I recently turned 50 years old and one of my goals for the year is to read 50 new books. One of the latest I’ve finished reading is Do-Over Dogs: Give Your Dog a Second Chance for a First Class Life, by Pat Miller.
I bought this book in tandem with another of Miller’s books, The Power of Positive Dog Training, after I began volunteering at my local animal shelter.
The shelter advocates positive training for dogs, which places emphasis on praising the dog when he/she does what you want, rather than punishing when he/she does something you don’t want. This type of training also focuses on using positive reinforcements, such as food treats and a clicker, to reinforce the behavior you desire.
It had been quite a long time since I trained a dog, and I hate to admit that the last trainer I worked with was a bit less than positive in his methods. For example, he advocated choke collars. He also taught dogs to sit by pulling up on their necks with a leash while simultaneously pushing their backsides down. As I have learned, a more positive approach is to lead them into the sit position by placing a treat above their heads so that they have to lean back and sit in order to reach it.
Both books spell out techniques for training your dog to follow certain commands, such as sit, stay, and down. I’ll find these chapters more useful when I have a dog of my own with whom I can work with on a daily basis. I’m only at the shelter for two to four hours a week, so there’s just not the time to really work with the dogs on too many commands. Getting them to sit (which isn’t always easy for me) and know their names is a good goal for me right now. The important thing for me to remember is that some dogs also need to burn off excess physical energy before they are ready to work on commands. (I’m looking at you, Meghan the wonderdog!)
Both books emphasize putting your dog in positions to succeed. The author says that yes, you can teach a dog to not dig in the trash can, but it’s probably easier to buy a dog-proof container, or put the trash up. Giving dogs adequate exercise also is a must! I’ve always been an advocate of walking dogs, but Miller points out that, for some dogs, leash walking isn’t enough exercise. (Again, I’m looking at you, Meghan!)
The Do-Over Dogs book specifically addresses dogs who have been adopted from a shelter, and has been a valuable resource for me. Many times these dogs haven’t been trained or weren’t socialized appropriately and thus have specific challenges that a dog who has been well trained, loved and cared for would not. Little did I know that many dogs are afraid of being petted! Small children are apparently scary; I know they were to Meghan.
Oh, and I guess now is the time to say that Meghan is one of the dogs who was housed at the shelter where I volunteer. She came to the shelter in early December 2012, with seemingly little socialization and life experience. She has lots of energy and is very smart. But because she’s very energetic, and a bit nervous, she did not “show well” at the shelter. I became very attached to Meghan and took her out for several weekend jaunts. It became quite obvious that once she was out of the shelter, with adequate exercise and a routine, and some training, that she’d make a great pet.
Meghan finally got into foster care a few weeks ago, so she’s got a chance at a happy life. Apparently, as I predicted, she is doing great in foster care. She still needs lots of exercise (she is a puppy, after all!), but she settles down nicely. Yay for Meghan!
I know that I should want Meghan to get adopted, but selfish me wants her to be available for when I get back. I’ve told several of the shelter staff that if she’s not adopted by the time I get back from my Camino, I will adopt her. Yes, it would be a bit of a challenge to get used to a very active dog after living with arthritic senior dogs. But it would also be nice to have a dog that doesn’t have a high prey instinct and is indifferent to cats. It would also be fun, after dealing with doggie dementia and the gradual decline in mental capabilities of my last two dogs, to have a dog who’s so enchanted by everything she sees. Life is new and to be explored!
Plus, sometimes a dog just wins your heart. No accounting for why.
So hopefully Meghan is there for me at the end of June. Or maybe she finds her forever home before then. Regardless, I will adopt a dog of my own as well as volunteer as a foster mom to shelter dogs who just need a little more work or a different environment so that they can find their forever homes. And these two books will help me be a better dog owner and foster parent.
That is cool! Considering I have a 5 pound little guy, he doesn’t need a lot of training, but I will keep this in mind in case we ever get a bigger dog! I’m glad Meghan is doing ok!