Case: Troubleshooting Your Dog Walk 

Overview

Where: Kamloops BC SPCA Community Room

When: Saturday, October 14, 2023 

Description: Join us for a Learning Exchange Workshop! Bring your questions, experiences, and strategies to share as we explore walking with your dog. We’ll start by asking what you think about when taking your dog out for a walk, and we will consider equipment, goals, mindset, and expectations. And finally, we’ll share ways to make walking with your dog a more enjoyable experience for both of you. Come prepared to share – we want to learn from each other!

Facilitators:

Pat Cutler

Lindsay Curry

Sylvia Currie

What happened?

This was the first Learning Exchange Workshop offered in Kamloops. 

This is how we planned the workshop:

1. Reviewed notes on past workshops (called Teaching Exchange Workshops)

2. Met to decide on a suitable topic and an immediate action plan 

3. Used email and shared Google docs as our plan and agenda were taking shape

4. Sorted out how the facilitation tasks during the event would be distributed. However, having worked together on other learning events the roles ended up being quite fluid during the event itself. 

We began by presenting an 'anchor scenario': 

Someone other than you will be walking your dog today. What are you thinking about? What advice will you give this person?

We then incorporated an independent (quiet) brainstorming period. This helped participants to get their heads into the topic. Jotting questions and ideas down on post-it notes allowed for some anonymity in the early contributions to the topic, which helped with comfort level.

We gathered the post-it notes and arranged them on the window. The emergent themes (clusters) were:

1. Equipment 

2. Mindset, goals, expecations

3. Strategies 

This provided a framework for the discussion that followed. 

A display table was set up for participants to browse books and others resources, and to handle different types of leashes, harnesses, and other equipment. 

Key success points

• The discussions were lively and the feedback was very positive! 

• As facilitators, it's important to refrain from answering all the questions! 

• We managed to stick to our agenda and wrap up on time. 

• A single row of chairs in a semi-circle was an ideal arrangement for ensuring everyone had opportunities to contribute.

• Freedom to move about and self-serve snacks and beverages provided individuals with breaks as needed; a scheduled break would have been disruptive. 

• Nametags help the facilitators but also the participants. "Hey, I recognize you from the Kamloops Dog Group in Facebook!"