An increase in dog attacks has led one local dog trainer to take the initiative to launch a safe play education programme to teaching children to play Woody’s Way.
Tracy Chapman, a Dog Trainer & Behavioural expert with 14 years experience, runs Academy 4 Dogs – the highly success training school in Stockport. Having worked with aggressive and anti-social dogs, Tracy is now turning her attention to focusing on children coming into contact with the animals, aiming to teach them how to read aggression signals and understand if a dog wants to play or not.
The new initiative called Woody’s Way, involves Tracy and her Italian Spinone Woody, going into schools and educating children in the Stockport and Tameside area.
Tracy commented:
“Woody’s Way teaches children, it’s safe to play Woody’s way. We teach them to recognise the 12 signals in dogs that they give before they bite and how to stroke and approach a dog (Woody’s PAWS rule). We then finish off with a demonstration from Woody of different ways you can train a dog to make sure they grow up in to a well balanced, non aggressive dog in future.”
Thirteen local schools are currently taking part in Woody’s Way, with the aim to have more signing up in the near future.
“I feel that more positive press coverage on understanding your dog, combined with an education programme throughout the area, would dramatically reduce dog attacks and potentially even save lives,” explains Tracy. “We would love to see more schools in the area becoming a part of Woody’s mission to play Woody’s Way.”
To get involved in Woody’s Mission, contact Tracy on 07846 253 290 or
call Academy4Dogs on 0161 47 47 999, between 10-2pm on a Friday.