Notes from the Kennels (Week 3)

I have had another two days as a volunteer kennel-hand at Croftview Greyhound Rehoming kennels. Although the tasks I perform may seem simple and monotonous, actually there is a lot to take in and learn. Just handling the dogs is a learning curve, practically, intellectually and emotionally.

The most important lesson I have learned so far is that when you have to take forty dogs out, clean their kennels, feed them, take them back in, take them out for exercise and bring them back in a few of more times, before cleaning kennels and coating the dogs up for the night, there is simply no time for any kind of “dog whispering”.

A dog behaviourist will tell you that the way to discourage an over-enthusiastic dog from jumping up at you is to ignore the behaviour and reward the dog, with your attention, only when it is calm. Great in theory, but there simply is no time to implement this on nigh on forty greyhounds, over-excited at the prospect of a much longed-for bowl of food or run in the paddock. Neither is there time to gently, with patience and treats, gain the trust of the few shy and fearful ones. You simply have to put the slip-lead on and take them where they need to go.

Some dogs respond to a firm “back off” delivered together with a posture that leaves the dog with no doubt about what I am saying. You have to physically stop the dogs from exiting the kennels before you have them leashed (I have sometimes failed, and had to deal with, to my great horror, a greyhound escaping). This means either simply standing in their way, pushing them away physically, or somehow trying to impress on them that you mean business and they need to stand back. Under the circumstances the latter is not an easy feat.

Inevitably, over-excitement will be reinforced, as it is always rewarded by some kind of interesting break from the dog’s confinement in its kennel. There is little time to spend with the dogs if you are not taking them to food or exercise, to change this cycle. For a kennel dog, usually, any kind of interaction is exciting and rewarding in itself.

The case with the shy ones is perhaps a little better, as they should grow more confident when they get to know their handlers and realize no harm will come to them when taken out of their “lair”. There are, however, some cases of dog so nervous, that they really need special attention to deal with their anxiety. Unfortunately, there is practically little time for such special attention in a large rehoming kennel, the more the pity for the dog, as it is less likely to be adopted if it displays excess fear. Although I am hoping to find time to perhaps try to work a little with one such dog, a beautiful brindle bitch called Alex, I am not sure that any work in kennels will be enough. Really she needs a home environment and twenty-four hour attention for a long time.

Alex

Considering Alex, is the first time I have actually thought that psychopharmaca may be a fairly good option. I am still on the fence when it comes to treating behavioural problems in dogs with anti-depressants. It makes me somewhat uneasy, but I can see that in extreme cases there may be an argument for it. In Alex’s case, I wonder if anti-anxiety drugs (administered under the supervision of a veterinarian, of course) may not simply improve her chances of being adopted, and getting into an environment where underlying causes of her fear may be properly treated. I am unlikely to find out, as I doubt the kennels have the financial resources to even consider this route.

In the meantime, I am left trying to learn how to best deal a variety of dog behaviours in a situation where time, space and money is scarce. It isn’t easy, but it sure is a good experience. 

Feel free to comment, if you have any experience or ideas for how to work with dog behaviour in a kennel environment.



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