Guidelines for Working With and Training Shelter Dogs 

Approximately 90% of adolescent and adult dogs turned into shelters are given up for behavior problems. My guess is that the percentage is even higher because a lot of the strays picked up were abandoned for the same reason. Training can definitely make a difference in a dog having a good home or ending up as a statistic in a shelter. It can make a huge difference in a newly adopted dog becoming a treasured family member or being repeatedly brought back to the shelter. 

Ideally, a dog in training would be worked with several times a day every day until he becomes proficient at responding to behavior cues. Training any dog only one day a week is a daunting task, but Doggie U’s task is made more difficult by the fact that our training session is also the dog’s primary exercise period for the week and that we cannot oversee how others handle the dogs. So, can we really expect to successfully train any dog under such unfavorable conditions? 

The answer is often yes, but not always. For the dogs that come to the shelter with some manners, we can reinforce their training and help them to retain these manners.  But what about those dogs who demonstrate no canine etiquette whatsoever or the high-energy dogs who can’t keep still for more than a few seconds? Well, believe it or not, past experience has proven that, yes, we can help many of these dogs learn some basic manners. 

The following training guidelines cover those basic behaviors, which will make any dog more appealing to prospective adopters. (Note:  Some behaviors, such as potty training, nipping, or leash aggression cannot be addressed under the current training conditions.). 

When you take a dog out of its kennel:  Wait for the dog to settle down before you enter the kennel. This may take a few minutes, but waiting until the dog stops barking and/or jumping before entering will teach the dog that calm gets attention. If you know the dog sits on cue, ask for the sit before entering. Try asking for it even if you don’t know. If the dog won’t settle down, walk away from the kennel, then return a few seconds later. While this may seem time consuming, a dog that can remain calm in his kennel when people approach will be very appealing.

Once you’re in the kennel with the door closed, again, wait for the dog to calm down before you put the collar and leash on. If the dog is jumping or barking, simply turn your back to him. When he settles down, try again. The dog must have “four on the floor” (all four paws on the floor) before you put the collar and leash on. It’s amazing how quickly the dog will learn to control himself. 

Finally, the dog must exit the kennel in a somewhat controlled fashion. When you reach for the door, if the dog starts jumping or barking, take your hand off the door and step back. Then try again. 

Always praise the dog after each step and offer a treat if the dog is food motivated.

Once outside:  Two of the most common complaints people have about dogs is pulling on a leash and jumping. Fortunately, we can work on these behaviors while exercising the dog.  We will also work on teaching the sit on cue, the recall (come), and discouraging mouthing behavior.  

 Walking nicely on a leash:  As soon as you’re out of the shelter, you will begin to teach the dog how to walk nicely on a leash (note: we are not teaching the heel, the dog does not have to walk at your side). Hold the leash in two hands and hold it close to your abdomen. When the dog tries to run ahead or pulls out to the side, simply stop and plant yourself like a tree. As soon as there is some slack in the leash, praise the dog, and continue to walk.  Also, when the dog pulls and you stop, try to encourage the dog to come to you before you continue to walk. Reward him with a treat if he’s food motivated. If he does not come, you may continue to walk as long as there is no tension on the leash.  Remember to praise the dog for walking nicely. At no time should you allow the dog to pull you.   Some leashing walking exercises:  If the dog shoots out ahead of you, simply turn around and walk in the opposite direction. Do not jerk the leash, just keep walking. Practice walking in circles or figure eights. Encourage the dog to walk near you.  Remember to praise. 

Come:  Let the dog know you have some tasty treats. Take a few steps back and encourage him to follow you, using his name and saying the word “come.” Be upbeat. Make “kissy” noises. He must come right up to you; close enough so that you can reach calmly for his collar. Offer several treats, one at a time, and lots of praise. Start by asking for the come from just a couple of feet away, gradually working up to a leash length (6 feet). You can practice this during the walk or afterwards, depending on how distracted the dog is.  

Jumping:  Dogs jump for two reasons, to greet us and, primarily, for attention. We reward dogs in three ways:  by looking at them, touching them, and talking to them. Therefore, looking at the them and pushing them off while yelling down or off isn’t going to work. The best cure for jumping is to turn away from the dog each time he jumps. Most dogs, once they realize that jumping doesn’t get them what they want, will sit (sitting is a default behavior when the dog doesn’t know what else to do). If you know a dog will sit on cue, you may ask for it. But whether or not the dog sits, as long as he has “four on the floor,” pet and praise him. Offer a treat.  

Sit:   If the dog is food motivated, put a treat in your hand, palm up, and take it to the dog’s nose, gradually moving it back towards his head (this is called luring). The dog should sit. Do this a couple of times without saying the word “sit,” then add the verbal sit as his rear end goes down (not after he is already sitting). If he just backs up without sitting, hold the leash short but do not lift up on the leash. If the dog will still not sit, hold the leash close with one hand and with your other forearm, press behind the dog’s legs just above the hock. First gently run your hand along the dog’s back to his rear to make sure is comfortable with this kind of handling. As a last resort, if all else fails, hold the leash close and gently press the hips. The less we have to physically position (mold) the dog, the quicker he will learn. 

Off:  This is good for dogs that are mouthy. Off means do not touch with your nose, mouth, or paw. Hold a treat in your closed hand to the dog’s nose. He will sniff, lick, and paw to get to try to get the treat. Once he stops trying, open your fist and allow him to get the treat. Do this a couple of times, then start saying off when you offer the treat. Next, offer the treat in your open palm. Each time the dog goes for the treat, close your hand and say “off.” Again, when he backs off, give him the treat.

Resist the urge to use “off” to discourage jumping. Ignoring the dog and taking away your attention will actually help him to learn not to jump quicker.

When you take the dog back inside:  If your dog knows responds to the verbal “sit,” ask him to sit when you return him to his kennel, then offer a treat and praise.

One last thing:

If you a few extra minutes before you leave, spend a few minutes with one of the dogs in his kennel. Don’t do anything. Just hang out. If the dog asks for your attention, you can calmly pet him. If he gets excited, ignore him. This will reinforce calm when humans are around.

Do’s and Don’ts

Don’t:

• Be discouraged. Not all dogs will respond to training under these conditions. Some dogs may learn to respond to only some of the training.
• Don’t think you need to dominate the animal (this will make bossy dogs angry and fearful ones defensive). Don’t try to force a dog to obey.
• Don’t use the collar and leash to correct or punish a dog.
• Do not greet any dog by first petting him on the head. This is a dominant gesture. Pet first under the chin and chest.
• Do not put your face near a dog’s face.
• Don’t go in any dog’s run where you do not feel comfortable with that dog.
• Don’t let a dog pull you around. Walk confidently, like this is your dog.

Do’s:

• Be gentle.  Use a soothing tone when calming a dog.
• Try to recognize different personality types. A shy dog needs different handling than a confident one.
• Recognize stress signals. Ex: yawning, lip licking, constantly scratching.
• Wear safe clothing, sneakers and not sandals.
• Be alert and prepared for the unexpected.
• Ask for help when needed.