Earlier this month, GBGB’s Animal Care and Welfare Assistant Apprentices returned to the University of Nottingham for another training session at the School of Veterinary Medicine and Science.

The day was led by greyhound specialist and Assistant Professor of Veterinary Anatomy Dr Richard Payne and his teaching team and focused on biosecurity, behaviour and reproduction. Following the session, the group has been tasked with returning to their trainer’s kennels to create a tailored health plan for the day-to-day cleaning and biosecurity of their greyhounds.

This visit comes after the group attended their first session at the university in July when they learnt about greyhound anatomy, function, injury and rehabilitation.

The first cohort of greyhound racing apprentices are now 14 months through their training and are busy preparing for their end-point assessments. During this time they have undertaken a number of ‘off-the-job’ training sessions which seek to give them a comprehensive understanding of how best to care for their greyhounds, including visits to the Dogs Trust and to GBGB’s forensic testing laboratory.

Apprentice Connor Davy, kennelhand for Sean Davy based at Owlerton Stadium, said:

“The University of Nottingham was a very interesting day where we learnt about a range of diseases that can affect dogs. I particularly enjoyed the section on animal behaviour and how to understand the signs that animals show when they react to a situation.”

Zoë Brown, GBGB Lead for Apprentices, said:

“The ‘off-the-job’ training sessions are brilliant opportunities for the Apprentices to learn from experts in the field of canine welfare and to gain a broader insight into the industry. It has been great to get such positive feedback following their latest visit to the University of Nottingham from which I know they learnt a great deal.

“The Apprenticeship is not only open to individuals entering the sport but also to those already working within it. There is no upper age limit so if you or someone you know is interested in finding out more, please do not hesitate to get in touch.”

Find out more about the Animal Care and Welfare Assistant apprenticeship here or contact GBGB HR Manager Zoë Brown on zoe.brown@gbgb.org.uk