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Starting a Field Trip Program, Need orientation assistance

  • 1.  Starting a Field Trip Program, Need orientation assistance

    Posted 08-06-2025 11:38 PM

    Hello!

    This is my first post to the forum so I hope my topic selection was appropriate.

    I'm on the board of my local shelter and mainly focus on grant writing but am working towards starting a pilot program for Doggy Field Trips. I've been going through all the great resources on Maddie's sites but I'm struggling with seeing larger shelters using orientation videos and classes for their volunteers and participants and feel so out of my depth creating something like that. Are there any resources for orientation videos I could include in our google form application that we could use?

    Most videos I'm seeing used are tailored to the specific shelter that made the content. We are in a rural area of Colorado and I'm already working essentially a full time job for the shelter on grant writing and assisting with photographing the animals going up for adoption, starting this program etc etc. 

    Ideally I want something that goes over dog behavior basics, walking on a leash and things of that nature. Has anyone done this? What does everyone do for their field trip day programs for ensuring volunteers have a basic understanding of dogs and their behavior to increase safety?

    Thanks for any guidance or tips you can give!


    #Behavior,TrainingandEnrichment
    #FosterPrograms

    ------------------------------
    Shelby Brandes
    Board member
    Logan County Humane Society
    CO
    ------------------------------


  • 2.  RE: Starting a Field Trip Program, Need orientation assistance

    This message was posted by a user wishing to remain anonymous
    Posted 08-11-2025 01:09 PM
    This message was posted by a user wishing to remain anonymous

    Hi Shelby,

    The Petfinder Foundation has foster dog/field trip grants to help you get the program off the ground. 

    Dogs Play for Life has some videos and educational materials.

    These are the only resources I have for you on videos, I hope this helps at least a little bit. 

    -------------------------------------------



  • 3.  RE: Starting a Field Trip Program, Need orientation assistance

    Posted 08-11-2025 01:16 PM

    Thank you!

    Sadly the petfinder grant is only for programs already off the ground my hope is to get started and then apply for that :)

    I'll take a look at those videos, thanks again!



    ------------------------------
    Shelby Brandes
    Board member
    Logan county humane society
    CO
    ------------------------------

    Original Message


  • 4.  RE: Starting a Field Trip Program, Need orientation assistance

    Posted 08-12-2025 10:24 AM

    I can't help with your question about videos, as we have none at our shelter. However, if you are planning to use some tool to manage the list of dogs allowed to do a field trip (doggy day out, shelter skip day, etc.) along with which dogs are out, what person took them, when they came back, etc. we at BVSPCA have Google based apps (spreadsheets, slides, etc.) that are all integrated with each other. These could be adapted by any other shelter. You'd need someone with medium Google apps skills, but I'd be happy to help you kick start.



    ------------------------------
    Peter Isakson
    Volunteer
    Brandywine Valley SPCA
    PA
    ------------------------------



  • 5.  RE: Starting a Field Trip Program, Need orientation assistance

    Posted 08-12-2025 02:10 PM

    I would love those resources! I do have some Google drive/form experience. Our initial application to to do a field trip is via Google forms. 



    ------------------------------
    Shelby Brandes
    Board member
    Logan county humane society
    CO
    ------------------------------

    Original Message


  • 6.  RE: Starting a Field Trip Program, Need orientation assistance

    Posted 08-13-2025 06:07 AM

    Sure. Are you close to having this operational? If you want to get this stuff, the best way would be to set up a Google account (or identify one already existing) not owned by a specific person, like "lchsfieldtrips@gmail.com". It could be a free Google account, or if you have any sort of Google workspace organizational account it could be one of those accounts. Once you know what account will be used (I can help with that) you could share the Drive folders with me and I could copy in what we have, minus the actual data. Then walk you through adapting it to your needs (such as, if you have multiple locations, setting it up to handle that). I think you can private message me on this site with the best way to get in touch.

    By the way, I posted this recently which has some more info on what we built.

    https://forum.maddiesfund.org/discussion/software-system-to-manage-dog-day-out-or-shelter-skip-day-programs?hlmlt=VT


    ------------------------------
    Peter Isakson
    Volunteer
    Brandywine Valley SPCA
    PA
    ------------------------------

    Original Message


  • 7.  RE: Starting a Field Trip Program, Need orientation assistance

    Posted 08-13-2025 07:12 AM

    Hi Shelby, 

    Love that you're looking to start this program! While it doesn't include videos, this Field Trip Starter Guide has a great list of safety considerations. While a video could definitely serve as a helpful tool, in the numerous shelters I've helped launch programs like these, I don't recall any of them creating a training video. Instead, they focused on sharing essential tips via a handout/tip sheet, as well as the eligibility requirements for dogs to participate in an outing. For example, a first-time volunteer participant would likely be matched with an adoptable dog who is easy to handle for the average person. All this to say, a video could be helpful, but I think there are other ways to communicate what you'd like to that can get the job done and not be a barrier for you launching the program. Hope this helps!

    Thanks,

    Jen



    ------------------------------
    Jenifer Reed
    Maddie's® Human Animal Support Services Program Implementation Trainer
    AmPA!/HASS
    TN
    ------------------------------



  • 8.  RE: Starting a Field Trip Program, Need orientation assistance

    Posted 08-13-2025 08:45 AM

    @Shelby Brandes bravo to you for all you do for Logan County HS!   And thank you for researching videos in our library.   You may have come across this video collection on foster care training which includes information your doggy day out volunteers could use when taking a pup out of the shelter into new environments:

    Bringing a New Dog Home
    Helping a New Dog Adjust
    Introducing a Foster Dog to New Dogs

    Here's a self-paced course on Fundamentals of Canine Communication and Safe Dog Handling with Devan Amundsen, CPDT-KA, a certified dog trainer with over 15 years of experience working with not just dog owners, but dogs in shelters, assistance dogs and other working dogs.  Viewers can learn the basics of reading dog body language and communicating effectively with dogs to keep your fosters and the dog safe.  

    I hope this helps and that your program has tremendous success!












    ------------------------------
    Alison Gibson
    Media Projects Manager
    Maddie's Fund
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  • 9.  RE: Starting a Field Trip Program, Need orientation assistance

    Posted 08-15-2025 02:52 PM

    This is great thank you!!



    ------------------------------
    Shelby Brandes
    Board member
    Logan county humane society
    CO
    ------------------------------

    Original Message


  • 10.  RE: Starting a Field Trip Program, Need orientation assistance

    Posted 08-13-2025 10:33 AM
      |   view attached

    Hi, Shelby - 

    I happened to see this Field Trip toolkit posted back in 2019 on Maddies Forum. Hope this is helpful!



    ------------------------------
    Betsy Zobl-Tar
    Grant Writer
    Michigan Humane
    MI
    ------------------------------

    Attachment(s)

    pdf
    field-trip-pilot-program-toolkit.pdf   268 KB 1 version


  • 11.  RE: Starting a Field Trip Program, Need orientation assistance

    Posted 08-14-2025 06:37 AM

    Hii! This is GREAT NEWS!! Congratulations! Field trips changed our shelter for the better!!
    I started our field trip program back in 2017 with the help of Maddie's Fund and contributed to Mutual Rescue's Doggy Day Out Toolkit https://mutualrescue.org/programs/doggy-day-out/ 

    If I can help, please reach out! I have a video from 2017 doing a public orientation I'm happy to send. It's not professionally recorded- just a phone video :) 



    ------------------------------
    Stephanie Jackson
    Public Information Officer
    Louisville Metro Animal Services
    Louisville, KY
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  • 12.  RE: Starting a Field Trip Program, Need orientation assistance

    Posted 08-14-2025 11:33 AM

    Hi Shelby,

    this is my first post/response on this forum, too! :-)

    I don't have an immediate answer for you, but my organization (Larpbo - Los Angeles Responsible Pitbull Owners) offers free Shelter Intervention Pack Walks for Los Angeles area shelters. Our experienced handlers and trainers work with shelter staff and volunteers and take shelter dogs out on pack walks (which often also includes giving them a bath, much needed engagement, and, above all, marketing the dogs to the general public when we are out and about. We all wear matching T-Shirts and also post videos of the shelter dogs on Larpbo's Instagram and Facebook pages. I wonder if there is a dog training organization similar to Larpbo in your area that might be willing to partner up with you. 



    ------------------------------
    Michaela Ullmann
    Secretary, Larpbo
    Larpbo - Los Angeles Responsible Pitbull Owners
    CA
    ------------------------------



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