Teaching all dogs new tricks

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KNYSNA NEWS - The Knysna Animal Welfare Society (Kaws) last week received a helping hand from a local dog training centre, with veteran trainer Karis Nafte presenting a class on dog training for Kaws staff.

Nafte has been working with dogs for nigh on 25 years, having started out in 1996 while still living in the USA. She moved to Cape Town in 2005 where she started her first Happy Dogs Agility and Training Centre before starting one in Knysna a few years later.

The Happy Dogs centre has been operating in Knysna for 13 years, and on Thursday 18 February Nafte held a small fundraiser for Kaws while also providing an opportunity for their staff to learn a bit more about dog behaviour.

The class was also open to members of the public who wished to join. Nafte didn't ask participants to pay an entrance fee, but encouraged them to instead make a donation to Kaws.

Photo gallery: Kaws receives a helping hand

During the one-hour session, Nafte explained the basics of dog behaviour as well as teaching dogs to do tricks. As part of the demonstration she called on volunteers from the crowd to demonstrate the difficulty dogs experience trying to learn a trick without the ability of communication between the trainer and the dog.

"It's important to try and place yourself in the dog's position when trying to learn tricks, because they do not understand or speak English," she said.

At the end of the night, the fundraiser had pooled together a very welcome R1 020 for Kaws.

Karis Nafte gives her dog Bear a treat after teaching him a new trick. Photos: Blake Linder