Setting up Rescued Dogs for Success: Key Lessons from Rescues in Central America and Central Canada

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Joaquin just above the Unidos para los Animales rescue in the mountains, 8 km above Antigua, Guatemala. Locals grow corn, avocados, and commercial flowers on the sides of the mountains. Joaquin is a former Unidos rescue. He now lives in his forever home in California.

Whether a dog was chained outside, or came from the streets or from some other rough background, they can be successfully transformed into pet dogs with the right handling and care from both their rescue and their adopters.

Kristi Benson and Linda Green discuss key lessons for setting up rescued dogs for success. Both are certified trainers by Jean Donaldson’s The Academy for Dog Trainers. Linda runs Unidos Para Los Animales (“United for Animals”) in Antigua Guatemala and Kristi previously ran Parkland Husky Rescue in Manitoba, Canada.

Meet some of these dogs! And enjoy the gorgeous photos of Antigua.

Let Dogs be Dogs: Understanding and Respecting the Nature of Our Furry Friends

October 26, 2018 / Sylvie Martin / Behavior Modification, Dog Behavior, Dog body language, Dog Freedom, Force-Free Training, Human-Dog Bond, Positive Training

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Frisbees and balls are a great way to stimulate our dogs’ hunting and chasing instincts. These dogs are allowed to express their natural predatory drive and have fun.

Dogs’ tendency to behave like dogs has become frowned upon these days – it is not uncommon that their barking, chewing, chasing, digging, jumping, growling, snarling and biting is labeled “abnormal.” Dogs are suspected to have psychological problems when in fact their only problem is that we routinely assign thoughts and intentions to our dogs which exist in our imagination only. Australian dog Trainer Sylvie Martin of Crosspaws delivers another unflinchingly clear vision of how we humans can greatly increase our own happiness as well as our dogs’ by better understanding and respecting the nature of our furry friends rather than constantly projecting human intentions onto their behaviors, which only leads to conflict and stress for both parties.

“My Dog is Stubborn!” How We Project Human Qualities onto Dogs.

October 6, 2018 / Kristi Benson / Behavior Modification, Dog Behavior, Dog body language, Positive Training, Training

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Dogs aren’t stubborn, just like trees don’t smile. A dog called “stubborn” is almost always undertrained. When we understand that, we can then productively move forward to provide the training they need to reliably respond to our cues.

“My dog is stubborn!” “My dog has an attitude.” “My dog is needy.” “My dog is acting guilty.” Have you ever used one of these phrases? Heard someone else say it? We humans tend to project our human qualities onto other species, including dogs. Dogs aren’t stubborn, mean, brats, guilty-looking, out for revenge, or needy in the sense the word is usually used. When we let go of human-like labels and treat and train our dogs like the amazing, unique species that they are, it deepens our bond with them, sets up realistic expectations, and opens the door to a much happier and cozier existence. Dog trainer extraordinaire, Kristi Benson, discusses what our dogs’ behavior actually means when we label them things like “stubborn,” and how we can set them up for success when we stop anthropomorphizing them.

Dominance Theory: The Outdated Idea that Harms Our Dogs

September 23, 2018 / Tanya Hawkes / Behavior Modification, Dog Behavior, Dog body language, Dominance Theory, Training

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Aggressively rolling a dog on his side or back in an effort to force him to submit to the owner's stature as "pack leader" is one of many maneuvers based on dominance theory.

Alpha dog. Alpha roll. Pack leader. Pack hierarchy. Pack rank. Our intrepid blogger Tanya Hawkes from Wales, UK, takes on the controversial topic of Dominance Theory. Why is this outdated and harmful theory still around? Tanya discusses where it came from, how it harms our dogs and why it persists.