The Importance Of Preventative Training In Shelter Dogs

Adopting your best friend from a shelter or rescue is a great way to help dogs get off the street and into loving homes. However there is a problem that no one seems to be talking about. That problem is the percentage of dogs adopted from shelters that exhibit behavior problems, problems that could be prevented! A survey posted on shelteranimalscount.org shows that 72% of shelter dogs exhibit behavioral problems within the first week of going home!

Behavioral problems is a broad term that covers everything from separation anxiety to dominant aggression. Not all shelter dogs have a huge likelihood of being aggressive, but being fearful and insecure is just as much of a behavior problem as reactivity. It may not seem as important to address, but neglecting to help your dog overcome its fear or stress is a huge mistake!

There are several reasons why dogs show behavioral issues when they leave the shelter; maybe they are just uncomfortable, or maybe sometime in their past being aggressive got them what they wanted. Whatever the reason, behavioral issues cause your dog stress. A stressed dog will take longer to settle, it will be uncomfortable in new situations and around new people, and it will be harder for it to fully trust its people. Even minor behavior issues are a big deal, and it is crucial that we, as owners, take every action we can to understand and work through their behavior.

In this article, we will go over what preventative training is, why it’s so important to start training right away, and some exercises you can do to make your new friend more settled in their new fur-ever home!

What is preventative dog training?

Preventative training is any type of training that can either prevent problem behaviors from happening, or gives you the ability to communicate with your dog to work through them. This is especially important for dogs who have a higher chance of displaying problem behaviors, such as shelter dogs with an unknown past.

On average, shelter dogs follow what’s called the 3-3-3 rule. Three days at their new home to decompress, three weeks for them to settle in and start learning the routine, and three months until they feel completely comfortable and form a real bond with you. Considering this, a dog’s behavioral problems might not surface until a few weeks in. The more comfortable a dog feels, the more freedom he thinks he has to test behaviors. For example, an uncomfortable dog is not very likely to bark at someone to “protect” his home, but after he starts to realize that it is his home, and that these are his people, he might start to display guarding behaviors (no, this is not a sweet or good thing!). Getting started with training right away is crucial to get a hold of any issues before it spirals out of control!

Training is more than just having a dog that sits or lays down on command. Good training gives you a clear way to communicate with your dog. Since they can’t understand our words, we need to give them a way to understand what we expect of them. We also need to show them that we are in control, and that they can trust us. The sooner we can learn to communicate through training to our pup, the easier their transition will be, and there will be less chance of problem behaviors spiralling out of control.

Start training right away!

Dogs are constantly taking in information and learning. From the second they enter your home, they are analyzing how things work, and what the rules are. Whether you realize it or not, you are teaching your dog the rules of the house every second of the day! They will figure out what is and isn’t allowed, and if you’re not consistent, it can lead to confusion and more problems.

In a dog’s mind, there has to be someone in charge. They think in a pack mindset, and if you do not fill the leadership role, they will attempt to fill it themself. That can be extremely stressful for your dog! It can not only cause behavior problems, but it can also damage your relationship with your dog because they will not trust you completely, and you will not be able to understand or control their behaviors. When we train our dogs and take the time to understand how they think, it can create a beautiful and harmonious life.

Some people have the assumption that they shouldn’t train their dog right away. They state that pressuring the dog with training will keep it from settling in. They say to let the dog settle in completely, then worry about training. That assumption is not only wrong, it could be harmful to your dog and to their behavior. Dogs who have just been adopted from a shelter, most likely do not have any idea how to behave in a house, or how to greet people properly, or even how to communicate with you. It is vital that we as owners show them from day one that we can be trusted. We need to show them that the rules are consistent, and that we are predictable.

Your brand new shelter pup might not be ready to learn to sit or stay, but they are ready to start learning the simple rules of the household. Those rules could be as simple as ‘if you jump on me I will give you no attention, but if you keep all four paws on the ground I will pet you and say hi.’ (Another issue with postponing training, is that it is the perfect way for bad habits to start forming.) It will be harder to fix those habits down the road, and it will also be confusing for the dog when all of a sudden the rules change. Being consistent from the start is the best and least stressful way to communicate your expectations to your dog.

When I adopted my dog Kita from a shelter, she was timid and scared easily. We went through a few weeks when we had to take her back and forth to the vet, and from that she developed an intense dislike for going in the car. Just like Kita, other shelter dogs can develop a negative association with things pretty early on. They learn to dislike things, such as cars, leashes, or collars, because of what happens after. If all I did with Kita after putting her in a car was to take her to the vet, she would still be hesitant to go into the car to this day. But instead of ignoring her fear and hoping she would adjust, I took the time from my schedule and purposefully worked with her around the car. I gave her meals to her in the car, we drove to parks and trails to go on long fun walks, and in a few weeks she started begging to go into the car. Training has to be intentional, and you have to be observant of your dog’s behavior to determine what needs training.

Shelter dogs often lack socialization, and can be uncomfortable and stressed in new environments. If you start off with consistent rules and purposefully train with your dog, you have successfully paved the way to safe and better socialization. If your dog trusts you, they will be more willing to look to you for guidance in uncomfortable situations like being out in public. Training from the beginning is also a great way to give you a clear and understandable way to correct unwanted behaviors should they appear. Proper training and communication not only strengthens your bond with your dog, but it also helps you to help mold them into the best dog that they can be!

Simple and easy training exercises

As I mentioned before, training is not all about sit and stay, it’s about how you let your dog live their day to day life. Here are a few training exercises and games that you can do with your dog from day one to start them off on the right path!

Eye contact game

Helps teach your dog to look to you in different situations.

Start with you and your dog in a quiet place with no distractions. Have some treats ready and say your dog’s name once and wait, once they look at you give them a treat.
Repeat multiple times until your dog gets the hang of it.
Move to more difficult areas, such as your backyard, and slowly work your way up to places like a park.

Marker word “yes”

Teaching a positive marker word helps you to communicate to your dog when they do something you like, it also helps build your relationship with your dog.

Have your dog in a distraction free area and be ready with a lot of treats.
Say “yes” in a clear voice, then immediately give your dog a treat. (It doesn’t matter what your dog is doing, as long as they are not jumping up or doing anything bad)
Repeat multiple times, while your dog does different things. Take a few steps back and say “yes” when they follow you, have them follow the treat in a circle and say “yes” when they finish the circle, etc. at this point the focus is on the repetition of the sequence “yes”=treat.
Start using “yes” around the house when your dog makes good choices, always follow with a treat. For example if your dog chooses to sit next to you instead of jumping up, say “yes” and immediately give him a treat.

Crate training

Helps your dog to create a positive association with the crate

Test the waters and see how comfortable your dog is with a crate. See if they will follow treats into it and if they will go all the way in.
Toss some treats in or next to the crate, depending on your dog’s comfort level. Do not force your dog into the crate, let him go at his own pace.
When your dog goes into the crate, give him another treat, and as long as he stays in the crate, intermittently give him treats
Repeat this until he has no trouble going into the crate, this could happen all in one session or it could take days depending on your dog.
Start having your dog go into the crate and close the door behind him. Feed him treats through the holes in the crate then open the door and let him out.
Increase the time in which the door is closed, intermittently feeding treats.
Once your dog is ok with the door being closed, you can start leaving him in the crate for short periods of time. Don’t do too long too soon. Keep an eye on your dog and make sure they’re not stressed. At this point you can give them a frozen kong or benebone to give them something to do in the crate. You can also give them their breakfast and dinner in the crate
Gradually increase the time that your dog is in the crate. Never use the crate as punishment, this is their safe space.

Meal training

Using your dog’s kibble as treats for training helps increase your relationship and is a great way to start training. Simply use the kibble for training any of the above exercises, or for obedience training depending on your dog’s skill level.

Never give up!

Adopting a shelter dog into your home can be challenging and at times frustrating, but it is so important that you don’t give up on your pup! We can never really know what their entire life has been like up until this point, but we can do our best to give them a great future, and that takes patience, hard work, and most importantly, love.

There will be times when training will not go as planned, or when your dog will do something frustrating, but it is our job as owners to work through the tough times and give our pups the best shot at life that we can. If you do your best and really put in the work for your dog, the good times will far outweigh the tough times, and you will build an extremely special bond with your extremely special dog!