The emergency skills every veteran handler needs — canine trauma care, wound management, and the owner wellness practices that keep both partners operational when it counts.
You trained with military or law enforcement K9s. Now you're managing a service dog without a base medic. This course bridges that gap.
You handle dogs in stressful environments where injuries happen. Know what to do before the vet arrives.
You treat your dog like family. Be prepared for the emergencies that happen when you're miles from the nearest clinic.
Most K9 first aid resources are written for military handlers with a FOB medic nearby. This course is built for veterans training service dogs with no support structure — where you're the first and only responder.
Handle the injuries that happen during training, evaluation, or daily work:
Know the sequence before you're in the moment:
The part every K9 course leaves out — keeping yourself functional:
Every module is built around scenarios real veteran handlers face — not theoretical classroom content. Complete all 7 and earn your PawForward K9 First Aid certificate.
Know what you're looking at before an emergency happens. Covers the systems that matter for first aid decision-making.
Exactly what to carry and why — optimized for a veteran handler working in field or urban environments.
Visual guide with clear decision trees. Lacerations, punctures, paw pads, and more — covered in order of frequency.
The sequence, the ratios, the hand placement. Practiced enough to be automatic when adrenaline hits.
Heat stroke, cold exposure, toxin ingestion — protocols for the emergencies most handlers encounter in real work environments.
A structured approach to maintaining your own readiness — because a depleted handler is a liability to both partners.
Shareable PDF certificate earned on completion. Recognized within the PawForward veteran service dog network.
One-page checklists for the most time-critical scenarios — designed to live in your training bag, not your memory.
Try the course risk-free. If you're not satisfied within 30 days, email us for a full refund. No friction, no forms, no questions.
Tom built PawForward after seeing the same gap every veteran faces: a 2-to-7-year wait for a service dog while shelters are full of capable animals that just need someone who knows how to evaluate them. This course puts real, field-tested emergency skills in handlers' hands — because the dogs that change your life deserve someone who can keep them safe.
This course launched recently — these are responses from our first students and free preview users.
Lesson 3 (CPR & choking) alone was worth it. I've taken a human CPR class, but nobody ever showed me the actual hand placement for a 70-lb dog. Practiced it on my buddy's lab the next day — just to get the feel of it.
I foster dogs for our county shelter and we've had two dogs go into shock during transport. I had no idea what I was looking at. This course changed that — I ran through the shock module twice and printed the field cards.
The handler wellness section is real. I've never seen a K9 course address the fact that you're going to be stressed when your dog is hurt and that affects your ability to help them. This one does.
Straightforward and practical. No filler, no fluff. The quick-reference cards are genuinely useful — laminated mine and they live in my training bag now. Wish there were more photos in the wound care module, but overall solid.
Shelter dogs and working service dogs take knocks during training.
The handlers who keep working are the ones who practiced the protocols
before they needed them — not the ones who searched YouTube at the scene.
This course costs less than one vet visit. The confidence it builds is permanent.
Your price today: $49 $29 — one time, no subscription · 🚀 First 20 students only
Still have a question?
Email us at pawforward@polsia.app — we read every message and typically respond within 24 hours.
7 lessons · Certificate included · Lifetime access
$49 one-time 🚀 Launch Special
⚡ 19 of 20 launch spots remaining — price goes to $49 after
Ready to take the next step in service dog training?
Pair with the Shelter Dog Evaluation Masterclass — $299 →