monroe humane, per manager request.

November 17th, 2008

          Here we go again. The manager of the shelter has requested that I write yet another posting. Like I said before,  that is not the reason for this blog.

     I do have to give the shelter some credit this time. I think that is GREAT that they donate food to people in hard times for there animals. Ann Arbor advertises the same thing. This is a much better thing to do with the food, than putting it in the garbage.  Thumbs up to the shelter for this policy change.

        To clear a few things up for both blue berry & confused. You should read the entire article before commenting on them. If you were to read them you would notice,

    1} I have never said anything negative about a Volunteer, or shelter employee.   It is there policies that i have complained about.

        A VOLuNTEER is a person who gives time, energy, and money to the shelter. An EMPLOYEE is a person who gives time, energy, and receives money from the shelter. A MANAGER is a person who gives time, energy, and also receives money from the shelter. A BOARD MEMBER is a person who also gives time , energy, and money to the shelter.   The volunteers and employees do NOT set policies.   These are the people who clean up feces and care for the animals.  As all of you know, there are NO long term employees at this shelter.  Blue berry said they must be working at McDonalds.  I think most of them are fed up bad policies and bad attitudes, A Manager is the one that sets these policies.  The board members are the people who over see these operations. It is these failed policies that are causing problems. Not the people.

   I was at a board meeting a few moths back.  There was a volunteer there, voicing a complaint. There also was a girl adopting a dog from there, voicing a complaint,  as well as my wife and I.  When I was asked by the president of the board if I had a problem with the manager I said NO. The manager was at this meeting as well, So she knows this is true.  At the next meeting, There was a volunteer, a customer and my wife and I again. We were�told to be there to hear the results of are complaints. We were told, That the complaints were valid,  they did not know why they happened, then they thanked us for coming.  At the last board meeting there was another volunteer with a 5 page complaint, And a board member with a 10 page complaint.  They were also told if they attended this meeting they would tell them the results of ther complaints. This is the first time I heard of any person talk about the manager by name.  These�complaints were also dismissed. All 15 pages of them.

    2} This is not a personal vendetta, as you claim.  I have not mentioned people or names. I have only mentioned failed policies. The management and the board are the people who set these policies that is why I have talked about them. NOT the employees or the volunteers.

    3}  These issues HAVE been going on for years. I have talked to 3 different shelter managers, 2 shelter directors, I even emailed the newspaper a few years ago about this. No one seems to care.  Just by the comments from blue berry,  confused, and learning to spell,  you will see this.  These people are ignoring the failed policies, they only comment on the work being done by volenteers and employees.

    4}  I think it is great that they are donating food to a volunteer to give food to the cats behind K mart. This is NOT an employee who is doing that though.  She also no longer works at this shelter. If you read the first comment from the shelter manager you would see that she disagrees with the feeding of these cats. She said they should not be on the streets, or out in the cold, with no shelter.

    5} I have volunteered my time at this shelter for several years now.  However I have NEVER went into that shelter and asked if I could train these dogs.  Every single time that we have worked with these dogs we were asked by the shelter.  I do feel it is wrong for anyone to point fingers at volunteers, like my self that is just doing what was asked of me.  It was a board member and the president of the board who contacted me about starting the U of Pit program. This program was funded by donations It was to give these dogs training for one year, give them AKC canine good citizen certification, and the new owner a years worth of dog food donated by NUTRO.  These were all dogs stuck in the shelter for more than 2 yrs. The shelter claims they were unadoptable and did what they could to stop these dogs from leaving. When these dogs started getting adopted anyway, they stopped the program, and forced the volunteers and board member out. This board member has given many many years to this shelter, and many many dollars as well. It is a shame to see people treated this way. BLUE BERRY shame on you for supporting this decision

    6}  Dog walking is NOT bad for a dog. I have never heard anyone applauded for not walking a dog. I have been training dogs for many years, been through dog training schools, have read 100’s of books on training dogs, have seen many dog training video’s, Watched show’s like dog whisperer,  Its me or the dog,  and good dog U,  I have talked to dozens of vets,  groomers, breeders, rescue groups, and other shelters, and I have never heard any say dog walking is a bad thing. As a matter of fact is you were to ask all of the people in these positions they would tell you play in a back yard is not enough DOGS NEED TO BE WALKED.

   7} It is my opinion that sick animals should be separated from the general population until you have had them treated and they are not contagious. I heard your comments about not having room. This was also addressed at the last board meeting. The board said the parvo dogs were put into quarantine after 48 hrs. of being in the shelter. I feel this should have been done before exposing the other animals, not after. If space was truly the issue, they would not have been moved after. Again onther BAD POLICY.  Also If space were the issue they should not try to stop animals from being adopted to GOOD homes.

  8} Here at DUNDEE K9 we DO NOT ALLOW the use of pinch collars, prong collars, spike collars, or choke collars. All dogs are fitted with premier collars or standard collars.  It is the humane society that has the policily that all there dogs must wear a choke chain when coming and leaving the shelter. We even donated these collars to the shelter. It is against there policy to use them. A choke chain is a metal chain wrapped around a dog neck designed to choke them into submission.  A premier collar is a wide nylon collar that is designed so a dog cannot slip out of a collar without the chance of choking.

  As for the hanging you speak of,  you must be talking about NOEL.  She is a dog that was a fence jumper.  There policy was to put her in a 4ft kennel out back on a tie out. Yet another BAD POLICY. No person that loves dogs would even consider doing this.  Let alone do it with a metal chain wrapped around her neck.  As you can see she is a known fence jumper. so when she jumped the fence she was wearing a collar designed to choke her. BAD POLICIES from humane society,  NOT Dundee K9.

   9}  If you agree that  trained dogs have a better chance of getting adopted, and the shelter people do not have time for this. Why do you find it so horrible for board members and volunteers to do this for them.   After all that is how the humane society postings started.  Just look at what happened to TOBY he was a little puppy at the shelter. There policy of NO training is not good for a small puppy. There are basic things all puppies need to learn, housebreaking, manners around other dogs, manners around people, manners around FOOD. These failed policies allowed TOBY to become food aggressive. This alone would not be a problem. {Stupid maybe, all dog owners know to prevent food aggression.] Any dog trainer in this country can tell you how to solve food aggression with a puppy. None of those methods include DEATH.

   10} There are  animal control shelters {dog pounds}. They are to look out for the safety and well being of the community as a whole. Stray or rabid dogs running the streets pose a danger to society. These are the people that take care of this for us. They have an open honest relation ship with the public.   There are humane society’s. They are to look out for the safety and well being of the animals in there community. These are the people that pick up starving, abused, and neglected dogs.  Monroe humane will not pick up these animals they refer them to animal control.  There are both kill and no kill shelters. Kill shelters also are open and honest about there policies. These shelters use volunteers to help clean shelters, care for animals, walk dogs, and train dogs. These shelters also use rescue groups to help place animals that they are not equiped to deal with. This places the dogs in a foster home so they are not stuck in a cage developing more issues.  I only wish monroe humane could be more open and honest about there policies. Not the board members stating there policies are private matters and don’t concern any volunteer.

Posted in Pet Rescue Shelters | 4 Comments »

Humane society updated

November 12th, 2008

   This blog is NOT a humane society blog.  It is about the things that I see going on in our community both good and bad. If you want this to be a blog about you, just have at least 10 people comment and say they want this to about the  shelter and we will see if I can change the format. I have been around this place for years. I know of 100’s of other that also have. So if that is what you want, I will see what we can do for you. Also when murphy was pulled from your shelter he was skin and bones, that is NOT well taken care of. Every dog that was brought here for training over the years has had severe diaria, { I know, I am the one who has to clean up after them.}  That is not well taken care of. When Preston was pulled out to go to a groomer, because he was full of mats and was in pain because they were so bad. That is not well taken care of. If you would attend a meeting you would be aware of these things. To address your dog and cat food issue how many 100’s of pounds of donated dog food did you put is the dumpster last month. I am sure the people who donated it would have like to see something else happen to it.

  I will NOT post your comments if they have BAD language, They will be deleted. If you want to post something positive about your shelter that would GREAT.  I would love to here about some good thing happening there. I just have not heard of many over the last few years.

 I am glad to see that some of the humane society people have finally read this blog. It is only to bad that they would not come to any of board meetings for the last 3 mos. It is also great to hear that some of you in there really do try to care about these animals.  I also know first hand that some of these dogs would be on the streets. but I also wonder if solitary confinement in prison was offered to homeless people would they choose to stay on the streets. In maximum security prison, even in solitary confinement they get more time out of there cell than some of these animals. They also get to interact with each other. The shelter dogs do not. Take one look at cordelia spinning in her cage, she going stir crazy.  When the volunteers were getting her out of the shelter and working with her, that behavior quit.

  As far as coming into the shelter and working with these people. I have done this, so have at least 100 or more volunteers that will no longer go into the shelter, do to the attitude of these wonderful caring people. People that care about animals would not say a dog is aggressive and should not be adopted when it is not true. A caring person would try to find it a loving home so it is not stuck in a cage for several years. I know of a volunteer that was sent out of there crying due to the attitude of these wonderful caring girls. Is this the laughing and crying you refer to. This issue along with many others were also addressed at the last board meeting.

   I agree with the fact that the parvo outbreak at the shelter was not MEANT to happen. However the animals at this shelter always used to be guaranteed upon arrival. The comment about every room in this shelter being packed with animals is exactly the point. They used to use the one room for new animals coming in, so this did not happen. If they were to train and socialize these animals, they would be adopted out. If they are to busy cleaning to work with these animals maybe they should allow volunteer’s in to help with the animals. This would help with some of the over crowding issues. But the condemning of dogs for there GOOD behavior is ridiculous.

  I have always been against breed banning.  I feel that all dog should be treated equal. If you have a dog that can not be trusted, it needs training and socialization. If this dog is in your care and you do nothing to help this animal YOU are wrong, NOT the dog.  The AKC has a canine good citizen program. The dog that they claimed was aggressive to men, cats, and children, has passed this test. This test not only certifies that they are trained, it tests there manners in public, in crowds, how the react to distraction, and around other dogs, strange people, and children, etc. There other dogs in the shelter right now that have taken this test and the manager and the president of the board still say they cannot be trusted in public. The only dog that they had at the walk a thon that they said COULD be trusted did not pass any of the 10 items on this test.  Why is the bad dog OK but the proven GOOD dogs are still bad. Ask the assistant manager about a puppy named DIESEL she brought this dog home her husband abused this dog so to keep it from being abused further she kept this dog outside on a chain for 9 mos. She should have cared enough for the dog to bring it back to the shelter before she turned him into a basket case. The last I heard the woman that adopted him was going to have him put down. { I do not know if she did. I tried to talk her out of it.}

  I would also like to make it clear that i do not have a personal problem with anyone who works at the shelter. I do however have a problem with the way they do things. I do know they do have some wonderful people there. They just need to change some of there policies. Part of the problem is they do not see anything wrong with these policies. If you read some of the other comments about this article, and hear from the many past volunteers, and the many past employees, you would soon realize I am not the only one that has these complaints. This shelter is funded through private donations from the public. Therefore I think the public should have some say in what is acceptable.  On a final note I could not know of these things unless I have been at this shelter and talked to many more people who have been at this shelter. I have also been at board meetings and have heard complaints from other people as well.

Posted in Pet Rescue Shelters | 4 Comments »

The truth about dog training

November 9th, 2008

     I see a lot of people using improper training techniques.  Some of these people should know better.  I had a girl start in training class a few weeks ago that hired a professional trainer that was using harsh training methods on a 6 mos. old American bulldog. After the first lesson the dog started to get shy around new people. When the trainer came for the 2nd lesson, the dog started acting aggressive, growling, etc. she then tried to correct the dog for acting aggressive he then tried to bite her.  The trainer then stated he is a bad  dog and should be put down, and they should contact the breeder to let them know they are breeding bad dogs.  The funny thing about this is the dog was temperament tested by these trainers before starting the program and they themselves said he was a wonderful dog. The dog has never shown any of these behaviors before the force training started.                                                                                                                          

    I also had a young child in a class that was in a 4H club. Her cocker spaniel was biting her and the people in her 4H club didn’t know what else to tell her to do so she came here to class.  We were also concerned because most 4H clubs use treat training methods. We then found out she was doing the typical,   ear pinch,  lip pinch,   scruff shake,  &   pinning the dog until he gives in. 

   I have seen a lot of dumb thing like this in the past. I have never, as of yet found a treat trainer or clicker trainer etc. that will agree with force training, they all say it is bad, Yet they all will use these methods at some time or another when there methods fail.  The problem with some dog trainers is there methods don’t make any sense. I heard trainers say things like, do not use the word NO, because he learned to ignore this word. Therefore you should say WRONG instead. If this were true, when your dog does not COME shouldn’t you just say HERE instead. If your your dog wont DOWN, should you just say LAY. I don’t think so. This is just SILLY. The dog needs to learn the basic commands, changing the command to a new word will not teach the dog to obey it.  Some trainers also say to ignore bad behavior, just turn away from the dog if he is jumping on you. I have heard them say if a puppy is nipping at your children just move them away, if they keep doing it just keep moving them away.  Why do these people think it is bad to say No. I think a dog should know that jumping or nipping is not an acceptable behavior. 

   Positive Obedience Training, is to enforce a positive behavior.  Using proper methods, and instinct based corrections, you will eliminate any confusion. This will give you better communication, and this leads to a better bond with the dog, so you end up with TRUST.  Most people do not trust that there dog will do the right thing in any given situation. If you do not trust your dog, your dog will not trust you. He will trust his own instincts. If he feels threatened he will bark, and growl, maybe ever lunge or bite. He does this even if you tell him not to. Because he trusts his instincts more than he trusts your commands.  A police dog will trust his handler even if he feels threatened, he will attack or stop an attack in an instant  he will trust his handler in any situation. With proper communication and trust your dog will trust your commands more than his instincts.

  Force training and treat training can work for some dogs, However they are missing steps from the basic formula. They will also break some very basic training rules. this means these methods will take a lot longer to teach, If they work at all. Force training methods focus on punishment to stop a negative behavior. With this method you have to hope the dog figures out the proper behavior on his own. { a jumping dog may quit jumping on you. But still jump up and down in front of you or on other people. He will rarely figure out to sit, to avoid correction.} 

Treat based methods focus on bribing a dog to get a desired response. With this method the dog is working for himself. He is learning to be independent, and to make his own decisions. If he is dominant, independent, and makes his own decisions, he will also challenge you to see what he can get away with. Most often they will do as they please. { If he wants to chase a squirrel,  They will.  The piece of hod dog that you offer them to stop wont make any difference. They also know that after the squirrel is in the tree, and they come back, if he sits pretty he can still have the hot dog.}

             BASIC TRAING RULES

  Give ONE command only. NEVER repeat a command. If you tell a dog NO 10 times before you make him stop, 9 out of 10 times NO means NOTHING. If you tell a dog to SIT 5 times before you make him SIT 4 out of 5 times SIT means NOTHING. {Therefore he will only do these thing when they want to. }

  Never allow the leash to get tight. Natural instincts for a dog, is to pull if the leash is tight. If you hold the dog on a tight leash you are only restraining him.  Restraint NEVER teaches a dog anything. {If you have a dog on a chain every day, because he runs away, when you unhook the chain do you think he will stay in that area now. Probably not this is because you restrained him, But you did not teach him to stay in his boundaries.}

       INTERUPT,  REDIRECT,  PRAISE.  

     You should not ignore bad behavior. The dog needs to know that his behavior is wrong.

 INTERUPT,  with the NO command, squirt bottle, shaker can, clap hands, etc.etc.

REDIRECT,  them to the proper behavior, {or position} that they should be doing. { for example a jumping dog,  should be sitting ,  Use the leash to have them sit.}

 PRAISE, the dog every time you get them back into proper  position. Therefore every correction will be followed by praise. This will get rid of any confusion. The dog has no choise but to understand what you expect of him.

Posted in Training | 4 Comments »

Vote Now Milk-bone election

October 30th, 2008

   With the Presidential election rapidly approaching I just wanted to inform you of another election happening in November – one closer to home.

    Two Detroit area dogs are begging local residents to get to the internet and cast their votes to help them win an election 100 years in the making!   Shadow from White Lake and Cooper from Brighton are looking for votes in hopes of being named the first-ever Milk-Bone® SpokesDog.  During the past 9 months, thousands of pet parents from across the country have entered their pet in the Make a Milk-Bone® Moment™ contest, but there can only be one winner.  100 finalists were chosen including Cooper and Shadow.  America will decide which four-legged friend deserves to be the official face of Milk-Bone® by voting at www.Milk-Bone.com between now and November 18, 2008. 

  In celebration of 100 years, Milk-Bone® went looking for pictures and videos that captured those irreplaceable, special times that you have with your best friend.  The top 100 Milk-Bone® Moments™ are m o m en t s of joy that strengthen the bond be tween a pet and his or her pet parent.  The 100 finalists were chosen based on a picture/video entry along with the essay they entered in the Make a Milk-Bone® Moment™ contest. 

    This is one election where multiple votes are encouraged, as www.Milk-Bone.com visitors can cast one vote per day until November 18.  The dog featured in the winning Milk-Bone® Moments™ will receive a $100,000 contract to serve as the Milk-Bone® Spokesdog for the next year.  The winning Milk-Bone® Moment™ will be announced in January 2009.  The SpokesDog will also have his or her picture featured on a Milk-Bone® box and will be used in the brand’s marketing campaigns throughout the year.  The 99 runners up will receive a digital camera.

  

Posted in Uncategorized | No Comments »

Howleen party at dundee K9

October 27th, 2008

 

Here are a few photo’s from the howleen party. The people had just as much fun as the dogs did.

More photo’s to come soon

Posted in Uncategorized | 1 Comment »

humane society or in humane society

October 27th, 2008

    I have been training dogs for local rescue groups and shelters for the past 8 years. We do not charge for shelter dogs. I first started training dogs for monroe humane society in 2001. They had 7 dogs that were at the shelter for more than 2 years, bowling green oh. also had 6 dogs in the same situation. We started an obedience class for just these shelter dogs to give them a chance to get a home. At the end of 5 weeks all of the dogs except for one were adopted.      This showed me that proper training and socialization does make the difference.  Yes all of these dogs did have issues, But most untrained dogs do. However it only 5 weeks to adopt out 12 unadoptable dogs. Sylvester would have went sooner if they would have sent him to a better place. For some dumb reason they sent him to a place to live his life on a chain in a back yard. Needless to say he got loose and ended up in animal control, the people did not claim him, then he went back to monroe humane. They then adopted him to a permanent home.

   The manager that is there now does not allow any employee to do any training with the dogs, she said they have more important things to do. She also does not allow anyone to walk dogs, she said one of them may get loose and run away. she also does not quarantine any new dogs that come into the shelter even if they have parvo, she just puts them in the back with the other dogs and hopes for the best. The assistant manager is on the do not adopt to list due to neglect and abuse.

   What i found out recently was they are keeping dogs in the shelter that are good dogs, and refusing to adopt them out claiming they are bad. We found thid out because one of the board members and a few volunteers started bringing some of the 2 and 3 yr residents for training classes. And again they started getting adopted of course. Then one of the students in class wanted her parents to adopt Muprhy. She went to the shelter to get an application. She was told he attacks men, he attacks, children, and he attacks cats. She told them that she has seen him in training class every week and hes never seen that type of behavior. they told her She, the trainer and the board member only see this dog once per week and just dont know him, they seem him every day so they know his true behavior. I then went to the shelter to have them show me his issues, so I could see how bad they really were. Come to find out He loves cats, he loves children,he is fine with men also. It was the weed eaters,and or leaf blowers, That he dont like not the men using it. After getting the manager, the director, 2 board members, and threatening to call the news, they did adopt him out. He has been doing great, and finally put on some weight. 

  Now I found out that they have doing the same thing with another 3 yr resident of monroe humane society. The dog that they are now claiming that is bad. is a good dog. she even took the AKC canine good citizen test. The only thing she did not pass was to lay down. I think it was because it was raining pretty hard that day and she did not want to lay in a mud puddle.  The president of the board was there to see this that day at the walk-a-thon. Come to find out he is one of the people that said she would not be able to attend any adoption events, because she is bad.

  We all know there are certain things dogs need, Physical Exercise, Mental Stimulation, Socialization, Food, and Shelter just to name a few. How can you call a place HUMANE society if you lock in dog in a kennel for 23 1/2 hrs. a day.  Dogs are pack animals and NEED to socialize. Dogs NEED to exercise or a least go for walks, If they are locked in a cage all day they will develop issues, Like cage spinning, jumping, barking, cage aggression, etc.etc. You will see all of these issues if you to the shelter. It is in-humane to do this to a dog, let alone do this and at the same time expose them to a life threatening disease like they did a few weeks ago, They were shut down from a parvo outbreak. 

    I could go on for a several days with some of the things I have seen over the years. I just find it hard to believe that we in monroe co. know some of these things and no one has ever done anything about it. Every time I here about the shelter more dirt comes out. I have been to board meetings etc. They said they new of these complaints and many more but if someone is to complain they cannot act on it because if the word gets out that they took action because of a complaint that would make them look bad as a board. 

  Can some one explain to me how not taking action action will make them look good.

  Read the rest of this entry »

Posted in Pet Rescue Shelters | 11 Comments »

Ava

October 23rd, 2008
 
Ava
Ava

 

    This is AVA we pulled her from Detroit animal control.

Working dogs are not adopted from there.  They must be put down or go to a rescue.

Posted in Pet Rescue Shelters | 1 Comment »

Socialization

October 23rd, 2008

The term “socialization” is thrown around a lot by dog people. Owners hear from their breeder, trainer and veterinarian that they should “socialize” their puppy. Owners of ill-mannered dogs are frequently told that their dog’s bad behavior is due to a lack of “socialization”. For a term that is used so often, it is surprising how few people understand what proper socialization is, and how critical it is to reducing dog bites.

Proper socialization is probably the single most important thing an owner can do to guard against the most serious behavior problem there is – aggression. Dogs who bite are frequently banished to the back yard, re-homed, taken to the pound or euthanized. Therefore, proper socialization can mean the difference between life or death for a dog. Dogs get euthanized every day because they bite someone, not because they don’t heel well.

A dog that has not been properly socialized will tend to be shy and over-reactive. They may flinch, freeze or withdraw when petted. They may startle easily by things considered routine like children squealing, cars, bikes, automatic doors, etc. They may even become fearfully aggressive when people do things like: Make direct eye contact, make direct frontal approaches, smile, make movements over the dogs head, neck, or shoulder area to pet. Undersocialized dogs fear these normal human greeting behaviors, because they are the same as some very threatening canine behaviors. Because we see undersocialized dogs acting in a fearful manner, we often presume that they were “abused”. This may be the case sometimes, but not usually.

Many dog owners feel that just getting their dog out in public occasionally constitutes proper socialization. It is true that some dogs do just fine with this kind of exposure. They never bite anyone or behave aggressively. These owners are lucky. They have a dog whose breed, genetics and temperament allow them to get away without a specific socialization program.

However, many dogs, because of their breed, genetics or upbringing, need a special socialization program. Some breeds are harder to socialize than others. Dogs that are bred to be naturally suspicious like the guarding breeds (Rottweilers, Chow Chows, Shar peis, Brazillian Filas) or breeds that have been developed to work independently of people, rather than in conjunction with them (some Terriers), usually need more work on socialization.

Certain individuals also may need a special socialization program. Poor breeding practices may produce a litter of puppies that are shyer than the norm. Puppies inherit a lot of their “shyness” from their mother. Breeders who place a lot of emphasis on the stud dog will often discount the importance of the mother and will believe a good father can overcome a mothers marginal temperament. Also, puppies reared in isolated situations often need more socialization than others.

As trainers, we must encourage every owner to properly socialize their dog. Each puppy or new dog must be given every opportunity to become as social as possible. It is a dangerous practice to allow owners to go along “feeling lucky” with their puppy. It may be too late to help them after the dog has bitten someone.

While every new dog or puppy owner should begin proper socialization immediately, it is more important for people who adopt from shelters or find a dog on the street. In these situations, the new owner doesn’t know the genetic make-up or personal history of the dog or puppy. Therefore, it is much more important to give these rescued dogs every advantage by properly socializing them.

The optimum time to socialize a dog is before it’s 5 months old. After 5 months of age, socialization occurs at a slower rate. Socialization can start as soon as a puppy is born. Even puppies that are still nursing from their mother can benefit from brief, gentle handling from a variety of humans. Socialization should always start as soon as possible – as long as the puppy or dog being socialized is healthy and the socialization is done correctly.

Proper Socialization is the exposure of the puppy or dog to things in the environment the dog should ignore or not react negatively to in the future (people, children, mailmen, cars, cats, bicycles, other dogs, etc.). Another term for socialization is de-sensitization. Unsocialized dogs over react to many common things. (Other dogs, strange noises, cars, bicycles, new people, people who are different than their owners – shorter, taller, wear glasses, wear a hat, etc.). Proper socialization is the act of teaching the dog to not react by de-sensitizing him to those things. This de-sensitization is done by exposing the dog to the environment in small increments and by helping the dog make positive associations to the things we are de-sensitizing him to. It is important to not overwhelm the dog by over-exposing him to new things. This may cause the dog to become sensitized. By forcing or overwhelming the dog, we cause him to make a negative association to things in the environment and cause the dog to become more fearful and/or aggressive.

An example of proper socialization is taking a puppy to group class but only exposing him to pleasant dogs at a distance he feels comfortable with. The owner gives the puppy food treats, praise and petting when he is calm. If he becomes agitated, the owner does not punish him, but simply moves a bit further away from class until the puppy is comfortable again. A good sign that a dog is comfortable with a situation is that he or she will take food treats. The owner slowly gets closer to the other dogs over the next few weeks, keeping things positive as the puppy gets accustomed to the other dogs. An example or poor socialization that can lead to sensitization or even aggression is taking a puppy to group class and dragging him into the middle of the class where the puppy becomes overwhelmed. The owner continues to force the situation on the puppy despite the fact that the puppy is nervous (eyes dilated, stiff, low body posture, hackles up, unable to take food treats). The owner may even punish the puppy because they are embarrassed by the fact that the frightened puppy nipped at an overbearing adult dog that charged him. Over time, this puppy is likely to get more apprehensive during group class. The owners should expect to see his behavior get worse with each exposure. The puppy may even become dog aggressive.

It is very important for the owner to learn how to read their dogs or puppies body language so they will know if they are properly socializing their dog or overwhelming him. The puppy should always appear relaxed and happy during socialization. The owners must not force any socialization experience on their puppy (dragging the puppy into a noisy area or shoving the puppy into the arms of someone he’s frightened of). They should learn how to use food treats to encourage their puppy. Owners should be taught to look for any cringing, shaking, or freezing-up in their puppy and immediately make things easier. They should also be sensitive to any indication that the puppy is trying to hide or run away. Again, they should try to avoid these situations first. By choosing socialization experiences that are appropriate for their puppy and by bringing him into these situations when he’s hungry, their food treats will be most effective for distracting or re-directing his attention, should he become concerned or startled about something.

If their dog or puppy becomes tense, nervous or frightened, they must not “soothe” him. This will only imprint the fearful reaction. Instead, they must learn to re-direct the pup’s attention onto a food treat or toy. They should then calmly get the puppy out of that situation and decide how they can re-introduce their puppy to that situation in smaller steps. They may need to go a bit slower and build up the pup’s confidence with exposure to other public situations. Make sure they are properly using their food treats and that the puppy is hungry enough in those circumstances to be “brave” to get the treat. The owner can teach their puppy to learn to be “brave” by using the food treat to encourage the hungry puppy to overcome his fears in order to get the food treat. The owner can use a food treat to coax the puppy across a slippery floor or into a new or noisy area. The owner can give food treats to strangers to encourage a shy puppy to go to strangers.

It is important that we educate our clients about the importance of proper socialization. We must also let them know how they can socialize their puppy and protect him from Parvo. Most veterinarians will agree that it is important to avoid areas where other dogs have been. The owner can take the puppy places where other dogs don’t usually go – like shopping centers or their friend’s homes. The puppy should get to meet as many different people as possible. Tall people, short people, children, people wearing hats etc. These people should be encouraged to give the puppy food treats. This should occur on a daily basis. The owners should also be encouraged to get the puppy in a play-group with other healthy, vaccinated puppies. Exposure to healthy, friendly adult dogs is important too.

 

 

 

Many owners refuse to take their puppy out until it is fully vaccinated (at about 5 months old) for fear of contracting Parvo. They frequently misunderstand or overreact to their veterinarian’s warnings about not taking the puppy places where he may get exposed to canine viruses. However, a puppy can be taken many other places to socialize with people and healthy, fully vaccinated dogs the owners know personally. While Parvo is something to be concerned about with a new puppy, it does not claim nearly as many lives as behavioral problems do.

 

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