Although I am primarily a private in home dog trainer, I also spend 6 hours a week (avg) at my local shelters helping to train the dogs. I have been doing this for almost two years now and I am frequently asked my opinion on dogs that have a questionable background, or have made poor decisions in the past about biting people and other dogs. My response is usually the same. Dogs can be rehabilitated, and if the process is in place to put that dog in a foster home with someone who has the experience to work with the dog then improvements to the dogs’ anxiety/aggression/decision making skills will be made.
I think dogs who have shown aggressive tendencies in the past can be rehabilitated and managed until the conditioning is in place so that they make appropriate decisions. I also have found that many shelters either don’t have the funds (or maybe the drive) to find the fosterers needed to put a plan like this in place. The people need to be willing and able to manage these dogs safely and not just manage them but provide them a learning environment to help them make progress.
I also know that sometimes this process will fail due to accidents, mishandling, or even a physical/mental ailment that cannot be overcome. And there has got to be a way to acknowledge when it has failed so that all involved can feel that they tried everything that could be tried or if necessary, see what went wrong and change the process for the next dog.
There is no easy answer in these situations, but I don’t agree with the idea that any dog with a questionable background should be euthanized in order to make room for more home-able animals. To me that just sounds like justification, and if something has to be justified, then that sends up a big red flag that it is a bad idea. Instead we need to focus on what we can do. Educational training programs for interested fosterer’s, volunteers, and staff that promotes safe conditioning training and management. Promoting the shelter as a “No Kill” facility (and sticking to that) can go a long way to getting the public on your side and that provides a lot of money and even more volunteers!
Tags: "dog aggression", dog bites, foster, shelter, volunteer
I totally agree with this post. I have, in fact, rehabilitated a ‘mean dog’ myself. He had been mistreated, and love and gentle discipline over a period of time did wonders.
I’ll be back to read more – your articles are well written and interesting as well as informative. Bravo!!
[...] homeless dogs. Sunday’s programme was a prime example of what you referred to in your blog ‘Dogs with questionable backgrounds or worse’ where perfectly ‘reformable’ dogs are needlessly (and I think a tad far too hastily) [...]
[...] homeless dogs. Sunday’s programme was a prime example of what you referred to in your blog ‘Dogs with questionable backgrounds or worse’ where perfectly ‘reformable’ dogs are needlessly (and I think a tad far too hastily) [...]