Out Walkin' the Dog

Thank you to everyone who has inquired whether we have adopted a dog yet! The answer is: "No, but the door is open if the right one comes along." In the meantime, I am getting my "dog fix" by volunteering at a local "no kill" animal shelter. ("No kill" meaning they do not euthanize for space. Like other "no kill shelters," an animal will be euthanized if suffering from an incurable disease or injury or is too dangerous to adopt out. These difficult decisions are made by the Board).

From my first orientation meeting, I have been impressed with how organized the place is and how careful they are in matching the experience and abilities of the volunteers with the jobs needed to be done. The dogs are categorized according to behavior. Green dogs are the puppies or animals with no behavior issues to speak of. They are easy to leash, easy to walk and great to build the self confidence of new volunteers who are learning to enter or exit a dog kennel without letting the animal escape, which is trickier than you'd think. New volunteers are only allowed to walk these dogs, so every Sunday for the past 6 weeks, I have been checking the information board to see who's who and making note of any issues to be aware of before taking one out. Last week, I was eligible to attend the training to walk the "blue" dogs, those with behavioral issues or who need work to keep them from dragging you into next week. After supervised practice, we are tested before being cut loose to take these dogs out on our own.

I have some experience in training dogs so was familiar with their procedures. The only difference is that dog treats are used to reinforce good behavior, so now I walk around with pieces of Bacon Strips in my coat pocket. Unfortunately, since both hands have to be on the leash, there are no photos to offer you. But today I walked RingDing, a shepherd/hound cross who is learning to walk next to you without leaping out in front; Bailey, a shy but eager-to-please collie cross with the most adorable fuzzy face; Mikey, a Maltipoo who is a "blue" dog because of his extreme timidity; and Laney, a senior animal and the most gentle Irish Setter/cross giant (and a "green" dog) whose owners surrendered him when they had to move away.

Working with these dogs is going a long way to satisfy my desire for a canine companion. The added benefit is that anything I can help them learn will make them more adoptable, as each of these animals wants nothing more than to be a beloved part of a family. If I can help them learn how to do that, I am grateful to know both their needs are being met, as well as my own.