Working with Rescue Dogs: The Shelter Environment
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http://makedogsyourlife.com Working with Rescue Dogs - Video 2: The Shelter Environment. Dogs at an animal shelter or rescue kennel are not the same as your average, everyday dog at home. It's not that they are worse dogs - it's just that the environment of the shelter can cause some physical and psychological issues.
There are 4 big things that are greatly affecting the dog's behavior:
1. Lack of exercise - these poor dogs rarely get out to stretch their legs, let alone have a chance to run. This makes high energy dogs like coiled springs that are twitchy and very reactive.
2. Lack of socialization - Since their ability to interact with people, other dogs and the every day environment is severely limited, they can act inappropriately and/or anxiously.
3. Lack of mental stimulation - These poor dog are bored all day long with nothing to do. And the longer they stay in that mundane environment, their psychological state is spiraling downward.
4. Barrier aggression/frustration - When dogs are separated form other dogs by a fence they are unable to interact like dogs are supposed to. Combine that with an excess of energy that has now where to go and you get cage fighting. Often, once you take a dog out of the shelter environment for a while you find that they are not aggressive at all.
When you're ready to take a dog out of his kennel the first thing you want to do is to observe his body language and see how he's feeling today. Depending upon the shelter you can try to wait until he's not jumping and calm, but you might not have the time or ability to do that.
The best thing to do is to just get him out of the kennel and shelter as quickly as possible. Then, once you're outside, you can try to get him to settle. I recommend using a slip lead because you can easily loop the leash over his head without having to get your hand and face too close to his mouth. These dogs are in a very aroused state of mind and may be sensitive having someone near his head. Once outside you can switch to a regular collar and leash if you wish.
The first thing you should do is go for a walk - before any playtime. The walk is the best way to get to know they dog, let him shake off the shelter craziness and build your relationship with him. The walk is such a simple, yet powerful thing that can really help the dog learn some structure.
This is important when you consider our ultimate goal, to get the dog adopted. Letting him run around in an outdoor run is a nice way to give him some exercise but providing him structure will help him get adopted.
You need to remember that your goal is not to merely babysit him but to help him improve so he can get out of there.
If you're interested in learning how you can turn your passion for dogs in to a successful career as a dog trainer, go to http://makedogsyourlife.com