PUPPIES PROVE THEY’RE IN A CLASS OF THEIR OWN
FRESH from her fourth time in hospital, puppy preschool trainer Sarah Cabral knows first-hand that a dog’s bark isn’t necessarily always worse than its bite.
Ms Cabral was a vet nurse for 10 years before she became a canine, feline and avian behavioural expert.
She has been training animals for the past 15 years and puppy preschool classes at Maudsland Veterinary Surgery for a year.
While most puppies are star pupils, she’s had to deal with a few kooky canines.
“I had one class where every single puppy pooped during the one-hour class,” she said. “I spent the majority of the time cleaning up poop.
“In another, a little dachshund was getting picked on and she just went nuts at the other dogs. They all left her alone after that.
“But the classes are for the dogs to learn communication and socialisation, so it is all part of it. And it is also for the owners to learn basic training, toilet training, dealing with storms and sound phobias, cleaning the ears and eyes, and getting used to being handled.
“Puppies can be naughty and steal things, chew things, eat things they shouldn't like cane toads. But it’s just like kindy, we don’t want to put too much pressure on them. It is supposed to be fun.”
Ms Cabral also does behavioural consultations, homestays and training.
She recently was released from hospital after she was bitten by a dog on her forearm and hand.
“One dog decided he didn’t want to go in his kennel and wanted to eat me instead,” she said.
“You don’t get stitches after a dog bite because of the potential for bacteria so
I had to go on intravenous antibiotics for a few days in hospital. It’s my fourth hospital stay but it’s all par for the course.”
Ms Cabral has also trained assistant dogs and therapy dogs and said canines were “amazing creatures”.
“They are phenomenal, their sense of smell, and hearing is so much greater than ours, they really are amazing animals,” she said.