Canine Behaviour Shelter Course FODS Shelter Initiative Shelter Initiative 16 Choosing a Dog Some tips for both shelter and Potential Adopters to consider Some questions for PA to ask and shelter to know Assessing the dog in the run Assessing the dog outside the run Hopefully by the time the PA (Potential Adopter) is at the shelter they will have investigated possible breeds, decided if a male or female would be better, determined whether the chosen breed will be compatible with any existing dogs in the home, and examined exactly why they want a dog and if they can meet their chosen dog s needs. If not, get them to fill out the Meet your Match Questionnaire while staff or volunteers are talking to them if possible. If the PA has narrowed their choice then the shelter personnel can take PA to the most suitable dogs, or give the numbers of the runs where the dogs are situated. This will help them to walk on past all the hopeful faces that are saying please take me home as quickly as possible! It would be awesome to be able to help them all but suitability to PA s lifestyle and needs s vital. 1. Some questions for PA to ask, and for shelter to know If possible take the PA to any dogs that are already on the FODS Shelter Initiative and tell them about the Initiative at the same time. Any dogs that have been on the FODS Shelter Initiative and who can Sit, Down, don t jump up etc, should have a note on this at the bottom of their Kennel Card e.g. "I have been trained to Sit, Down, not to jump up, not to mouth your hands, to walk quietly and calmly on lead, to take food gently let me show you how and please consider me as your new dog". Why is the dog in the shelter? If the dog has been found wandering the odds are that no information will be available, but if the dog has been handed in, one should then be able to find out whether or not it was a behaviour problem that ended it up there, or whether the owner has relocated, downsized etc. The majority of behaviour problems are treatable, but forearmed is forewarned and lets rather set the owner up for success. Is this the first time the dog has been in this shelter? If the dog has been returned, find out why and how many times. How long has the dog been in the shelter? Dogs that have been in a shelter for a long period of time sometimes take longer to settle into their new homes. From a dog s perspective (we imagine), weeks, months or years of loud noises, runs being cleaned out, dogs barking on all sides etc, can be a very stressful situation. This does not mean Page1 FODS
that the dog is not suitable, just that new owners may have to take a bit of extra time and effort to help the dog settle into the home and if they are aware that can take a bit longer, they are forewarned. Does the dog have any health issues? If so, have full information for PA on what would be involved to overcome same. Veterinary assistance can be expensive, so if there are medical concerns, we suggest that PA s find out from their own vet what they would be looking at on a monthly basis, and what their thoughts are on the medical concern. It is far better to be honest than have a dog returned. Does the dog get on with children, men, other dogs, cats etc? The shelter should know this and if they don t know and PA has kids, other dogs, cats, then further investigation has to be done on seeing their reaction with these, before going further. If the dog has any dislikes at all, these must be shared with PA. Have the staff noticed any fear behaviour with the dog? This is something that the shelter should be aware of e.g. is the dog fearful of loud noises, storms etc. The majority of noise fear behaviour can be dealt with, but it does take time and patience on the part of the owner to help the dog get over this and there can never be a 100% guarantee. The dog may learn to cope with the fear, but if this is a dog that is going to be left alone during the day when the owner is out, having a fear of storms or loud noises would be a distinct disadvantage. Has the dog always been kept in a run with other dogs? If this is the case, find out from the shelter if the dog copes when alone, especially if it is going to be an only dog in your own home. We should gauge this with all shelter dogs to eliminate possible problems if dog is left alone in the new home. Are there any current behaviour issues occurring and if so, what and how are they being dealt with. 2. Assessment with dog in the run Some basic guidelines below. Stand a bit away from the run and just observe the dog as it watches people walking by. Take a bit of time to do this so that you can watch all the reactions and interactions. Is the dog sitting and watching? If so, chances are that this dog is laid back. If it does not approach the front of run when people come by, or even goes to the back of the run this dog has some possible issues. It could be a dog that has been in the shelter due to loss of a beloved owner or it could have a fear of people and remembering that the majority of aggression comes from fear, you could be looking at a possible reactive dog. Whenever not sure, ask the shelter for more information as they are working with the dog on a daily basis. Page2 FODS
This could also be an indication that the dog is not feeling great. Ask if it has just been sterilized, has been ill etc. Has the dog gone to the back of the run to hide, is it panting excessively, is it shivering etc? These are clear indications of an under-socialized / fearful dog and this dog will require a lot of hard work and rehabilitation. Is the dog jumping and barking and performing? It could well be that he is just over excited to see people, but definite training will be required to calm him down and show him how to greet humans. If PA are keen on this dog, do say that basic training will be done while home checks etc done and PA is welcome to have a private session before taking dog home if they desire. Is the dog pacing up and down and perhaps whining? This could be an indication that this dog is stressed and not coping with his surroundings. Does the dog lunge at the door and bark, spin, jump up against the walls etc when people walk by? In a case like this, see what the dog s reaction is when people move past. If it calms down again, this is probably stress related, but if the dog continues doing it, he may be totally OTT or have an element of compulsive behaviour. Does the dog stand with a stiff body and perhaps the hair standing up on back of neck? Does the dog growl and move away? This is an indication that this dog could be reactive, even though the reactivity comes from fear. This is not your responsibility to fix. Dogs like this need to receive some rehab work from the shelter before being put up for adoption. Is the dog friendly through the wire play bow, dancing around, wagging its tail, sitting politely, licking your hand? Good choice, happy friendly dog. 3. Assessment out of the run Once the PA has chosen a dog they would like to get to know better, you can either take the dog to a quiet area or a room if available. If the dog has been on the FODS Shelter Initiative it should be quiet when you go in the run and put the lead on and lead it out - do point this out to PA and explain why the dog is so well behaved. If the dog has not been on the program and is jumping, pulling and acting like an idiot on lead, just explain that many shelter dogs do this due to stress and the excitement of getting out of the run, however if they choose this dog, more work will be done with it and they will be shown how to handle the dog themselves. Try to see if the PA can get the dogs attention once you have arrived at the room or area. If outside, the first few minutes may be taken up by sniffing and smelling (the dog of course!) and then after that, call the dog, show it a tasty Page3 FODS
treat (make sure you have asked the shelter if you can give treats) and offer to dog with an open palm. Reason for the open palm is that a dog in a stressful situation may snatch at food and then invite the PA to do same - you will have gauged the dog's reaction and can explain to PA. If PA can get dogs attention and if he sniffs at the food then you are off to a great start. Many dogs that are really stressed will not accept food, so don t be too concerned. If the dog refuses food initially just try again a few minutes later and the dog takes the food or sniffs it, the dog is starting to relax and this is a positive sign. Once the dog gets used to PA, see if he will accept a gentle pat. Don t do it on the dog s head, rather under the chin, on the chest or on the neck. Many dogs view something touching them from above as a threat. If the dog has learnt the basics from the Initiative, then do a small demo and show the dog off - talk about how they will get a free session to show them how to do the work themselves if they desire and invite PA to do the same with the dog. If the dog will not allow volunteer/staff or PA to touch it after a few minutes and growls, freezes or moves away don t go further this is a dog that is not fond of people and you may end up with problems - rather ticket this dog for extra work before it is put up for adoption again. If all goes well, suggest that the PA walks a little with the dog on lead to see if they can handle the dog and it is not too strong for them. Again, if training has been done, really promote how well behaved the dog is being. Even with a dog that has been trained, because there are new people there, it my be a bit more excited than normal - if this happens just go back to basics. If the dog is jumping around or pulling, explain to PA that The dog may jump up or pull, but this is not necessarily a sign that the dog is out of control. This behaviour can be changed and you will work with the dog while the home checks are being done and they can have a session themselves should they wish to as mentioned above. Staff and volunteers should have a reasonable knowledge of the dog, but if the dog lunges towards other dogs in runs and people, It could be that the dog has a problem with both dogs and people and more work has to be done before this dog is put up for adoption again. However, what often happens is that the dog may react to other dogs that are behind the fence and once in the open the behaviour changes. This is not unusual and is a learned behaviour brought on by habit - just explain this to PA. This is not unusual and is a learned behaviour brought on by habit - just explain this to PA. Having a corridor where dogs can walk without this kind of reaction (as mentioned previously), both reduces stress and prevents situations such as this from occurring. Does the dog absolutely freeze and refuse to move an inch? It could just be that the dog has never been on lead before and does not know what to do. This can be changed and the dog taught how to handle a lead, but chances are you are looking at a fearful dog and this will take work. If the dog seems to change character and become reactive while in this position, rather look at another dog. You can make a note of this concern and work on it in-between. While working with the dog and the PA, ask as many questions as you can about what they are looking for, do they think the dog will suit - if not, what else are they looking for. Do they have any concerns etc - all of this without being pushy - you have an unbelievable opportunity to see if this dog will really match the PA and resolve any concerns - remember always be 100% Page4 FODS
honest and if you think a behaviour concern will take time to sort out, for example, say so - rather the dog stays than goes out and is returned. Page5 FODS