Animal behaviorist, dog trainer

Emily shortly after we found her - she was literally skin and bone and had lost most of her fur to sarcoptic mange.

Today there are an increasing amount of animal rescue organisations and many families are choosing to adopt puppies or adult dogs from these institutions rather than buying pedigreed dogs from breeders. Unfortunately, though there are also many dogs that are returned to the rescue organisation, because of behavioural problems. In many cases the dogs are returned in a matter of days and the family involved often takes another dog instead. From this behaviour it is clear that the family believed that there was something wrong with the first dog and that a new one might be better. It is certainly a common belief that if a shelter dog has a problem behaviour it must be as a result of its history or its stay in the shelter. What most people don’t realise is that the most common problems experienced by the owners of shelter dogs are also the most common problems experienced by the owners of pedigreed dogs. Digging, chewing, barking, biting and house-soiling are the most common problem behaviours in all dogs. Unfortunately uncommitted dog owners find it easier to blame the dog’s history and return it to the shelter rather than work on solving the problem through training and socialising. The owners of pedigreed dogs do not have this option so they either have to seek help to solve the problem or learn to live with it.

Having said this, there are some problems which are more common in rescued dogs and which are definitely related to their history. What follows is a brief account of these problems and how to deal with them in general terms:

Fear of People:
Sadly many dogs in shelters have been rescued from a life of abuse. There is no end to human cruelty and dogs may have been kicked, beaten (often with hoses or sticks), burned and slapped repeatedly about the head. For many dogs the only association with humans is pain and fear. It is hardly surprising that such dogs are reluctant to have anyone touch them in any way. Such dogs will usually shy away from any human contact or, less frequently, will put on a defensive display of aggression to hopefully discourage you from coming any closer.

The severity of the abuse, the innate temperament of the dog and the skill of the new owner will determine to a large extent how the dog recovers. Many dogs simply recover with time once they begin to feel safe in their new environment and see that humans can be the source of good things (food, walks, games, toys, chews and affection). However, some dogs do need careful handling and special treatment to learn to trust people.

The following should help to build trust:

1. Hand-feeding - the quickest way to a dog’s heart is through his stomach. By hand-feeding your dog you are showing him that human hands can be the source of his favourite thing. If the dog will not take food from your hands, start by throwing it on the ground a distance from you and gradually enticing him closer and closer. Use really tasty treats and not boring pellets - the reward for coming to you must be really good.
2.  Be aware of your body language: make yourself smaller by sitting down or kneeling so that you appear less threatening, turn sideways or away from the dog when you call him so that he feels more comfortable about coming to you, don’t stare directly at him all the time as this will make him feel uncomfortable, don’t make sudden movements which may startle him, don’t raise your arms above him or loom over him in a threatening manner and always allow an escape route, i.e. don’t block him into a corner.
3. Begin grooming sessions without brushes, as these might alarm the dog even more. Rather begin by stroking with your hands and gently examining his body. Only once he is perfectly happy with this should you begin to introduce grooming tools. Accompany grooming with plenty of treats.
4. Don’t feel insulted if your dog does not seem to want you to be affectionate with him- be patient and give him time to learn to trust you first.

Scavenging & High prey drive
Some rescued dogs have been neglected to the point where they had to exist on scraps. Some stray dogs may even have had to scavenge and hunt for their own food. As food is essential to survival it is obvious that such dogs will be very preoccupied with finding any available food source. Even once a dog is in a loving home and is getting enough nourishment, he will often continue to be obsessed with food, because he is so used to not knowing where his next meal will come from. Such dogs will continually raid the bin, steal food off the counter, eat all kinds of rubbish when out on walks and may seem to be in hunting mode all the time. While most dogs eventually learn that it is not necessary to behave this way any more, there are some things that will speed up the process:

1. Ensure that your dog is being fed a balanced diet. If your dog is underweight remember to feed for what he should weigh and not what he does weigh.
2. Limit your dog’s chances of successful raiding - keep bins out of reach and counters clear of food when you are not there to supervise.
3. Feed four meals a day instead of one or two. Rather let your dog have smaller amounts of food in his tummy more often than allowing him to go hungry between large, less frequent meals.
4. If your dog fails to put on any weight within a couple of months, consult your veterinarian to see whether he may need dietary supplements, like enzymes, to help with digestion.
5. Provide acceptable outlets for prey drive and scavenging instinct, like fetching a ball, digging on the beach or in a doggy sandpit and chewing bones, hooves and stuffed Kongs.
6. Do not “free-feed” your dog - A previously starving dog is likely to eat as much as possible when he gets the chance - allowing him to help himself to as much food as he likes may lead to bloat or stomach torsions.

Scrappiness with other dogs
I have heard several owners of rescued dogs refer to their pets as “street - fighters”. Although it is not a common problem, some rescued dogs seem to view all other dogs as competition for precious resources that they need for survival. As a result they may try to chase other dogs away from their owners, their food and even their personal space. Most aggressive behaviours that dogs perform are ritualised forms of aggression i.e. they do not inflict any harm on the recipient and are completely acceptable in the dog world. We humans tend to try to suppress these in our pet dogs and so when we see them in action with a dog that has had to use its instinctive behaviours to survive, we tend to find them offensive. Once again it is often simply time which will help a dog to realise that it need no longer fight for everything it needs. Once this happens, other dogs will not appear to be as much of a threat and will be tolerated more easily. Socialising and obedience training will also help to gain control of the dog when other canines are around and will also be useful in desensitising the dog to their presence.

Over-dependence
Many rescued dogs become completely over-attached to their adoptive owners. Once they realise that this new person supplies all their needs and that life with them is good, they will often not want to let the person out of their sight. The owner may start to feel that they have a permanent shadow - they cannot even have a shower without the dog wanting to come with. This over-attachment may lead to separation anxiety (escaping from property, destructive behaviour, howling, barking or soiling the house whenever the owner goes out), becoming over-protective of the owner whenever another person or dog gets too close to him/her and failing to bond or show interest in other family members. While some of these behaviours may be endearing at first (owner feels very important to the dog), they soon become seriously difficult to live with. The following should be done to help the dog overcome this problem:

1. Share out the responsibilities for taking care of the dog amongst all responsible members of the family. In this way the dog will see that it is not just one person who supplies his needs. In many cases male dogs tend to bond more with the wife in the home and may even become aggressive towards the husband. It is very important for the dog to see that the husband is also a provider of good things.
2. Get a competent friend to look after your dog for a short time. The dog needs to see that the world does not come to an end when you walk out the door.
3. Don’t make too much fuss of the dog all the time. A dog that constantly receives attention finds it far more difficult to cope when on its own.
4. Discourage sleeping on laps, furniture and being picked up when the dog shows nervousness. It is important that a little independence is encouraged. The dog should have his own bed in which to sleep, although this can be close to you. The dog should learn to face the world without your arms around it!
5. Practise short separations by using baby gates in the house to prevent the dog from following you when you go to the loo or leave the room for five minutes. Initial separations should be short so that the dog can gradually get used to your absence.
6. In serious cases embark on a de-stressing session. For twenty-four hours you will not speak your dog - you will feed him of course and you may give him chews to occupy him, but you may not talk to him or make any eye-contact with him. This “cooling-off” period gives the dog a chance to relax without worrying about whether you are expecting anything from him. This exercise can do wonders for a dog with dependency issues.

 Emily enjoying a visit to her friends at Ocean View School for learners with Special needs

 Read more about Emily in “A rescued dog success story” under “articles”.