July 11, 2013Comments are closed.Getting 2 Zero
Behavioural modification & training in shelters – Dr Pam Reid (ASPCA)
The ASPCA Behavioural Rehabilitation Center has implemented a program specifically for helping under socialised dogs from cruelty cases. Adopters of these rehabilitated pets are particularly dedicated and return rates are typically lower than for the general shelter population.
Behaviour is the #1 reason for dogs being relinquished to shelters.
Working in an emergency shelter (hoarding, extreme fear). Abuse and neglect animals are ‘victims’.
Enrichment/socialisation/rehabilitation
Evaluation
– identify issues
– protocols; animals start getting interventions straight away
– daily care staff involved
– simple and complicated procedures depending on need
Training as enrichment
– provides stimulation
– allows them some control over their environment (less stress)
– manners training enhances adoptability (shown to increase adoptions)
– makes daily care easier
Procedures
– training for care staff
– visuals around the shelter to remind staff of what they should be doing
— ‘Four on the floor’
– make it as easy as possible for staff to execute
– each dog fed during training sessions (not free fed)
– hand targeting
– down & wait
– high five; the more ‘tricks’ they have, the more popular they are
– puppies; handling, bite inhibition/mouthing
Rehabilitation
– behaviour exercises
— touching from people
–‘drive by treats’ for stressed animals
– communication (common area board to see which dog needs what)
– daily enrichment procedure – mix it up so you’re not doing the same stuff every day
Dog’s behaviour scores improved, rather than deteriorated while in care – even when in care for an extended time period.
53% of dogs improved their scores, 47% stayed the same, while none got worse. With dogs moving from ‘C’ dogs (serious issues) to ‘A’ dogs (adoptable).
Resource guarding
Because food guarding is easily elictable during a shelter test, it has become an ‘easy’ way to fail a dog. But it is also one of the most treatable of behaviours (and only 50% of dogs without no treatment at all will go on to show resource guarding in the home – and most people are happy to manage the behaviour).
Questions
How long are your treatment plans?
About six weeks. That’s about how long human psychotherapy takes also.
Some take a little longer, some are shorter, but that is the average.
Do you use medication?
We do work closely with a veterinary behaviourist – we have a couple of dogs that haven’t progressed as a timely manner as we wanted. But as a standard we don’t.
