Through the work of Hope in Community, we want to create communities where both dogs and people can thrive. Our vision is for communities in South Wales to be places where everyone understands what it means to be 'good dog guardian’. 

Good dog guardianship 

'Good dog guardianship' means that, whist it is important for people to be aware of their legal responsibilities as a dog ‘owner’ we want them to go beyond this, to think of themselves as ‘good dog guardians’. 

This means understanding that healthy, rewarding relationships between dogs and humans are built on kindness, care and respect for each dog as an individual. It means understanding that dogs and humans are different in some important ways, but that we both have thoughts, feelings, preferences and personalities. 

Because we as humans have much more power than dogs do in our society, we have a responsibility to be curious about what they need and what they are trying to tell us – and to take action to keep them safe and happy.

One way that we promote ‘good dog guardianship’ in our communities is through our community education work. We attend a range of community events to engage with members of the public– from national festivals like the Eisteddfod in Pontypridd, to local community shows and fun days such as Wildtails Dog Show and SHIFT C.I.C Family Day in Tonyrefail. 

People are welcome to come and talk to us about any dog related issues, whether they need advice about their own dog, are considering becoming a dog guardian or just want to learn more about topics like choosing the best harness about how to use treats.

We also offer a free microchip checking and advice, as this was a legal requirement of dog ownership that we found many people were unclear on. Since the beginning of the year, we have carried out microchip checks for 46 dogs. For the 54% of these dogs whose chips were not up to date, we were able to advise owners on how to get things sorted.

Based on our conversations with local communities throughout our first 3 months, we have also developed a bilingual ‘Myth Busting’ or ‘Mythau an Gwn’ game in Welsh and English. This has been a great way of engaging families to challenge what we all might ‘think we know about dogs’, but that can actually be a barrier to having a safe, happy and positive relationship with our pets.

Some of these myths include outdated dominance-based ideas such as ‘needing to be the pack leader’ and ‘Dogs are just like wolves’, while others focus on common misunderstandings like ‘my dog knows when he is being naughty’ and ‘all dogs always want to say hello’.  By exploring these myths in a fun and relaxed way, families can learn about more effective, ethical and evidence-based approaches to building a great human-dog relationship.

Since the beginning of the year, we have engaged with over 150 people through our community education work, and we are keen to continue this as the year goes on. With support from our Education and Training Manager (funded by Battersea Dogs and Cats Home), we are also hoping to release some community education resources in the near future. So watch the Hope Rescue website for updates!

If you would like to talk to us about how Hope in the Community could promote good dog guardianship at your event, please get in touch with us as [email protected].