Turtle Gardens began on April 8, 1988 as a no-kill facility to address a very real need for a safe haven for unwanted animals. There were no shelters of any kind for 250 miles – from Prince George to Terrace – 17 First Nation Communities and 11 Villages and Towns. Twenty years later there is still Turtle Gardens. They have adopted over 5000 dogs since inception; an average of 227 to 250 dogs per year. This blog is dedicated to all the adoptive parents that come to the "dog runs" organized by Turtle Garden, here in BC. These dogs are adopted, many as adult stray dogs, who have been fostered and socialized a bit, but have little or no training. It is my hope that they can log onto this blog and find some answers to the common questions and problems that come with adopting one of these special dogs.
The strays from Turtle Garden Rescue, many of which have not been raised in home environments, are different from other rescues. On a positive note, they often do not come with many of the behavioral problems that many shelter dogs possess. Nonetheless, some of them may have been abused and are recovering from neglect. They may suffer from lack preparation, simply because they have not experience many of the pleasures of domesticated life. Their possible lack of experience may be confused with lack of obedience, but these dogs are smart and very willing to please. You just need to give them the information they need to understand what is expected of them and this can take some creativity.
To start with and I can’t stress this enough, don’t let your new dog off leash and expect it to come back to you, or to even know that “come directly toward you” is what you want from it. If the dog has never known the joys of recall, or that good things happen when your new mum or dad calls your name, it is unlikely to figure it out without some work and practice. That is why we keep a leash on our dogs at all times at first, to make sure it never practices not coming! If you start off your relationship calling your dog repeatedly and it doesn’t understand what is expected, you are effectively teaching it to NOT come. You are poisoning and making redundant the very word that may save your dog’s life.
Also, don’t start your relationship with your newly adopted dog by taking them to a dog park. You want the dog to bond with you, not the dogs at the dog park. If you’d like to take your dog to the park, wait until you have a relationship that can compete with this type of distraction. Dogs will generally choose to run with a pack of dogs, over coming to their human, so don’t set your dog up to fail. At first take your new pet for a short, low stress walks where you can be the centre of its attention and it can be yours. Keep it on leash, on a collar it can’t back out of.Eventually the dog will learn to choose you over distractions, but this takes time…be patient!
If the dog somehow does manage to get loose (accidents do happen) remember, when you chase an animal, it will almost always run away, especially at the park where chase is the name of the game. If it gets out of it’s collar or out of the house, try to engage the dog by running the other way and calling it playfully, showing it food. I have thrown food at a dog, handfuls at a time to lure the dog to me. The dog will grow to value your approval and affection, possibly even over food, but in the beginning, the way to a new dog’s heart is most likely through its stomach.
Teaching your dog a new name:
Hand feeding your dog makes it easy to get the dog to bond and pay attention to you. Combined this with name games, you can kill two birds with one stone. Also, by playing name games, you teach your dog to tolerate and eventually seek out eye contact. Teaching your dog its new name is easy and if you want to change it’s name, now is the time to do it! So here is how, each and every time your dog looks at you, say it’s name and follow it with a treat.
I have developed a program called the three R’s:
1.) Recognition- teaching the dog it’s name, or it’s new name.
2.) Recall- teaching to come on command.
3.) Release- to be fair, you let the dog know it is “okay” to go.
RECOGNITION: The dog’s name is really the foundation of all commands. You need to get the dog's attention before you tell it what to do. To establish name recognition, I call my dog’s name, wait until he looks at me and throw him a treat. Looking at me, on cue, is all he has to do to get a treat! Do this repeatedly throughout the day. The most important thing about name RECOGNITION is that it gets your dogs attention. You want to have, or be able to get its attention at all times. Repetition of this assures that your dog will be well practiced in looking to you. Keep a bowl of treats in a dish, or a pocket full of treats, that you can get at easily.
NOTE: If you are concerned with your pet gaining weight, cut back on its meal size appropriately.
RECALL: The dog might already be coming to you, in anticipation of a treat, when you call its name. However, if the dog isn't already starting to head your way when you say it's name; then simply throw it a treat for looking at you when you call it and then show it a second treat. It should start to head your way for more treats. When it is already in motion, give the COME command. When it reaches you, give the dog the treat. You can do this while walking on leash and combine it with the name recognition. Call the dog's name...take a step back and lure the dog with a treat. This doesn't take much time and is an easy way of strengthening the bond you have with your dog.
If necessary you can change your recall word to HERE, if you think it will help things along. For many adopted dogs rescued from bad situations, it is necessary to change, not only the recall word, but also the dog's name to start fresh. I recommend changing it if there has been a history of abuse, or if the dog thinks COME means RUN!
RELEASE: Once the dog has come to you, you must let it know that it can go free again. Simply say OKAY, or whatever word you choose, after you give the dog the treat for coming. The importance of creating a release word is that it can be applied to anything that is considered an endurance command. You want your dog to understand that you expect it to do what you want, or ask it to do until you say otherwise. When you choose the word most comfortable for you, use it with everything.
Eventually, when the dog is laying down while you are having dinner, because you asked it to...say the release word...it will let the dog know that it can get up. If you have asked the dog to sit until you unclip it's leash, or until you say it can go out the door or exit the car, then use the word to let it know it can move around now that you say it is “okay”.
The fourth R is repetition!
REPEAT-REPEAT-REPEAT!
Eye Contact:
Dogs don’t naturally give eye contact. In fact, in dog behavior, eye contact is usually a display of aggression or a play attack. So keep in mind that your new dog may feel shy when you stare at it. It will most likely not want to eliminate in front of you. This means it will wait until you are not looking, probably in the house, and learn to relieve itself in an inappropriate place. When you get your dog home, find a place that is quiet and preferably green with lots of foliage, not an open space, where it can feel safe to go potty. If your leash isn’t long enough to give the dog room, then turn around and wait it out. Do not look at the dog, let it sniff and find a spot along the trees or shrubs. If it doesn’t seem to have to go, you can bring it inside, but don’t leave it alone. It may be waiting to be alone to eliminate. Try again in a half hour and repeat the process until the dog goes. If you are lucky enough to have a secured back yard, then you can do this off-leash, if not, then you may have to take a few short trips outside. When the dog does do it’s business, don’t make a huge deal, just throw a treat on the ground and say good Fido, or whatever you have chosen as a name.
Be patient!
The dog you are about to embark on a new relationship with is not like any other dog you have ever met or owned. Every dog, like every person, is unique. They all take their own time to adjust. Keep in mind that the build up to this adoption may have been a joyous experience for you, but for the dog it has likely been a bit traumatic. Think about how confused you would be if someone scooped you up and transported you without you knowing what the future held. It may take a few days before the dog learns to know and trust you. Do not expect it to know what is expected of it and don’t leave anything to chance. You will either need to be with the dog at all times to start with, or crate it to prevent the dog from exploring and getting into trouble.Repetitive behavior becomes learnt behavior. Only let your new dog repeat behavior that you want to become learnt. If you can’t be there and teach your dog what you want it to do, you must at the very least prevent it from doing what you don’t want it to do.
“An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure!”
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