UT OH... 'Owner Surrendered'....

Ah, those ill-fated words... "Owner surrendered"... Immediately the majority of the general public believe a dog must have been surrendered to a shelter because somehow it is defective... 

As humans, our parents taught us to always try and think the best of other folks... In rescue (and especially after many years doing rescue), most rescue folks have seen the absolute worst of the human species and generally have a hard time doing this, regardless of the teachings our parents gave us... Such is the case with the dogs that are surrendered by their owners... 

There is a stigma attached to the term 'owner surrender' that somehow infers a dog is 'damaged goods'... If that is the end of your thinking, then please allow me to share some of my experience from 30+ years...

Folks adopt or buy dogs and puppies with their eyes and not their heads... Oh, that puppy looked so cute when you first saw them... Your boyfriend and you were SO in love and while not ready to conceive a baby, you felt getting a puppy together would cement your relationship...

Now you have broken up with your boyfriend and every time you look at this now grown adult dog, you are reminded of what a putz your ex-boyfriend was... Into the trash went his photos (if not burned first), the romantic gifts he gave you, mementos of your 'firsts' created together... And the dog?... Cute as a puppy, this dog now reminds you of failure and a broken heart - off to the shelter he goes if you can't give the dog away... FAIR? No, of course not, but this is how that dog ended up in a shelter...

Our parents have somehow learned to adapt and compromise their lifestyle around their cherished pet... Dad or mom get old and pass away... While Dad would put down a pitty pad at night because dear old Spot couldn't hold his bladder through the night, you have a brand new house and aren't going to make accommodations for Spot and your carpets... Besides that, you are mourning Dad and you can't emotionally cope with a new dog in your life... Off to the shelter this dog goes...  FAIR? No, of course not, but this is how that dog ended up in a shelter...

Your friend has a dog they can no longer keep and as a friend, you agree to take the dog... Oh my goodness!  This is a great dog and she never potties in the house, doesn't bark and wouldn't it be nice to have a companion in your life?... And you will be doing a favor to your friend (relative, associate, etc.)... Used to coming and going as you like, now you have to go home after work and let the dog out or they will mess all over your house, be destructive because they are left alone too long or get into some kind of mischief... Is it their fault?... No, but now you realize you don't have the kind of commitment needed to have a dog as a pet - you'd have done better getting a guinea pig or fish... Now what?.. Everything the dog does (or doesn't do) is magnified into larger proportions until you come to the realization, "I don't have enough time for a dog"... Or?  "No wonder Becky gave you up - you are a bad dog!"  FAIR? No, of course not, but this is how that dog ended up in a shelter...

What about the owners that don't believe in spaying or neutering their pets?... Or can't afford it?... Or don't have the time to get the dog into the vets to have it done?... Or simply think they'll let the dog have one litter so the kids can experience 'the wonder of life' and then you realize what a HUGE job having a mom with 7 puppies is going to be!  You wrongly think that everyone loves puppies and they'll get adopted... Oh, how wrong you are... In California, if a puppy cannot be spayed or neutered, they cannot be adopted by a shelter or rescue and because we are always so full, most shelters cannot provide 8 weeks of care and space required for those puppies to grow and mature... FAIR? No, of course not, but this is how that dog ended up in a shelter...

People lose their jobs and/or their homes in today's economy...  Many times through circumstances not of their own making... Something has gotta go and usually the pets are the first thing.... FAIR? No, of course not, but this is how that dog ended up in a shelter...

And finally?  As much good as we have in the human species, we have as much bad... Some owners are simply neglectful of their pets and others are just plain out abusive... Officials step in and decide what is best for the animals and remove pets from these types of circumstances... FAIR? No, of course not, but this is how that dog ended up in a shelter...

Do any of these reasons mean that this is a 'bad' dog?... No, but the dog might need rehabilitation, medical care or socialization and training to become the 'Lassie of your dreams'... And if you decide against a dog to adopt because it is an owner surrender, you might want to rethink your position...  It is HIGHLY possible that you might find the true love of your life in a local rescue or shelter... Rescued dogs have an 'attitude for gratitude' not found in other dogs who have had an easy going of it in life...

So next time you hear the term 'owner surrender', please remember what you have read here today and give that dog a second chance at a decent life!

Why is harder to rescue a dog?

Question:

Why does it seem harder to get a dog from a shelter or rescue group than from a breeder?

answered by Jamie Wolf
Answer:

It's true, adopting from a shelter or rescue group can seem more rigorous than filling out a college application. Breeders are less picky--they generally look for the basics when evaluating a potential dog guardian: Are you able to pay for the dog and any future medical care? Do you have a roof over your head? Usually, that's where the breeder's involvement ends.

But rescue groups and shelters are all too familiar with stories of dogs who have been abandoned or surrendered. Many of the dogs that end up in their care were once purchased from a breeder or pet store. In fact, some experts say there are more bred and pet-store dogs left at shelters each year than stray mutts.

So, foster parents and rescue groups are careful to go that extra step (or two or three) to ensure a safe and permanent family for the dogs in their care. Many spend great amounts of time and money on their dogs, working to train and rehabilitate them. Some even take care of costly medical issues. For those reasons, it's much more common for shelters and rescue groups to carry out comprehensive assessments of potential adopters; they simply want to increase the number of dogs who wind up happy and healthy in "forever" homes.

Jamie Wolf, a lifelong animal advocate, is the founder of PetLover Central, a high-end, dog day care center in Boca Raton, Florida.

The eyes have it....

Dogs read our body language much better than we do theirs... But even more so, they look to us for help in making decisions when unsure or fearful...

Sparky at ease in a volunteer's arms

When exposed to new situations, they look to us for clues as to their need of being worried about this new thing or situation faced with... We see this happen a lot at the rescue shop when someone is doing a 'meet & greet' with their dogs and one of ours... I personally prefer to take both dogs on lead and AWAY from the owner, for dogs will look to their owner and/or can fail a 'meet & greet' test if the owner is apprehensive about how the two dogs will get along...

We humans like to be needed and wanted... For many of us, our dogs supply this feeling of self-gratification... And yes, I've seen people 'emotionally cripple' their dogs through repeated reinforcement of this need in them... To the point, that when a dog cowers and seeks shelter from meeting a new dog, the owner will reinforce this behavior... "Oh, does that other dog scare you?  I'm sorry... come here to mommie" and cuddles follow...

Or the dog approaches a strange dog with tail between their legs, ears back and a 'sad sack' attitude... Tough to make new friends this way, especially when I believe humans want their dogs to get along with other new dogs...

Sparky looking for direction from another volunteer
after the flash of the camera startled him.

There was a study done this year at the University of Michigan that involved 'social referencing' (link).  When I read it, I was reminded of 'homework' I've handed out to folks regarding training their dogs to accept strangers easier... Ask some acquaintances to meet you at a park one morning, bring your dog and spouse, have your spouse hold the dog on lead and when meeting each acquaintance, make a show to the dog of much joy and intimate contact (such as hugging) of this new stranger (to the dog)... Seem (and feel) happy to your dog and with repeated conditioning, your dog will quickly learn that meeting strangers while out on a walk is not a reason to charge them...

Same process applies to teaching a dog that new dogs are a good thing and not a bad thing... Especially if you have a few dogs that already know this behavior... At the rescue shop, we periodically pair up dogs that are suffereing from shelter shock with dogs we call 'stabilizers' - dogs that regardless of the situation faced with, will remain loving and friendly towards new humans... It doesn't take long for these shelter shocked dogs to realize that his roomie buddy looks forward to people and their interactions...

Remember, your dog looks to you for direction... If you are apprehensive about an oncoming stranger and/or their dog, your dog picks up on it right away!

Holiday time and your pets.......

Holiday time is tough on our pets... We haul in items that have been stored somewhere throughout the year, the items have a much different odor than our pets are used to and then we fuss at our dogs when they want to explore these new scents... As dogs 'see' with their noses first, I'm sure dogs get frustrated with us!

I personally absolutely DREAD going into stores this time of the year... I'm not one to stand and wait in line for an hour to check out... At my stage in life, if I can't order it online, I am not a happy person... So shopping for Christmas gifts (to me) is almost like doing to the dentist!... As much as I know myself, I am sure my dogs know me just as well...

I have a set routine with my alpha, Peanut... Every night when I put on my PJs and crawl into bed, Peanut jumps up and immediately settles into the curve of my belly... She rolls over and presents her belly for belly rubs... 

Now I have to tell you... Peanut has a coat like mink... It is just as enjoyable to me to give her belly rubs and a nose to tail massage as it must be to her... She stretches out and from her behavior, you can tell she's loving life when we do this nightly habit... Peanut is now 14 and in good health, but I have been doing this for years - and year round... I do my ABSOLUTE best to not change my routines at this time of the year no matter how stressed of a day I have had, how tired I am or any other reason... She counts on me being there each night for this 20 minutes of one-on-one bonding... 

Pepper asleep in his bed at the rescue shop

People come into the rescue shop and tell us, "I don't know what's going on with my dog.  All of a sudden for no reason at all, he's started going potty inside on my rug instead of going outside."  And inside my head, my first thought is what have they changed about their life or routine to give direction to this house-trained dog to change their habits?

Dogs are extremely situational, but three things are pretty static (eating, sleeping and pottying) unless something has changed about their environment or person... Maybe the owner is in a hurry and anxious for the dog to go poop in the morning because they're late to work?... Dogs - just like kids - thrive in routine and consistency... And they read our body language far better than we read theirs (or other humans for the most part)... Anxious for this to be done and over with, I'm sure the message goes to the dog that their person is anxious... And with that, maybe they shouldn't be pooping at all?   Ever tried to hurry up yourself?  It ain't easy!

Another thing that seems to crop up only at Christmas is a dog's behavior to strangers... "My dog LOVES everyone and now he's barking at people who come over to visit"... Think about it - do you normally have this many folks coming and going at your house normally the rest of the year?  Or long periods like this when you are gone, then come home very tired?  Maybe too tired of that long walk you two normally enjoy each night?  Aunt Martha comes in from Omaha for a two week visit with all kinds of new smells and we wonder why our dog barks at her for 'no reason at all'?... Your dog doesn't have to interact with Aunt Martha and her smells the rest of the year, and to him, this is a new member of the pack... He's trying to figure out where she belongs in the dynamics of what his life is the rest of the year...  Once he figures it out, Aunt Martha leaves and then he's got to figure out what happened...

No wonder our dogs change so much during the Christmas season!

Men and dogs...

One of the biggest hurdles we have to overcome in rehabilitating rescue dogs is their fear of men.  Not all rescue dogs have this fear, but were I to make a list of the items we work on the hardest, I would say this is at the top of our list (and then potty training, canine manners, etc.).

The majority of the humans in dog rescue are women.  Dunno why that is, but I am sure Freud followers could explain it to us intellectually.  I just know that is it, and not why.  And I believe most of us rescuers 'drag' our hubbies into our passion (some totally unwilling to be a part of the experience).

So when we find our husbands, partners, BFFs, etc. willing, it is like icing on the cake of life for us.  I 'assign' certain saves to my husband, Paul, from the moment I get the dog out of the shelter.  I will bathe them, feed them, take care of them --- but I don't cuddle, work with them, give them treats or goodies, etc.  Everything GOOD to GREAT in their lives will come from Paul, and that is the only way I have found we can begin the process of overcoming a fear of men.

I myself am blessed (and I know it) - once Paul realized only HE could do what WE were attempting, he jumped into it head first and has done some very good saves.  Dogs that would hide in a corner or slink away from the very sight of him eventually ended up spending their evenings in his lap watching TV until they found their furever home.

It doesn't happen overnight, and I wonder if that is why some male counterparts of rescue families get irritated over the passion.  There is no instant gratification to be had, for it takes time to establish that trust and a dog to overcome the fear.

Maybe part of this generation's downfall is that we all grew up watching Lassie on TV.  She was ALWAYS the best of the best, and we all wanted a dog like Timmy had, ya know?  At least what we saw on TV as we laid on our bellies in front of it, engrossed in the weekly adventures of Lassie and her family.  So in our heads now, we see "dog" and 'think' Lassie.  Sadly, it does not always work out that way.


TLC is very lucky in that most of our husbands support what we do, and many actively engage in rehabilitating hard cases, or adding 'added value' with extra socialization of dogs... some even work as hard as we women do to create an adoptable dog from one that was destined to be euthanized because they were not perfect - or a Lassie.


One such great guy is Rob, DeAnna's husband.  Rob, like Paul, goes out of his way to work harder on the dogs that have men-fear based issues.  I can't say if Rob got to the realization like Paul did --- that only HE can affect this change, but Rob certainly has had some major success stories already.


As you can see from a recent photo, football watching does have its perks - lots of belly warmers, lap warmers, companions to pick from, huh?

And rescue is not just for women, guys.  In TLC, we have three men that come every weekend, foster dogs and work just as hard as we women do!  Joe Sr. and Joseph (father and son team) along with Gherry (who is currently fostering our two blind puppies - Peanut and Butter) are all valued members of the TLC volunteer team.  



We could not do this without all of the volunteers and fosters in TLC - men and women alike - so allow me to say thank you to those who support what we do!


As always, 
Linda


P.S. For more on the topic of rescue dogs and the fear of men:

• Conquering your dog's fear of men
• Why dogs are more afraid of men - there's a study involving points of light in the gait of men versus women (could be why sitting down is a critical aspect of the rehabilitation being done by men in TLC also)
• Adopting a shelter dog
• Puppy socialization tips - briefly discusses this fear and how to overcome it (pdf file)

This free book guides you through the first seven days of Adopting a Shelter Dog. With seven simple lessons, the book helps you ease the transition from shelter life to home life for you and your pup. You can download your copy here.

Tips and Tricks...

We're adding a new feature to TLC - "TLC's Tips & Tricks" - ideas, tips we've used on the shelter dogs we have rehabilitated and other good-to-great suggestions you can use on your companion to change behaviors... There is no 'one-way' to train a dog or un-train bad behaviors, for every dog is unique with their own set of issues, back story and personality quirks.  We offer these only as a starting point for you to explore and try... We also encourage you to share your tips and tricks that have worked for you... Together we can all build a fantastic community of rehabilitated shelter dogs who have found their furever homes and live great, balanced lives!