The Living Safely with Dogs Program is delivered to preschools throughout NSW. It targets children in their final year of preschool and teaches them how to live safely with dogs.

A team of trained pet educators and their suitability-tested dogs present the Program at preschools across NSW. Presentations are delivered using multimedia tools, role play, song and story-telling. Schools are given complimentary educational resources and teaching tool packages.

The interactive program focuses on teaching preschool students:

• when dogs should be left alone
• things we should not do to dogs
• how can you tell if a dog is happy, scared or angry
• a safe way to approach and greet a dog
• what to do if approached by an unknown or aggressive dog
• choosing an appropriate pet for their family
• the importance of actively supervising your children’s interaction with your pets
• the importance of securely separating pets and children when you cannot actively supervise
• basic dog behaviour
• the safety messages that their children have been taught

Each child is given the opportunity to interact with the pet educator’s dog. For many children this can be their first interaction with a dog and provides a positive and educational experience for each child.

Children can also visit the interactive Victor and Victoria’s Pet Town online and through a tablet device to engage with the program.

For more information on the Living Safely with Dogs program, or to book a presentation at your preschool, please email: info@pets.nsw.gov.au

The Living Safely with Pets program is delivered to primary schools throughout NSW and targets students in Grades K to 2. The program educates children on what it means to be a responsible pet owner and how to live safely with dogs.

A team of trained pet educators and their suitability-tested dogs present the Program at preschools across NSW. Presentations are delivered using multimedia tools, role play, song and story-telling. Schools are given complimentary educational resources and teaching tool packages.

The interactive program focuses on teaching school students:

• when dogs should be left alone
• things we should not do to dogs
• how can you tell if a dog is happy, frightened or angry
• a safe way to approach and greet a dog
• what to do if approached by an unknown or aggressive dog

The Program also introduces and develops the following concepts:

• choosing an appropriate pet, animal welfare and husbandry
• the importance of identification and registration
• confinement and housing, exercise and training

There are a range of presentations designed to target the specific audiences suited to grade level, prior knowledge and learning modes.

Students are given take home brochures and encouraged to apply lessons learned from the program.

Children can also engage with the program at home by visiting the interactive Victor and Victoria’s Pet Town online or by downloading a free tablet app.

For more information on the Living Safely with Pets program, or to book a presentation at your school, please email: info@pets.nsw.gov.au

The We are Family program offers a guide to nurturing the child and pet relationship from pregnancy to preschool years. The program makes information resources available through hospitals with antenatal programs and maternal and child health centres throughout NSW.

The program presents the potential risks of owning a pet. It provides knowledge and strategies to ensure pet ownership is not only physically and emotionally enriching but is also safe. The ‘We Are Family’ program teaches families how to:

• prepare pets and the home environment for the arrival of a baby
• actively supervise all interaction between pets and children
• separate pets and children safely if parents cannot actively supervise them

The complimentary booklet is divided up into a number of chapters relevant to different development milestones:

• Preparation: This section looks at what needs to be considered when preparing the home environment and considering your pet’s behaviour.
• The first six months: This section looks at introducing the baby to your pets, active supervision and secure separation.
• Baby on the move: This section looks at how to supervise or separate, avoiding inappropriate behaviours, avoiding risks and the importance of modelling behaviours.
• Understanding our dogs and cats: This section looks at dog and cat body language; recognising the warning signs our pets give us.
• Zoonoses: This section looks at a range of diseases which can be passed from pets to the unborn baby and how to avoid them.
• Pet planner checklist: This is a checklist with a range of helpful hints and activities parents may wish to work through prior to the baby’s arrival. It includes hints on spending time with your pets, the home environment and behaviour modification when baby comes home.

The free ‘We Are Family’ information booklet is available for download at www.wearefamily.nsw.gov.au

For more information on the We are Family program, or to request resources, please email: info@pets.nsw.gov.au