wounds, bleeding, fractures, heat-related illnesses, water inhalation, convulsions, bloat, and poisoning.
• List requirements and contents of a dog first aid kit.

Successful completion of this course earns a Level 2 Award certificate. Course objectives and quality assurance are provided by iPET Network, a national awarding organisation recognised and regulated by Ofqual.

Learning Objectives

Canine First Aid:

• Understand the objectives and classifications of first aid emergencies.
• Learn to safely handle dogs in emergency situations and conduct a primary survey.
• Know how to perform CPR, abdominal thrusts, and manage a dog in the recovery position.
• Identify signs and appropriate first aid management of common injuries and illnesses.

Qualification Information

This online Ofqual-regulated qualification covers the basics of dog first aid.

You’ll learn how to identify and mitigate pain, suffering, and disease in dogs, as well as how to provide them with the best possible care in the event of a medical emergency.

For regulated pet carers, the licence criteria stipulates that the licence holder or designated manager is required to be suitably qualified, and any staff employed to care for the animals must have the competence to identify the normal behaviour of the species for which they are caring and to recognise signs of, and take appropriate measures to mitigate or prevent, pain, suffering, injury, disease or abnormal behaviour.

We will always recommend that a pet carer should ideally undertake a practical hands-on first aid when starting out. For those who have some experience under their belt and would like the kudos and recognition that comes with a regulated qualification or for those where time or accessibility is an issue, this course covers the fundamentals.

Who is the course for?

This regulated qualification is for anyone who works with dogs – particularly in these settings:

• Dog boarding
• Dog day carer
• Dog breeder
• Dog walking
• Dog trainer/behaviourist
• Dog grooming
• Pet sitting

You do not need any prior knowledge or qualifications to study for this qualification, although some experience or related knowledge will be advantageous.

Assignments and assessments

Learning style and content
This course is a blend of self-paced online learning, self-study recommended resources and research, video seminars, videos, eLearning, Graphics/diagrams, multiple answers and short essay assignments.

Special consideration is provided for those requiring additional learning support (if you require additional learning support it is essential you advise us when you complete and submit your course registration form).

Assessments

Successful achievement is by a Learner presenting a portfolio of evidence in your course workbook that meets the assessment criteria.

Assessments require desk research from the study resources provided to assist the Learner in writing assignment word responses including diagrams, illustrations, tables and bullet points as necessary.

The First Aid for Dogs Level 2 Award course is assessed against learning objectives set by the national awarding organisation.

Assignments are graded as Pass or Fail. All parts of your assignment workbook must ultimately be graded as Pass for successful course completion.

Self-Evaluation
At the end of the course, each learner is asked to complete a reflective self-evaluation of their learning experience and personal growth.

Pass/Refer
The course is taught against a prescriptive syllabus and the learner is required to evidence their understanding and application of the syllabus.

Passing the course
To achieve your qualification certificate, the Learner must successfully pass all of the course modules.

Every assignment submitted is assessed as either a Pass or Refer. A Learner is required to ultimately achieve a Pass for your whole workbook. Refers – or ‘Passes in Waiting’ as we like to call them, are hopefully few and far between. If you receive a ‘Refer’, the learner has two complimentary ‘resits’ across the course. Additional ‘resits’ are charged at £25 per resit to cover the additional admin costs. If a Learner is unable to complete the course within the stipulated time frame, an extension may be granted but this will incur a re-registration fee.

Requirements

You will need:

1. A reliable internet connection to access the Dog Business School’s e-Learning portal.
2. A device such as a desktop, laptop, or tablet (a mobile phone can be used but may have limitations).
3. Access to document creation software like Microsoft Word.
4. To maintain a log of your learning for Ofqual audit purposes.
5. Courses are in English. The minimum age for access to this qualification is 14 years.

Certification
Once all of your workbook has been successfully completed, samples of the Learner’s responses are submitted for independent quality validation against the regulatory framework. And once validated, a certificate is issued to the learner. To manage expectations, this can take approximately 2-6 months as there are a number of different parties involved, all outside of our control. If you’re applying for a licence in the meantime, ask us for an interim email confirmation of your course achievement.

Why Choose Our Course

The course offers the potential for an Industry-accredited and Ofqual regulated qualification that is a bedrock for any canine professional.

We provide experienced and knowledgeable tutors – education professionals who are also licensed canine practitioners.

The comprehensive course content includes a range of mixed media to keep your learning journey interesting and to cater for different learning styles.

Our convenient online training platform lets you study anywhere, any place.

Unleashing Your Potential: Expert-led Training by Licensed Pet Care Professionals