So many of our shelter dogs come from situations of neglect. They have not had training, they do not have polished manners, which leads us to the job of teaching them. Dogs thrive on learning and pleasing us. Sometimes though, they have a hard time focusing in a shelter environment. Some feed off the barking of others, some cower in the corner. The treadmill has been an incredible tool to help both types of dog.
For a scared dog, or a shy dog, the motion of walking on the treadmill helps them relax. As they walk they loosen up and start to focus on us while we praise and encourage them. I was a huge skeptic when we started using this method. However, when I think about the many dogs that were petrified, dogs that we had to carry to the treadmill, dogs that days later were wagging and trusting us, it is rewarding.
Lars, who is available for adoption, came to us with a dirty ring around his neck and a large scar under his chin, evidence of being tied or chained. It appears that the only touch he received from people was when he was hit. This poor dog closes his eyes and ducks when you raise your hand.
After five days at the shelter he was like a puppy. So happy, so excited to have people love him – however he also started to get mouthy, jumpy and wanting to wrestle with us. Puppy behavior. There is no aggression but when you are a bully breed and full of muscle those behaviors can really turn off an adopter. Therefore, we started him on the treadmill. Fifteen minutes of walking on the treadmill wore him out enough that he could then focus on learning good behavior.
Lars is ready for adoption and is longing for a home of his own.
Thanks to donations from our supporters, we are able to continuously invest in tools to help our shelter pets. We want the best for them and work hard to make them adoptable and to be successful in their new homes.
In 2020, from January until July, the shelter has adopted out 1,395 animals. The treadmill program is one that helps make this possible by keeping our dogs mentally and physically active.
Their lives are in our hands.
"behavior" - Google News
September 13, 2020 at 11:02PM
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FOTAS: Treadmill program helps dogs walk their way to better behavior - Charleston Post Courier
"behavior" - Google News
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