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Helper Dogs
Hi guys!
What are everyone’s thoughts on using your own dogs as “helpers” when training other dogs to help leash reactivity, etc.? I use my Starla occasionally, but am very careful to not over-do it or stress her out. Has anyone ever chosen a good boy or girl to adopt, knowing their temperament is good for being a “helper?” How do you feel about this vs. simply adopting a dog in need? I ask because I am, like many people, drawn to the dogs who need special tlc. I am not in a place where I am ready to adopt again after Toki’s passing- still too soon. But when the time comes, I wonder about the ethics of bring home a little friend who needs extra help vs. choosing a little friend who could also help me. Does that make sense? What are your thoughts? Here’s a picture of Tiramisu after she turned her ball into a bowl as thanks for for opinions.
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15 Replies
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Love your question, @LisaOMy . Personally, I miss having helper dogs very much. My current two are not ideal candidates and their peace of mind comes first. Like you said, I don’t want to stress them out.
When I used to keep a larger group of dogs, they almost all were fantastic helper dogs and having them significantly enhanced the help I could provide to lots of clients. I didn’t select them based on them being helper dogs, but they did have to feel peaceful in a house with 4 to 7 other dogs and I suppose that increases the chances they’d also be good helper dogs too.That doesn’t mean the dogs I adopted were problem-free in other ways. One in particular arrived at 4 mo. with separation anxiety, body handling issues, and a global resource guarding issue. But he was a great helper dog and truly a beloved family dog. A pic of Tavish is below.
At the end of the day, you should follow your heart. I don’t think you can make a wrong decision either way. ????
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What a beautiful boy!
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It’s all good 🙂
I got my first “breeder dog” two years ago. She’s a lab and is great with demos, playing with others, and teaching pushy puppies. I’m careful to tell my students that she’s bred to be friendly, “obedient” and easily trained, so they’re not comparing their progress to her. It’s really nice to have a dog who isn’t a “project”.
I tell students it’s okay to return a rescue, or breeder, dog if it is changing their lives in a negative way. For example, they can no longer leave their home because of sep anxiety, reactivity is ruining their lives, the dog is a bad match, etc. I’m a huge advocate of making dogs’ lives better, but we need to remember the human half of the leash is important too. And, that includes us.
At the moment, I don’t have the time or energy to take on a needy dog. So, when I look for my next dog (in a shelter, or with a breeder), I’ll be looking for that same dog everyone wants. Friendly, smart, fun, can be left alone… But, I’m looking forward to the not too distant future when I’ll once again have time to take on a “project”. There’s nothing like the bond formed with “project” dogs.
Whatever dog I get next, I’m not going to feel guilty about it. It’s all good. 🙂
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@Cyn Thank you for sharing your experience with having a great demo dog who can help out with teaching “good dog” traits. It’s kind of like having a canine supermodel in your house, huh?
I agree about it being important to communicate and counsel with clients about dogs who aren’t fitting in and the humans are having a difficult time training. However, I do MY best to break lessons down into half hour lessons (to fit into busy human schedules), show them that training doesn’t have to be boring (lots of fun and ending each lesson with a new game, incorporating enrichment or what we just learned), and I’ve gratefully only had to counsel one elderly couple about redoing their high energy-demanding dog. After all, the human is far harder to train and motivate than the dog, most times.
I hate when people think that just because a dog isn’t “getting it/their family” instantly, they want to return it. That’s another story.
I also agree with you about project dogs being rewarding, bond-wise; I also agree with you about the next dog you want will be more of a helper type dog, who has model traits always instilled.
It can feel like we aren’t doing our job if we don’t adopt the un-adoptable dog at the shelter and make them great. However, I feel the same way as you, Cynthia! I would love my “next dog” to be a joy to be with at the end of my own crazy day! ????. I think we are worth it, too.
Hope what I said doesn’t offend anyone!
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@Cyn and @bernerlabreclectus , I appreciate both of your posts. I think all of us on Digging Dogs will go the extra mile to help make a person/dog match a successful one, but on occasion, the chosen dog may be a terrible match for the family, and rehoming is a kindness all around.
I, too, now seek ‘easy’ dogs to adopt for myself. That wasn’t the case in the past, and the many adopted dogs (and foster dogs) I kept with problem behaviors helped to shape me into the trainer I am today. I learned SO much actually living with dogs who displayed a variety of behavior issues including separation anxiety, dog/dog aggression, fear aggression, resource guarding, handling issues, and lots more. But now that I’m a dinosaur, I crave easy. ????
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@LisaOMy @Cyn @virginiad
I think it’s very exciting that Tiramisu is helping, or potentially going to help, other dogs be and learn their best behaviors! She is truly “cuteness caninified!”????
Generally, to the group I tagged and beyond: I would love to know more about the process of how you give your “helper dog” opportunities and the go-ahead to be a helper to other dogs. How do you make certain to keep them safe? Do you have a protocol to allow your dog to “opt-in or opt-out”?
I am always amazed at the wealth of information that comes out of the initial post…thanks for sharing Tiramisu and Tavish; what beautiful dogs!
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@bernerlabreclectus , here are a couple of examples where I used my group of 5 dogs together to help other dogs:
I fostered a dog who had been captured after living in the woods for her first few mo. of life with her mother and littermate. So, truly feral, though Millie did like the company of other dogs. We put her on medication, but my dogs were able to give her a sense of safety in my home and model happy/confident behavior around me. I’d crouch on the floor, they’d swarm me joyfully, and Millie began to join in too. Over time, I could touch her briefly, and we moved on from there. (Used other methods as well.)
My group of 5 dogs were also GREAT at diffusing dogs who, one on one, could be absolute jerks with another dog. My group was calm and non-confrontational, but they’d go right up to another dog. That dog surely was inhibiting their usual reactions because of the size of the group but, before you know it, they are relaxing and actually behaving like a reasonable dog. I’ve long been in AWE of how a group of socially healthy dogs can have such a positive impact on a socially inept dog.
Obviously, I didn’t subject my dogs to truly dangerous dogs, and if one showed undue stress, I could just remove them from the situation but I don’t remember that ever being necessary.
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I use Rose for skills demos a lot. It’s nice for people to see an end result of a skill. For example, I’ll demo the first stages of a hand target, and then show how I use it for heel with Rose. Of course people always want to go straight to heeling then. But, I use the “going through the grades” analogy, and tell folks that Rose is beginning college.
I also demo feeding toys, and tossing treats to reward calm behavior. She’s either with me, or tied in the shade. I’m sure to point out how much I’ve worked on her calm behavior during classes starting when she was 8 weeks old. It’s a lot of work to get a dog to enjoy being bored.
She wanders around during puppy classes, saying hi to people and puppies (NO treats for Rose, or she’ll bug that person the entire class). I demo the “name game” a lot to keep her from bugging people. Whenever possible, I have all puppies roaming free, but usually we have structured play times. Rose usually doesn’t play, but hangs out with the puppies. She’s gentle, has clear body language and will correct pushy puppies (that’s her main job in puppy class). The important thing is that her body language is really clear.
I sometimes use her to “test” dogs who want to join our playgroup. I keep both dogs on leash, but let them greet as naturally as possible. Rose rarely wants to play with the dogs, but she will tell me by the turn of a head, and droop of an ear, how comfortable she feels. If I’m unsure of the dog we do the greeting through the fence. I know that presents barrier frustration, but I’m keeping Rose safe.
And, I’ll use her at a distance with reactive dogs. Often, I’ll have the reactive dog owner walk Rose, so I can demo the routines I’m using with the reactive dog. And, so I have full control over how close that dogs gets. I never bring Rose close to reactive, or aggressive, dogs. That’s asking too much., and they are supposed to stay under threshold anyway.
Rose is the first dog I’ve used in this way. She’s has the temperament to enjoy it. My shepherd would act ok, but she’d hate it. My little dog would send conflicting messages and be damaging from a socialization perspective.
I think you have to be super aware of how your dog is feeling during any given class, and be ready to give her a break if she asks for it.
Here’s Rose in my Small Dog Play group, she’s the lab in the background.
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@Cyn , thank you for sharing that. Rose sounds like a very special dog, and super-helpful too. ????
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What a fabulous discussion and topic – you are all such lovely humans and made great points all around. @virginiad @Cyn @bernerlabreclectus @LisaOMy
I grew up raising purpose-bred Guide Dog puppies and living in a working dog home (police and SAR) that used purebreds, so my early experience was different from many getting into dog training…. Later, when I was involved in sheltering, I used my breeder-purchased, sweet temperament, highly dog tolerant Aussie girl, Joy to help scared newcomers to the shelter to literally find their feet and walk to their kennels, as well as to trust new dogs in playgroups. Joy also helped teach puppy classes and was simply Aussome with every dog she met.
My Vizsla, on the other hand, HATED ALL OF IT. Penny was stressed and terrified to go to even the little dog playgroups. Puppy classes had her upside-down and piddling. She tried to overly-appease even the calmest puppy. As soon as I figured that out, she never had to go, and I kept her away from the shelter altogether. Joy enjoyed hanging in my office; Penny was miserable. I think the scents of stressed dogs just overwhelmed her sensitive nature. So, it’s all about body language and empathy, to find a great helper.
When the time is right, Lisa- you’ll choose a great match for your current girls. If you want to look beyond that, it’s entirely ethical to do so. If a social dog loves the work, then it’s enriching for them to partner with you in it.
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What a wonderful dog Joy was, @catherine ! I didn’t know she was also a helper dog. I knew she was your beloved girl.
I love the photo!!! Penny sounds like a lovely dog, too.
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Thanks, Paula. They were both great girls in completely different ways. True of all our doggos, yes?
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In response to Virginia using a group to help individual dogs, I couldn’t agree more. I believe playgroups are the most valuable thing I offer. Humans and dogs hang out together for an hour. It’s so cool to see a dog come out of it’s shell in a group of dogs. It’s also a good way to get human-skittish dogs used to being around people.
Second most valuable thing is renting the yard to folks who have dogs that need to be off leash alone, or with a select dog or two (what a joy to see a dog off leash for the first time).
Classes and consults come last. 🙂
Often the exercise and social opportunities are just what the dog needs.
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What a fun business model, @Cyn – do you have a membership for these playgroups or is it pay as they go?
I miss running playgroups and going on group dog walks… it was the BEST to watch all the dogs be dogs, and as you said, let the helper dogs do what they do best. There is very little shenanigans when you have a solid group of dogs who get along and a newcomer to the group…
Many, many moons ago I used to do forest walks with a large and changing group of dog friends; we all had multiple dogs and everyone was off-lead. It was the best time ever. NEVER any drama – we’d just get the dogs moving and I think the side-by-side walking just happened along the way. It diffuses so much! (That said, nobody was bringing “challenging” dogs, either.) Thanks for the memories!
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