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Dogs come into care for a variety of reasons but they have one vital point in common and that is that through no fault of their own they have all been removed from the homes and surroundings they have been familiar with since they were puppies. They are all bewildered and insecure to a greater or lesser extent by this fact. They are lost and alone. There are many reasons why a dog ends up needing a new home. There are the "reluctant" rescues where their owners are too old or ill to look after them, have gone into a home or have died. Their owners may have divorced or separated or been relocated by work and cannot keep their dog. The vast amount of house repossession during the last recession was responsible for not only owners being made homeless but their beloved animals also. Circumstances may change; wife becoming pregnant and not being able to cope appears to be an often-used excuse to get rid of a four-legged friend. There's the impulse purchase that does not fulfil expectations. The surprise birthday present which was not appreciated. There's the fashion status symbol that is not fashionable anymore. Cruft's winners can dictate this fashion trend, Dalmatians one year Standard Poodles the next etc. Sadly unscrupulous breeders jump on the bandwagon. Dogs can become "inconvenient" for a variety of reasons; the puppy that was once a cute little creature can become an eating machine that makes a mess, not to mention the inconvenience of having to walk it. The older dog now slow and wobbly, sometimes incontinent and costing more in vets fees than when he was younger. Vets fees can be overlooked when taking on a dog and when he gets older fees can become more of a burden. Then there are the ones who are mistreated by their owners, starved and left to roam the streets, or being locked up alone for many hours day and night. Not only is there ill treatment but also neglect, matted coats, mange, nails growing into toes, bad teeth, sore eyes and ears, infestations and illness due to lack of inoculations. Physical evidence of mistreatment is obvious but the psychological evidence is often only noticed when the dog reaches his new home. Litters of puppies are often found abandoned in cardboard boxes or suitcases. An abandoned puppy can be a complicated bundle. He may have been born and spent all of his young life in a shed, it will not be known whether he has had early socialisation or how much contact he has had with his mother and littermates, only the future will reveal any shortcomings. An unknown past can be a massive challenge, but with a "back to basics" approach and a determination to help, only the really disturbed individual would not respond to a consistent, firm and fair approach. I have been involved with Cavalier Welfare, for many years I usually take in the older and or sick dogs that find it very hard to find a home. Day after day I come across prospective rescuee’s with their list of mandatory requirements - two years old, fit and healthy, house trained, good with children, used to being left alone. The list goes on. One wonders who is getting the best deal. Who is going to have the 8,9 or 12 year old with a bad heart? Or the epileptic, the one with three legs and an "attitude" problem? Or the one so starved that he cannot stand up? The one with a chronic medical condition who needs long term expensive veterinary care? It is understandable to feel sorry for them and a very human reaction to overcompensate for the situation that they are in but it is a mistake to apply human emotions to the relationship. Over kindness to a distressed and confused individual may be rewarded by psychological problems later. Being kind doesn't make any difference to the dog that because of his situation is confused, insecure and stressed. This state can produce undesirable behaviour like destructiveness, excessive barking and inappropriate toileting. If no history is available we can only guess at why he is behaving like he is and with too much kindness he may become over dependant. It is important to start the relationship off as one means to go on. Firm but fair, consistent treatment from day one is a sound foundation for a happy relationship. The first few weeks are very important when establishing a secure good bond. Kindness can be offered in the language that the dog understands, his own bed, good food, companionship and exercise. Any emotional human displays of affection can confuse even further his fragile state of mind. That's not to say that dogs don't need a cuddle, of course they do but in the early stages of a rescue relationship it is best to keep a calm understated environment in order to avoid confusion and stress. Although the crate is a great aid for the management of dogs I personally do not believe in transporting a rescue dog in one straight away because it may be that if he has been picked up off the street or already been transported in a crate from street to dog pound, police station or rescue centre he may be very frightened and apprehensive and begin to associate the crate with unpleasantness. He may associate it with being frightened and carted off into the unknown. My experiences of picking up a rescue dog is that they are terrified of the car, and very often car sick, they do not realise yet that all their troubles are over. I usually have another family member along to help so they can supervise him in the back of the car, it is not necessary for him to be carried on a lap, for him to be offered too much attention and cuddles will only make him anxious and confuse him further. I always bring other canine members of the family with me to introduce them on neutral ground, always taking them out of the car to say hello to him. A short walk all together is a nice way to break the ice. When we get home we go into the house through the garden which will give him an opportunity to have a good sniff about to ascertain who lives there and then let him in the house. I usually make sure all dog beds and toys have been put away until everyone settles down, this will put aside any possible misunderstandings of ownership A crate can be made available for him to use if he wishes, he may want to "time out" in a secure area, if he recognises the crate as a nice place to be. A quiet corner should be made available for him in case he does not appreciate the crate because of past experience. The very first thing should be to fit an ID tag and then an appointment should be made with the vet to make sure all is well and to get inoculations and worming up to date. It can also serve as an introductory situation to the vet and his surgery and staff without any hurtful things happening to the dog. Microchip ID should also be organised. The crate should not be used for visits to the vet. It is important in the early stage of the relationship that he understands what is expected of him. He is most welcome to share my home but in return I ask that he fits in with the other canines and felines in the family and show a moderate amount of discipline and good manners. Whether it be a puppy or older dog it is best to assume that he has had no formal training at all and start from the beginning as one would train a puppy, he may need to learn his new name and so very short training sessions with lots of reward and plenty of enthusiastic verbal encouragement interspaced with play sessions so that training becomes fun, failure should not be rewarded but passed over and then move on to a simple task that he can perform easily, always ending on a positive note. |
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