Strong, for ODC
For "strong," I chose to do an image of myself. I have always been very strong, maybe because I am the oldest child who helped my mom raise the younger ones, and sometimes it works against me as I can be too independent and feel I have to do everything for myself. So letting people in, relinquishing control can be a challenge.
It's been a very good week at the rescue where I volunteer. Two of the dogs worth worrying about had a nice turn of events. One was our longest resident who got accepted to a rescue where he will be fostered in a home. He still doesn't have a forever home, but after several months in a kennel he's not in a kennel anymore. Big yay for him!!
The second dog was pulled from the Adoptable side because she developed physical problems and needed an expensive surgery. Money was raised for the surgery, but a foster home was needed because she will have to be crated for months during her rehab. Finally, someone came forward and she had surgery yesterday.
What these two experiences taught me was that things can look bad for a very long time, but that change is possible. Something can happen to set things into motion that can create big change. I find it so hopeful.
I walk small dogs and puppies, although "puppies" means up to about seven months, so they can be big. I would like to walk the older, bigger dogs but I need more strength and experience first. I am actually lifting weights!
Walking a kennel dog is a bit different than walking a dog living in a home. They can be very stressed out and sometimes refuse to walk once you get them outside because the world seems too big, or they can walk but only a few steps at a time and on their terms. As the behaviorist told us, the cortisol level of a dog there is three times higher than usual. She said it's like being at a 24-hour rave -- all the barking and noise and fear associated with it. When a dog is adopted, after three days their cortisol level drops 30%. After three weeks, it drops another 30% and after three months, she said you have a different dog.
One of the great things about working there is I get to go to all these free classes on dogs. Recently, I attended a class called "the get acquainted room," the place where the prospective adoptor meets the dog. A dog has less than five seconds to impress strangers who walk by their kennel and if they are barking like crazy that usually doesn't make a very good impression. Also, if they ignore the strangers, that's not a selling point either. So if they do make an impression, the get acquainted room is next.
In the class, I learned that what the prospective adoptor wants is for the dog to lay on the floor next to them, and that contrary to popular belief they don't mind that much if the dog jumps up on them at first, as long as it's not repetitive. This is all research-based info.
Very few dogs lay on the floor, so we are teaching them this skill, as well as how to sit. They are often very jittery in the get-acquainted room. I find it's fairly easy to teach bigger breeds how to sit and lay down, as long as they are treat-motivated. Pitbulls are the easiest to teach (for me, anyway) because they like humans and want to please them. It's so cute to see a two-month old pitbull sitting on command, and it gets them big adoption points. I have as yet to teach a Chihuahua how to sit, or many other small breeds. A lot of them just aren't interested as what they really want is to be in your lap.
So if they do well in the get-acquainted room, then there's other hoops to jump through. For example, if the prospective adoptor has a cat, the dog has to pass the cat test. They take them upstairs and bring a cat out in a big cage and put it on the floor. If the dog is curious, that's okay, but if they bark and carry on....
Every person in the household has to come in and meet the dog before they can be adopted. When my son adopted Tiger, I had to go in and meet him because I spend a lot of time with my grandson, and therefore the dog. It has to be a good match all around.
If the adoptor wants to adopt a pitbull, rotweiller, American bulldog or other big dog associated with aggression, then their home has to be inspected first. If they have a back yard, the fence needs to be secure. Many many landlords in San Francisco don't allow these dogs in their buildings.
Pitbulls get a bad rap and they are usually the last dogs to be adopted, especially the black ones. I guess it's like that superstition against black cats. The dog I first mentioned is a black pitbull, one of the sweetest dogs but there longer than any other.
OK, so this is some of the stuff I've learned and do. Thanks for letting me bend your ear!!
xxoo
Strong, for ODC
For "strong," I chose to do an image of myself. I have always been very strong, maybe because I am the oldest child who helped my mom raise the younger ones, and sometimes it works against me as I can be too independent and feel I have to do everything for myself. So letting people in, relinquishing control can be a challenge.
It's been a very good week at the rescue where I volunteer. Two of the dogs worth worrying about had a nice turn of events. One was our longest resident who got accepted to a rescue where he will be fostered in a home. He still doesn't have a forever home, but after several months in a kennel he's not in a kennel anymore. Big yay for him!!
The second dog was pulled from the Adoptable side because she developed physical problems and needed an expensive surgery. Money was raised for the surgery, but a foster home was needed because she will have to be crated for months during her rehab. Finally, someone came forward and she had surgery yesterday.
What these two experiences taught me was that things can look bad for a very long time, but that change is possible. Something can happen to set things into motion that can create big change. I find it so hopeful.
I walk small dogs and puppies, although "puppies" means up to about seven months, so they can be big. I would like to walk the older, bigger dogs but I need more strength and experience first. I am actually lifting weights!
Walking a kennel dog is a bit different than walking a dog living in a home. They can be very stressed out and sometimes refuse to walk once you get them outside because the world seems too big, or they can walk but only a few steps at a time and on their terms. As the behaviorist told us, the cortisol level of a dog there is three times higher than usual. She said it's like being at a 24-hour rave -- all the barking and noise and fear associated with it. When a dog is adopted, after three days their cortisol level drops 30%. After three weeks, it drops another 30% and after three months, she said you have a different dog.
One of the great things about working there is I get to go to all these free classes on dogs. Recently, I attended a class called "the get acquainted room," the place where the prospective adoptor meets the dog. A dog has less than five seconds to impress strangers who walk by their kennel and if they are barking like crazy that usually doesn't make a very good impression. Also, if they ignore the strangers, that's not a selling point either. So if they do make an impression, the get acquainted room is next.
In the class, I learned that what the prospective adoptor wants is for the dog to lay on the floor next to them, and that contrary to popular belief they don't mind that much if the dog jumps up on them at first, as long as it's not repetitive. This is all research-based info.
Very few dogs lay on the floor, so we are teaching them this skill, as well as how to sit. They are often very jittery in the get-acquainted room. I find it's fairly easy to teach bigger breeds how to sit and lay down, as long as they are treat-motivated. Pitbulls are the easiest to teach (for me, anyway) because they like humans and want to please them. It's so cute to see a two-month old pitbull sitting on command, and it gets them big adoption points. I have as yet to teach a Chihuahua how to sit, or many other small breeds. A lot of them just aren't interested as what they really want is to be in your lap.
So if they do well in the get-acquainted room, then there's other hoops to jump through. For example, if the prospective adoptor has a cat, the dog has to pass the cat test. They take them upstairs and bring a cat out in a big cage and put it on the floor. If the dog is curious, that's okay, but if they bark and carry on....
Every person in the household has to come in and meet the dog before they can be adopted. When my son adopted Tiger, I had to go in and meet him because I spend a lot of time with my grandson, and therefore the dog. It has to be a good match all around.
If the adoptor wants to adopt a pitbull, rotweiller, American bulldog or other big dog associated with aggression, then their home has to be inspected first. If they have a back yard, the fence needs to be secure. Many many landlords in San Francisco don't allow these dogs in their buildings.
Pitbulls get a bad rap and they are usually the last dogs to be adopted, especially the black ones. I guess it's like that superstition against black cats. The dog I first mentioned is a black pitbull, one of the sweetest dogs but there longer than any other.
OK, so this is some of the stuff I've learned and do. Thanks for letting me bend your ear!!
xxoo