Sunday 28 August 2011

Volunteering at a Rescue

I’ve had the pleasure of volunteering at Angels Under our Wings Cocker Spaniel Rescue for the past few weeks. My friend Michele from Connective Training told me that Lisa from Angels could use some help and since I wasn’t working, and she knew that I’d been considering doing some volunteering with dogs, she thought it would be a great opportunity for me. So, I called Lisa and before I knew it I was helping out 4 days a week teaching the dogs how to walk, sit, stay, and just playing with them and giving them lots of love. I quickly became engrossed in the dogs lives. I couldn’t stop coming up with plans and ideas of how to help them become easier to adopt. What a feeling to know that the work you’re doing is going to benefit a little life. I loved it. Now that I’m back to work, I’m hoping that I can find the time to continue helping out.

These dogs are so special. They weren’t born into a gifted life. Somehow they survived and were rescued from death row. They are the chosen ones. They got that second chance that so many others miss out on. They get to live, while the others....don’t. It’s a stressful time but once they reach the rescue, they finally start to know what a dog’s life is all about when they are loved and cared for and taught how to live with people. Some might look at these rescues and blame them for the ones who were lost, but they should be thankful for the ones that were saved. This isn’t a simple or easy process. I applaud the people who run rescues, their volunteers, and the foster parents who take care of the dogs and have them living with them while they are waiting for their forever homes.

Alex
I’ve had this dream that one day I could have a rescue for senior and special needs animals. I won’t say that the dream was completely unrealistic in its picture but I will say that I certainly had my eyes opened by working at the Cocker Rescue. The dedication, time and money it takes to run a rescue is immense. The shear responsibility of deciding if a home is the right one for each individual dog is overwhelming to me. Are you being too strict and depriving them of a home, or did you make the right choice by setting them off into the world with their new family? I think this would give me nightmares.

Ashley
One of the benefits for me was that volunteering almost became training for the trainer for me. Not that I’m a dog trainer but I became even better with Chili. How do I explain this? Since I had to be ‘on’ at all times with the Cockers, it made it even more natural to be ‘on’ with my own dog. You’re probably thinking that after 2 ½ years with Chili, I would already be a natural. As you know, it’s tough to be ‘on’ 24/7 with your own dog. However, this experience somehow made me appreciate my own dog even more. She’s a rescue too and a very special girl to me. Rescues aren’t always easy, they challenge you and force you to work harder. It’s the most worthwhile experience you will ever have, as long as you do it right. The bond you develop when you have to go beyond your average ‘new dog’ experience is like no other. If you’re looking for one of the most rewarding experiences of your life, adopt a rescue. 

Jemma
For those of you in the Victoria BC area, I recommend checking out  Angels Under Our Wings Cocker Spaniel Rescue, and Victoria Adoptables. Two amazing rescue organizations.

By the way, at this time, Alex, Ashley, and Jemma are waiting for their forever homes.


Sunday 14 August 2011

And the Doggie Gods Smile Again

Working with the right trainer really does make an incredibly huge difference in your life. I’ve personally seen both sides now. I chose the wrong trainer in the beginning but was smiled upon by the doggie gods when my friend Carol offered to help us out. Now that I had taken the plunge and decided to try another trainer, the questions was, ‘would they smile upon me again’?

So, there I was, waiting for Michele from Connective Training to arrive. Now that I had calmed myself down, I was hopeful about the visit. This was going to work out. When I heard her pull up I prepared to keep Chili from jumping all over her. Chili was persistent and greeted Michele in her usual Chili way. Paws, body checks, and tongue. Isn’t that a proper greeting? Just what everyone wants, a bossy little girl throwing her weight around and slobbering all over you. Welcome to our home! I apologized to Michele and acknowledged that this was on the ‘to do’ list for training. What was interesting was that Michele kept Chili back by walking into her and using her body to take away Chili’s space. She handled the situation without being rude or making me feel like I’d done something wrong. This was a great start.

We chatted about Chili for a bit then took her for a short walk. At one point Chili was being her bratty little self and not paying attention so Michele gave her a ‘touch’ correction. Chili ignored her. I told her that Chili is a very strong girl, both mentally and physically, and doesn’t really respond to touch corrections, or choke chains, or pinch collars. It depends on her mood. So Michele shifted her strategy. That’s what I like, a trainer who doesn’t play by just one set of rules. She started using her own body to get Chili’s attention by walking into her, bumping her, and blocking her. Basically she was acting like Chili, but without the slobber. Chili responded.

Back at the house we reviewed the visit so far. We didn’t just talk about Chili, but we also talked about me. What was my state of mind? What was I thinking when Chili and I were out walking and I saw another dog approaching? How did I feel about where Chili and I have gotten so far, and where we wanted to be? She recommended that I come to one of her classes and just observe. She also invited me to take Chili for a pack walk with her and her dogs. Wow, looks like the doggie gods were smiling on me again.

As we were talking, Chili took it upon herself to lay on the couch. I told Michele that I had been trying for a while to keep her off the couch with no luck. I would be firm and tell her ‘off’, nothing, and then I would grab her collar and drag her off the couch. Chili loved this game and would just jump right back on the couch. Michele’s remedy, ‘sit on her’. Sit on her? She then proceeded to sit on Chili until she moved off the couch. Chili’s whole body language changed. She didn’t like this game. Michele said to just put enough weight on her to make her uncomfortable. Over the next week I only had to sit on Chili 3 times then she gave up trying to get on the couch altogether.

It was as if I had spent a couple of hours with a friend. Another friend who was knowledgeable about dogs. I would definitely be calling her soon to join her for a pack walk, and maybe even a coffee.

Sunday 7 August 2011

Time to Test another Trainer

There comes a time in every training regime where you need to look at other options. We’d come a VERY long way from the wild, untamed beast that we started with and through consistent training she was slowly getting to be easier to live with. A lot easier actually. We had some setbacks but it’s hard to be ‘on’ every moment of every day. Sometimes you just want to enjoy your dog and the stupid moments that come with them. A couple of things were still challenging us and we weren’t getting further ahead. One, was her lunging at other dogs when she was on leash. I consider this to be coupled with her poor greetings as well. I knew in my heart that some day we would find the solution to this problem. The other was her tendency to just bolt when she saw a rabbit or squirrel or anything she considers prey. She would try this in the house too if she saw something through the window. The blinds have one too many nail scratches in them now from her trying to get through them. My biggest concern from both was her safety. It was time to try another trainer.

I don’t take this decision lightly, and I’m not really that happy about it. We’ve already had a bad experience with a trainer and I will not have that repeated. I needed to choose wisely. OK, who do I choose? Wow, there are a lot of trainers. Were they handing out dog training businesses at the ferries one day or what? I can’t believe I’m doing this again. I started by checking out some websites and seeing who I vibe with. After about 2 weeks of looking I kept going back to the same one, Connective Training. There just seemed to be something about her philosophy that was a little different from the rest. I needed different, so I called and left a message. Actually, I hung up the first time, then thought about my decision again, then called and left a message.

Michele, the owner of Connective Training, called me back. She sounded good on the phone. Seemed to listen, didn’t sound condescending like she knew it all, and kind of sounded like she wanted to help. Hmmm. At this point I’m still suspicious but felt good enough about the conversation to set up a home visit. Now, between the time I hung up and the time that she actually came to our house for the home visit, I had concocted a number of scenarios in my head to make sure that she wouldn’t screw us and take our money. I was going to be prepared this time. It’s going to be my way. This time, I’m going with my gut.

Time seemed to pass sooo slowly as I waited for her arrival. You have to understand how important this visit was for me. I didn’t have the money to waste. I didn’t have the time to waste. I didn’t have the patience to listen to any bullshit about my dog. I needed someone who would take the time to understand Chili and give me the tools we needed. It’s my responsibility to ensure that Chili gets the best training possible to live a balanced and healthy life. I can’t make the same mistake twice. I have to get this right.

Trust yourself, is all I can say. I felt confident enough to set up this appointment and have her come to our home. I went with my gut. This did feel good. Wait, am I just hoping this will work out or do I really feel this will work out. I think I do feel this will work out. That’s why she’s coming. So throw away all the negative scenarios, take a deep breath, and start visualizing how great this is going to be. Yes, I’m actually getting nervous excited at the possibilities.