Over 40 children have signed up for puppy training with non-profit Funda Nenja for the month of August, creating a new generation of changemakers.
KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa (17 August 2021) – Funda Nenja runs in the township of Mpophomeni, near Howick, in the KZN Midlands of South Africa. They focus on animal welfare in the area by providing dog training lessons to the children.
These lessons not only teach the dogs some obedience skills but it also helps the children bond with their pets and forms a deeper connection. The classes help educate children in animal welfare and encourage them to show their families how to treat animals.
Volunteer instructors teach classes, and some of the instructors are previous pupils who have gone through the training programme themselves.
All dogs on the programme are given a collar and a lead and are dewormed. During classes, the children are given training treats to help with training and sent home with a small bag to continue training in a familiar environment.
There was no enrollment in July due to the level 4 lockdown, which meant August enrollment was at an all-time high. Over 40 children showed up to the first class in August with their puppies, ready to start bonding and training their beloved pets.
“Last Friday, being the beginning of the month, we registered our usual new intake of handlers and dogs to the dog school programme. Possibly because Covid restrictions prevented us from having an intake in July, we had a record number of over 40 applications!
Once the necessary paperwork was done, each dog was assessed and treated by our veterinary clinic volunteers before going to their classes and meeting their instructors.
We look forward to working with these eager new learners and meeting their families in due course. Our dog school is the portal into the Mpophomeni community and it gives us the opportunity to address the welfare needs of both the people and their dogs and thereby enhancing the lives of all.”
The classes have been in full swing, and many of the dogs and puppies are making strides in their obedience training.
“Dog training classes require that both handlers and dogs concentrate. The dogs learn to focus on their handlers, while the young handlers pay attention to both their dogs and their class instructor.
One of the first behaviours that the children teach their dogs at Funda Nenja is to get the dog to look at them. To do this they use a treat in their hand, which they raise to their eyes, to prompt the dog to follow the treat and look at them when their name is called. This is a great way to get the dog to focus on the handler, especially for young puppies and dogs that are easily distracted.”
The organisation now has a website where you can stay up to date on all the fun activities that take place, as well as how to get involved with the organisation.
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