First Date

I'll admit I was a bit anxious driving down to the shelter today. There is a lot riding on the success of our little venture here and I think that was weighing on me. Overall I have a tendency to over think things so I shook it off and went to get Luke. Luke doesn't really know me from Adam so this was a bit like a first date. I was told that he could be picky about what kind of treats he likes so I brought cheese sticks and some steak. Believe it or not he chose the cheese over the steak. He ate the steak, but it was clear he preferred the cheese. Good to know.
The shelter was very busy today with dogs and cats in every nook and cranny so finding a "quiet" spot to spend some time was going to be a challenge. I decided to start with a simple walk. Did I say simple? Besides the fact that Luke doesn't walk on the leash, it's more like a pull, he also could care less who was at the other end of the leash. This is totally normal and understandable, but at the same time unacceptable if we are going to make this work.
I began clicking and treating (here on in referred as c/t) for any look back at me, a check in, an acknowledgment of the person at the other end. I was also c/t for a loose leash as we proceeded on our walk. Luke also has a tendency to greet people by jumping up on them. We'll add that to our list of to dos.
All in all we spent about 45 minutes together. When I went to take him back to his run it was clear he didn't want to go. This is very common with shelter dogs. Their runs are a very stressful place to be and it shows in their behavior upon their return.
I told him I would be back tomorrow. It will get better. I promise.

Meet My Eliza

Okay, so she is a he and his name is Luke, but you get the idea. He has been living at the shelter for years.... doesn't matter how many, it's too long. He is approximately 3 years old. He was originally rescued from a high kill shelter in the south, adopted out and then returned to us because it was said that he was too active.
Many long term resident dogs forget how to relax, how to just chill out and settle. They also lose the ability to focus because the shelter is such a stimulating environment and they are constantly "on". In the beginning days I will be getting to know Luke. What makes him tick. What behaviors we need to work on. I will be working with him every day, 7 days a week. I will be posting our progress every day. We invite you to join us on this journey of discovery. Destination, a forever home for Luke.

Our Journey Begins

WELCOME TO MY LATEST VENTURE.....
To introduce myself, I have been a volunteer in the dog walking program at the SPCA of Westchester for the past 6 years. I am a certified training partner with the Karen Pryor Academy. I am a positive reinforcement (R+) trainer using the clicker as a method of communication in my training.
With my new found knowledge I have decided to take on a resident dog at the shelter to work with, my pygmalion if you will, my Eliza Doolittle. My blog address is dogs learning to learn. I prefer to use the term learning as opposed to training because I believe that dog training is what we DO to dogs. Learning is what the dog acquires. I am all about helping the dogs to learn how to learn and giving them the knowledge to navigate our world.
I always knew that I would return to the shelter. It is where my heart is. There are so many good dogs waiting to be given a chance. Sometimes all they need is a little help, guidance and belief in their goodness.