Dog Star Animal Sanctuary

Dog Star Animal Sanctuary

Country Roads and Dogs

The majority of dogs given up to shelters or dumped on country roads are there because of behavior problems. Studies have shown the number one factor in an animal staying in a home for it's whole lifetime is training. People get a cute lil puppy and it jumps,chews,barks and pees on the floor but because it's little the only training it gets is a "NO", pushed away or a rolled up newspaper which stops the behavior then but doesn't TEACH anything except maybe to be hand-shy or pee behind the couch-- not in front of you:0) The dog does nothing wrong but grow up. Then you have a30 or 50 pounder jumping,chewing,barking and peeing on the floor. You can't live with that. And not to demonize the owner I have seen over and over in my years volunteering at the shelter heart-sick but determined people bringing in their dog because they don't know what else to do. There are few people born with the a natural gift for training so most people (myself included) have to be taught. It's so simple and now with positive training it's even fun but if you don't know how, you don't know how. We're working towards a sanctuary where dogs can live in large fenced-in grassy areas with 4 or 5 others. So there's room to run,someone to sleep next to, to play with, squabble with, all the doggy drama that makes life interesting. But they will not be turned out in a pasture and left. We're in the process of training a small army of volunteer ;we will adopt out trained animals so they will stay in their new home. It's a way to break this cycle. If they cannot be rehabilitated or no one wants to adopt them they can live out their life with room to run and play or sleep in the sun with their belly touching Mother Earth. We will train sit,sit-stay,down,down-stay, come,when you're called, walking on a loose leash because these basic behaviors are not just the foundation of learning for a companion animal they are the way to problem solving. Can't jump on someone if you're sitting. We also will train frisbee dogs,tracking dogs,dogs that know lots of tricks,therapy dogs, and whatever else we and the dogs can think of. To break this cycle of abandonment like so many other vicious cycles on this old Earth takes education. Dogs love to learn,LOVE IT! People.... not so much, but to be fair most dog training has been the 'ol choke chain method where you waffle between being uncomfortable because your choking and scaring your dog to the other end where your bored to tears. Happily we use clicker training and clicker training is FUN! I call it tail-wagging training because their tails wag all the time. I have 5 dogs and when the clicker comes out it's "Please Mom-- pick me, pick me. Let me train today." Dog Star is a group of dedicated people determined to make life better for abused and abandoned dogs through living in a more natural environment and training.

Monday, May 14, 2007

The Dog that started it all---Phoenix


Dog training started for me six years ago when I discovered clicker training. Before that time I had always had dogs and trained them in a haphazard hopeful way because I dislike hurting my dogs, I loved them and didn't want to use a choke chain, besides that kind of training is boring so I didn't give it much thought.

My change came as change frequently does, with a crisis. I helped the local humane society by fostering a dog rescued from horrible conditions of neglect. We bonded while he was weak and recovering from starvation when he got his strength back he turned into the dog from hell! To everybody but me, to me he was a devoted angel. He knew who had rescued him and he gave me his heart and soul.

I couldn't abandon him but he was a law suit waiting to happen. He bit my Dad and had the chilling habit of attacking when you had turned your back to leave. Through constant vigilence and warning I kept everyone safe but didn't know what to do so I did what I frequently do when I'm in a quandry I went online to see what I could find and thankfully it was Karen Pryor's clicker training site.

It was a long,slow process but my sweet Phoenix turned into the dog he was meant to be, underneath all that noise and teeth was a frightened animal that felt he could trust no one. He ended up a therapy dog for Hospice! I ended up in love with dog training all it's possibilities and the wonderful side effect it has of deepening the relationship you have with whatever animal you are training.

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2 comments:

Debbiemac said...

Hi,
I've read some of your comments on Phoenix, the dog that started you on your training venture. I have recently rescued a dog with very similar circumstances and am in need of advice. "Bodie" (Cody with a B) was horribly neglected and is distrustful of everyone but my husband and me. I have been a dog rescuer for many years but have never been faced with such overwhelming fear aggresion. Could you possibly help me? Thank you...

Debbie

July 27, 2007 at 6:03 PM
Dog Star said...

Debbie,

I'm sorry I haven't responded before this. I've had such problems posting on this blog since there were changes in Google that I only by accident am here tonite.
I would love to help you if it's not too late.
Please post again

October 14, 2007 at 4:40 PM

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