As pet population rises in Keralam, KVASU steps up dog handler training

The rising pet population in Keralam has outpaced the availability of trained dog handlers, prompting the Kerala Veterinary and Animal Sciences University (KVASU) to expand professional training in canine behaviour and handling.

The second batch of the university’s Certified Professional Dog Training Programme will begin at the College of Veterinary and Animal Sciences, Mannuthy, Thrissur, on November 9. The six-week course covers obedience, grooming, scent detection and tracking, canine behaviour and body language, safe handling and restraint, kennel management, first aid, and animal welfare laws. Participants who pass the final examination will receive a university-accredited certificate.

Officials said behavioural problems were a common reason for pet abandonment, with dogs often surrendered because of excessive barking, aggression or difficulties adapting to domestic environments. Such abandonment adds to Keralam’s stray dog population, which remains a challenge for the State’s rabies control efforts.

Dog bites also frequently occur in domestic settings and involve familiar animals. Children are particularly vulnerable when they fail to recognise warning signs in a dog’s behaviour.

According to Sabin George, registrar of KVASU, the programme emphasises scientifically grounded training methods, including positive reinforcement and early socialisation, to help dogs adapt to different environments and reduce fear-induced aggression.

Mr. George said Kerala had relatively few formally qualified dog trainers, with many practitioners having acquired their skills through apprenticeship. The university’s initiative seeks to address this shortage by providing structured professional training.

Such expertise is vital not only for household pets but also for working dogs deployed in search-and-rescue operations. Police cadaver dogs helped recover bodies at Pettimudi and during the Mundakkai–Chooralmala disaster in Wayanad. Search dogs were also flown to Telangana last year to locate a body buried beneath the collapsed Srisailam Left Bank Canal (SLBC) tunnel, he added.

Applicants must have passed Class X. Participants can bring a vaccinated puppy aged three to five months or attend without one. The course fee is ₹40,000 and includes lunch, tea, a training kit, and boarding, food and veterinary care for the puppy. Applications close on October 31. For details, contact 9605860005 or 9495739119.