of the Dog - Association of Pet Dog Trainers

Hence, an uncertified but enthusiastic Canine Trainer and
Behavior Counselor was born.
That was many years ago, and I have since moved on
to fostering, rescuing and providing training for shelter
staff and volunteers so they can walk and work with their
shelter’s dogs, but one thing has remained consistent and
is an essential aspect of my knowledge base as a trainer:
There is no better place in the world to work with and
study canine behavior than in the shelter in your own
community!
The longer I worked as a shelter volunteer, the more
varieties of behavior I had the opportunity to observe,
and the better I got at helping to modify inappropriate
behaviors and helping homeless dogs learn the skills
they all need to eventually learn if they are to become a
valued member of someone’s family. From simple training
issues, to anxiety and aggression, or any of the many other
behavioral issues that tend to surface in a shelter setting,
I have had the opportunity to witness—and learn from
—thousands of various behaviors in thousands of dogs,
many of whom were in need of my help, or at the very
least, the attention and affection I gave them as part of my
shelter volunteer experience. Without the assistance of
these wonderful dogs, many of whom made it out of the
shelters, some of whom did not, I can say with confidence
that I would not be the Canine Trainer and Behavior
Counselor I am today.
Of course, another benefit of having a good working
relationship with my local shelters has been referrals.
Many adopters are new dog owners, and as such, are often
the segment of the population most in need of training
and behavior services. I have found that once I have
established a relationship with shelter staff, they will often
start referring me to adopters even before I have a chance
to suggest they do so! With this in mind, I now offer free
initial phone and e-mail consultations for anyone who
adopts a dog from one of our local shelters. I do this for
a variety of reasons: It helps me establish contact with
new dog owners in the community, allows me to prevent
minor, easily-modifiable behavior issues from becoming a
reason for returning the dog to the shelter, and it provides
adopters with a valuable resource—me—that can help
them become better, more educated dog owners, which
in turn leads to more happy, satisfied families and doghuman
partnerships in my community. This achievement
should be a goal of any good dog trainer. It is also extremely
rewarding.
Another benefit of the shelter-trainer relationship
belongs to the shelter itself. Whether they will acknowledge
it or not, most shelters are in need of guidance and
support from a professional trainer, or at least someone
who understands canine behavior and knows some basic
training techniques based on praise and reward. Although
they often desire to spend more time with the animals in
their care, most shelter staff are already overworked and
overtaxed with the responsibilities involved in the daily
basic care of the animals, and many simply do not have the
background in training or behavior to effectively work with
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the dogs in their shelter, even if their time does permit. As
a volunteer, you can fulfill the role of “canine professional”
that is so needed, and often neglected, in many shelters.
Your offer of assistance, when it is sincere and based on
experience and a basic understanding of dog behavior, is
likely to be welcomed by shelter staff, especially if your
experience means that you can assist with dogs who are
anxious, depressed or otherwise not adjusting well in the
shelter setting. Because they work with, and therefore also
become attached to, the dogs in their shelter, anything you
can provide to help heal a hurting dog, such as exercise,
basic training, appropriate stimulation and socialization,
will be met with genuine gratitude from the folks who
care for them. Which leads me to my next point ...
Perhaps the greatest benefactors of a healthy trainershelter
relationship are the dogs themselves. I have
worked as a volunteer in some shelters where other
volunteers were either non-existent or were very few and
far between. It is in these shelters where my experiences
were often the most rewarding. For these dogs, my arrival
at the shelter brought joy, the promise of affection, and
most importantly, exercise, which they all badly needed.
Whether I could give just a few hours of my time a couple
days a month or was able to visit several times a week,
there was no doubt I was needed. It is this—the utter joy
and gratitude I receive from the dogs I take the time to
help, know, or simply take for a walk—that led to my
lifelong passion to work with and assist homeless dogs
from around the world.
First, Visit
As with any new task, your first prerogatives are to
simply show up and show an interest. One of the best
things you can do to establish a relationship with your
local shelter is visit the shelter, look around, introduce
yourself and ask a few questions. While it’s a good idea
to call ahead or at least check the shelter’s web site for
hours of operation, a personal appearance is always best,
and will give you the opportunity to check the situation
out, see first-hand what areas the shelter may need help
with, and meet the people you will be working with as
a volunteer. Please note that shelters are often very busy
on Mondays and Saturdays, so a visit in the middle of the
week might be best. If you call before visiting, simply ask
the receptionist when it might be a good time to drop by.
While visiting the shelter, ask a member of the staff
whom you will need to talk to regarding volunteering.
This is important, even if you have visited or worked
with the shelter before. Many shelters have a Volunteer
Coordinator, and this person is often responsible for
the registration, training and legal issues surrounding
volunteers. Some shelters provide one-on-one or group
training, so find out if and when the training will be held
next, and plan to attend. These sessions are often mandatory
for new volunteers, and will help you understand what
the facility’s volunteer policies and procedures are.
Always take business cards with you, as well as any
helpful materials that will let the staff [continued on next page]
November/December 2008 w The APDT Chronicle of the Dog w 21
Shelter Strategies