Dog Care in Shelters
- 1. Defensive Handling
- 2. Why to Start a Dog Walking Program
- 3. The Deterioration of a Shelter Dog
- 4. Breaking Up Dog Fights in a Shelter Setting
- 5. Pre-Evaluation Safety S.C.A.N.
- 6. Kennel Cough
- 7. Checklist for Factors in the Assessment of Dangerousness in Perpetrators of Animal Cruelty
- 8. How to Set Up a Comfy Dog Kennel
- 9. Warning Signs for Loss of Quality of Life for Dogs in Shelters
Defensive Handling
iStockphoto
Sue Sternberg
DEFENSIVE HANDLING
DON 'TS:
- don't make direct eye contact (the dog will read your eye contact as a threat or challenge, and neither is good news)
- don't think you need to dominate or show the animal "you're boss" (this only makes the bossy dogs angry and the fearful dogs defensive - be neutral )
- don't go in the cage/run with a dog who still has his food bowl or who is eating
- don't put your face near a dog's face
- don't grab or pull a dog by his collar or scruff to move him
- if a dog gets loose in the kennels, use a leash to catch him, if he's fence fighting, be extra cautious - noose the dog and slowly pull him away from the other dog (remember - arousal and high levels of excitement can trigger aggression)
- don't punish/discipline, or 'correct' a dog, not even by 'popping' or 'jerking' the leash, (you could get 'corrected' back - with a bite)
- try not to use the catchpole on a fearful animal - keep your body language sideways and non-threatening, move slowly and gently, use your lead to keep the dog's head and muzzle away from you
DOS:
- do use a gentle, steady pressure with the lead, no yanking or sudden pulls
- be big, be neutral (keep your balance, don't let a dog pull you over)
- do wear non-slip shoes and comfortable clothes with nothing too loose or jangley, tie your hair back, avoid dangling earrings
- be prepared, aware, move deliberately and confidently and gently and slowly
- do let the dog make first contact and come to you, instead of initiating and going to the dog before he may want you or need you or like you
- love dogs, but respect dogs
Courtesy of
Rondout Valley Kennels, Inc.
suesternberg.com
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Why to Start a Dog Walking Program
