Who rescued who?
My two beautiful boys. Kaslo (left) and Buster (right.) Photo by Tiffany Wilson Pet Photography.
I have had the pleasure and responsibility of being the guardian to two dogs of my own during my adult lifetime. Growing up, I lived with a multitude of dogs that were family pets, or working dogs (my Dad worked as a canine handler for the police department), but these two are my own; and I am theirs.
Both of these dogs were shelter dogs before I welcomed them into my family.
I’ve always had a soft spot for my heart for shelter dogs - the dogs who were forgotten about, discarded, or perhaps those who’s people had no choice by to leave them behind.
The experiences with both of my dogs have been so vastly different from one another.
We adopted our first dog when he was an adult, skipping over the pesky puppy and overwhelming adolescent phases of life completely.
Photo by Tiffany Wilson Pet Photography.
Buster was the perfect dog in my eyes. He was reliable, flexible, resilient, loyal, and would do anything for me.
As a trainer, Buster was my crossover dog. I entered into our training relationship with a “traditional” mindset, and quickly learned how damaging that approach could be to my dog’s well-being, and his trust in me. This drove me to ask questions about punitive based training techniques, and seek to find a better way to train my dog, crossing over to the side of training that is free of intentional force.
When I embarked on my journey to become a force free dog trainer, Buster was at my side. As I learned how to utilize positive reinforcement to capture and modify behavior, it was Buster who I spent countless hours practicing with.
He was always ready to work, and forgave me easily for mistakes I made (and trust me, I made a lot).
Buster left our family in 2016, at roughly 14 years of age. While he may not be here physically, the lessons he has taught me remain with me and aid me on a daily basis.
Kaslo shortly after we brought him home with us.
Kaslo joined our family as a puppy, after being abandoned in a parking lot at just 4 months of age.
With him I was able to re-experience the joys of raising a puppy, and the horrors that a bored adolescent dog could accomplish in a very short period of time (RIP sandals.)
Kaslo has been trained with positive reinforcement techniques since the day we brought him home.
He’s never worn a choke collar, nor have I purposefully utilized punishment in the name of training. But I still knew so little, and had so much knowledge to gain.
If Buster was the perfect dog, and Kaslo is the opposite.
We’ve struggled with dog reactivity, a problem that snuck up on us during his adolescent period. Kaslo’s also been on the receiving end of various mobility concerns, which led to fear and reactivity at the vet, ultimately pushing me to educate myself on cooperative care training techniques.
Because of all the lessons I have learned from Kaslo, and the personality traits he has that some might mislabel as “flaws,” I am the trainer I am today.
This 40 pound bundle of hair and sass has pushed me to learn more, and do better. As a result, I have been able to help hundreds of guardians work on their dog’s reactivity, and establish positive, confident relationships with their veterinary team and the care they provide.
Adopting a dog from the shelter is never a guarantee.
We are rarely sure what breed of dog we are brining home and often don’t have any idea about genetic contributions. These dogs may have experienced trauma, either while in the womb or after birth, that is going to come along with them, and we may not be privy to that information. Shelter dogs rarely have parents who are pedigreed or with health screening to rule out congenital issues. We may not know what predispositions a dog contains before we sign our lives to theirs.
Adopting a dog from the shelter can be a gamble.
Shelter dogs can also be a beautiful gift. Learning who they are, what they like - and do not - and what brings them joy in life - all of this is available to be discovered.
You might enter the shelter with an idea of the dog that you want, and end up going home with something different; the dog you never knew you needed.
No matter where you choose to get your dog from, do your research. There are good breeders, and not so good ones. Just as there are reputable shelters, and ones who are risky.
Ask questions, and then ask some more. Be forth coming with the kind of dog you are looking for and capable of caring for. Don’t bite off more than you can chew, and if that happens despite your best intentions, be honest with the shelter about your struggles.
Whatever you do, don’t rule out the damaged dogs.
The broken ones.
The elderly dogs.
The ones who someone else didn’t have the time or space to love.
These dogs are often the best ones there are.
Stay awesome,
Vanessa
Vanessa Charbonneau, is the author of Dog Care for Puppies: A guide to Feeding, Playing, Grooming and Behavior. She owns Sit Pretty Pet Services, employing force-free training techniques to work with companion dogs and their owners. Charbonneau lives in Prince George, BC with her husband, two daughters, and one dog.