Training a dog takes patience and dedication. To achieve
the desired results in rescued dog will take double the
dedication and patience. However, the rewards will be worth
the effort.
The practice of neutering and spaying of dogs has been
around for many years but unplanned births continues to be
a reality. As a result of this there are just not enough
homes for all of the puppies that are born. When we add the
number of dogs that get lost or wander away, rescue
missions and shelters everywhere are filled to capacity.
For many of these dogs being euthanized will be the sad
reality.
For a some lucky dogs, there is a second chance. They could
be adopted from shelters or missions or taken in off of the
street and into the care of a willing family. The new
owners, however, are often not quite sure how best to deal
with the rescued dog.
Dogs that are brought to shelters are generally not in the
best condition. It is not uncommon for them to be victims
of neglect, abuse of even terrible living conditions. And
in some circumstances dogs are released into the wild to
take care of themselves.
In nature a dog is a pack animal. Even wild dogs don't do
well on their own. Released domesticated dogs do very
poorly in the wild, without any animal or human
interaction. Dogs such as these can still learn to be less
fearful with proper training.
As the first step in rescuing a dog you should take it to
your veterinarian for a full exam. You will not be able to
start training your new dog if he is sick or in pain. Take
the time to restore the dog's health and bring it back to a
healthy weight.
It may be a tall order, but whenever possible try to get
the dog's history. Your training efforts will be helped if
you have information on the dog's past abuse or medical
history.
Slow and steady is the order of the day when establishing
trust with the dog. Try to avoid imposing yourself on the
dog. The animal will begin to seek you out once they have
learned to trust you. A suggestion would be to work on
trust with a treat. Try stepping back a bit after putting a
treat on the floor. Staring directly at the dog should be
avoided at this point. Once the dog takes the food make
sure they get enthusiastic praise.
It is not uncommon for some rescue animals to initially
seek out physical contact . Some can take weeks or more.
But once you have established it, try to roll the dog over
onto his back and place your hand on their chest. You can
expect that the dog will either resist if they tend to be
aggressive or a fearful dog will accept. Neither behavior
is good. In normal training, you would force the aggressive
dog to take on a passive role. This technique typically
does not work for rescued dogs. Establishing trust will
take time. By speaking in a soft and calm tone of voice and
gently rubbing the belly a fearful dog will know that being
on its back is a positive experience and not a punishment.
Be patient as it is often difficult and slow to train a
rescued dog. They are often older dogs, mixed, and with
difficult temperaments which makes training more
challenging. Don't give up. You will be rewarded in the end.
Don't feel sorry for the dog. This is counter-productive
and will only hinder the training. Be patient, loving and
understanding but don't let the dog have the run of the
house. By letting the dog know that you are in charge you
are establishing yourself as the pack leader.
It's a lot of sweet and hard work but you will have a
companion for life.
----------------------------------------------------
Stefan Hyross writes and provides information about dogs
and puppies. Correct common dog behavior problems and other
issues. Visit the site to discover proven puppy potty
training methods and other tips and trick for you and your
pooch.
http://www.allaboutdogsnpuppies.com/
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