Online learning, an opportunity during the restrictions of lockdown.
It goes without saying that many businesses are having to change the way they operate to adapt to the Covid-19 situation. It’s a very strange time and to thrive in the current climate we are all having to find ways to continue offering the services we feel so passionately about.
We are no exception to this at Dog First Aid and the idea of having to cancel all of our courses and not be able to pass on our life saving knowledge was simply out of the question. With our vets strapped for time and resources and being on skeleton staff, we felt it was even more vital than ever that dog owners have the skills and confidence needed to act in an emergency situation where they find their dogs ill or injured suddenly.
However, up until three weeks ago our courses were held in various venues around the country with anything up to 30 attendees. This does not fit with the “social distancing” rules that we are all trying to follow in order to prevent the virus from spreading. Thankfully the team at Dog First Aid HQ worked tirelessly to change the way we deliver our courses and, for the first time ever, we were able to launch virtual courses. It’s important to note that these are not the type of online courses where you effectively teach yourself by reading or watching pre recorded videos. These are LIVE and interactive. Meaning you can ask as many questions as you like!
We are so excited about the fact that we can continue teaching dog owners and professionals the importance of Dog First Aid and see so many benefits to learning and gaining CPD points in this way. Here are five reasons why our courses are perfectly geared towards online learning during this time:
The comfort of your own home - There’s nothing like being able to learn from your sofa and make a cuppa whenever you want. Just remember that we can still see you so you may want to wear something other than pajamas!
Dogs are welcome - Unfortunately our “physical” courses have to be human only to aid learning. If all attendees brought their dogs along to sit in one room they would probably get distracted (dogs and humans), bored and maybe even stressed. However, we LOVE to see your dogs during our virtual courses and with them being in their own environment they can join the fun as they please without being a distraction.
Gain CPD points while in lockdown - So many things have come to a standstill that it would be easy to come to a standstill ourselves. However, life will eventually get back to normal and if you work with dogs those CPD points will show potential clients that you remained dedicated to the care and wellbeing of their beloved four legged family member.
Mental health benefits - Keeping our brains active and learning new things give us a sense of achievement and is massively beneficial to our mental health, especially right now when it would be so easy to feel down and anxious.
You can still network with fellow dog lovers - Our virtual courses are designed so you can still “meet” fellow dog lovers and business owners. You may meet your future dream dog groomer or gain another dog to walk for when all of this is over.
On the whole we feel blessed that we can still work towards our mission to ensure that every dog owner, handler or professional is equipped with the skills and confidence to recognise when their dogs are in need of treatment and administer the first aid that will reduce recovery time or even save their lives.
For more information on our upcoming courses visit www.dog-first-aid.com/south-yorkshire
