Dog Behavior 101

To me it seems obvious that the pup is our client in dog rescue. For flippin' sake, it's called DOG RESCUE, not human rescue. Fortunately, we enjoy a solid relationship with a majority of people we adopt to. The only issues we have ever had are when people forget to place welfare of the pup first. However, over the years we run into many spoiled, lazy, self-centered people who demand that the dog is secondary to their petty needs. Now, let me stop here. I am not 100% crazy...close, but not 100%. I realize we need humans in this fulfilling endeavor. We do strive to find sweet souls that want to sincerely help dogs. Our organization would not survive without our hardworking volunteers; willing to sacrifice, time and sweat in the name of helping the plight of neglected dogs. We also need amazing adopters who understand that adopting a dog is forever, and it is not a purse or a pair of shoes to be returned at a whim. However, we have no time to be a doggie emissary for the ...

Almost 100% of the time, when we go to a pet owners home for the first time, there are many dog toys scattered across the house. Like a spoiled toddler, the dog is overwhelmed with options, from chewy toys to squeaky multi colored balls. We get it, we realize the humans love their dogs and want them to be happy and content. However, this situation has the opposite effect, causing the pup to be nervous and possessive.  Why you ask?   Well, the dog begins to think that the toys belong to him or her and not the human. In turn, this will lead to resource guarding, causing even deeper issues, like growling or even biting when the human or another pup wants the toy. Dogs need to understand that the toys belong to the human and that the human allows the dog to play with them at proper times. Like food and shelter, dogs need to understand that everything belongs to the human, including those fun, furry and noisy play things. To some, this sounds cruel. But the reality is that...