The Blogging Dog - Why Shelter Dogs Fail.

Adopting dogs from reputable rescues and shelters is the next wave of dog ownership in this country. More and more owners feel the call to adopt or rescue a dog that has been given up on as a human companion. Most dogs show elation upon adoption by a family willing to give them a chance......so where does it go wrong? Why are so many dogs in training from this mold? Were they all abused?

I challenge you to think on a more natural level. Quit assuming things we don't know for sure - like abuse, or neglect.....it just wont help us much. Understanding why they fear what they fear is less valuable as a handler than understanding what triggers that fear and how to navigate it. Most dogs in a shelter will be recently spayed or neutered before homing - so imagine that feeling too. So, the dog has been taken from a familiar environment (positive or not wont matter - it was still familiar), placed in a high volume shelter, and had a surgical procedure that impacts hormones for months............

And yet, we become confused about why they don't immediately accept our human rules.

So, if you were yanked from your home - placed in a federal prison for a week or 2, then had a procedure performed by unfamiliar people in an unfamiliar hospital......then while adjusting to that you were placed in a home, surrounded by new people - expecting you to assimilate. And most likely, expect you to be thankful for it.........would you be skeptical?

Dogs are pack animals. Once assimilated, they can adapt to almost any environment. But they crave consistency, they crave a leader who gives direction. Upon arriving in your home, you would be better served having a crate prepared for any unsupervised or "unsure" times for your new rescue. You should focus less on obedience training, and more on setting firm examples of how behaving in your environment benefits your rescue. Examples like, providing healthy amounts of proper diet and exercise. Praise basic behviors for goodness sake.....he hasn't been in a home and doesn't realize how much you like it when he is polite and well behaved, unless you tell him. Yes, you can reward behaviors like resting quietly for an hour out of the crate......or not barking at the neighbor. Maybe that's more helpful than joining him in yelling.

We haven't even touched the fact that, 90 % of dogs in the shelter are there because they weren't fitting in somewhere else or haven't had regular human contact. So......there's that.

These are great dogs. Beautiful dogs that are no different than most domestic dogs that are succeeding as companion animals on a daily basis.....but we don't do them the favor of laying out a plan to help them succeed. Prepare and know that 4 to 8 weeks inside your home - as a foster or adopter - your rescue will start to "root" or make it a natural environment. The dog will challenge for placement, might pee on things after behaving so well that first month. Maybe it growls at a kid for behaviors it tolerated early on - but this is natural, normal behavior if you havent laid out the placement from day 1. Be aware. Be prepared. Impact your dog families properly, and you will be rewarded.