TulsaPets Magazine November 2023

November / December 2023 • TulsaPets 37 “Rescued” Is Not a Breed Change the Mind-set about Adopted Dogs by Nancy Gallimore I caught myself saying it as my foster puppy shied away from a well-meaning person trying to say hello. “Sorry! He’s a rescue,” I said in a quick reflex to excuse his behav- ior. And in that head-smacking instant, I realized I had just committed one of my biggest pet peeves. Trainer, heal thyself! The first question I ask when I get a dog training call? “Tell me a little bit about your dog.” The answer I often receive? “Well, he’s a rescue.” As if that one sentence sums it all up. That statement is then generally followed by a long list of what the dog is doing wrong and what the dog’s human believes the dog thinks or feels about it all based on his past. And it all ties back to that label: rescue. “When I try to put him in the car, he falls to the ground and won’t jump in. He is scared I’m going to take him out somewhere to abandon him.” “When I reach for his collar or try to pet his head, he will duck or run away, so I know somebody in his past has beaten him.” “If I try to put him in a dog crate, he fights and then just cries and panics. He’s a rescue, so someone obviously abused him.” After a moment or two of listening to speculation, I ask again, “Tell me about your dog.” And what I hope to find out is fact, not projection. Just the Facts, Please By fact, I mean I want to know what breed your dog is or what best-guess breeds came together. I want to know how big your dog is. I want to know where you got your dog. Tell me what specific behaviors you are witnessing that you want help resolving. I don’t want to know why you think things are happening, I just want to know what’s happening. I want to know facts about your dog’s age and health. I want to know why you chose this dog, what drew you to him. I want to know about your home, family, and daily routine. I want to know what is happening right now, just the facts. And if you do have information about how the dog lived prior to your adoption, that’s incredibly helpful too. For example, did the dog previously belong to a single person with no kids, and now he’s hiding in the corner eyeing your five-year-old? This is good to know. Is his fearful behav- ior because his previous owner was cruel to him? Probably not. Is it because a small, energetic child might as well be a veloci- raptor in the dog’s eyes? Quite possibly. And how about the six-month-old puppy just adopted from the shelter who is flop- ping around like a fish out of water when you put the leash on and try to go for a walk? Rather than assume former abuse with a leash, I tend to think we have a puppy that was never taught how to accept and enjoy a leashed walk. That has nothing to do with being a rescue and everything to do with a puppy who has a few things to learn. This is not to suggest that there aren’t rescued dogs with loads of baggage from previous neglect and abuse. Sadly, there are dogs who have suffered horribly in the wrong hands. I have worked with dogs liberated from puppy mills where they spent years having litter after litter — caged, unsocialized, and unloved. I’ve worked with dogs rescued from life outside on a chain, battling the elements and the frustration of constant restraint. And I’ve worked with feral dogs who have simply had nothing. No home, no care, no positive socialization, and no proper intro- duction to life as a companion animal. These dogs are special cases, and undo- ing what has been done requires patience, dedication, skill, and the gift of time. But Gordie is a very smart and good foster puppy — not “just a rescue.”