Celia Haddon's Pets' Problems Page

TEN CHEAP WAYS TO IMPROVE YOUR DOG RESCUE

1. Feed your dogs not just in bowls but also in stuffed Kongs or in hollow huge bones, so as to make meals last longer. Your dogs will also have more to do. If you feed dry food, put some round the enclosure rather than just in one bowl. Make meals more like foraging.
2. Give dogs something to chew - large raw marrow bones. Chewing is an important stress reliever for dogs and most dogs find kennels very stressful indeed. If there's nothing to chew they may even chew the bars.
3. Put some dry food or treats in a pouch where adopters walk past, so that they can give this to the dog. This will help dogs feel positive about the people walking by and will also help adopters notice the dogs. Or put a toy for them to play with the dog through the bars. Good rescue organisations often don't let people just wander past but bring out the dogs they think are suitable to be introduced in an introduction room.

4. Tie a tug toy on the side of the pen so that the dog can take out its frustration on the toy. This is particularly good for terriers that like shaking toys.
5. House dogs together not alone, if you can find a compatible pair. You need to choose your dogs carefully otherwise you can find a dead dog in the enclosure. If you aren't dogwise don't do it or stick to dogs that come in as a pair. Remember two bitches together are most likely to fight. Don't put a problem-free dog with a problem dog. Sod's law says that you will soon have TWO problem dogs, since the new dog will quickly imitate the problem behaviour.
6. Have a chill-out area for overstressed dogs to get some rest and quiet. This could be a store room or even an office where they cannot see the passersby.
7. Encourage dog walker volunteers to spend time inside the kennel as well as on walks with a dog. Time in the kennel with a dog keeps up the dogs' skills with people.
8. Give toys. Change these regularly. An appeal for unwanted dog toys would probably get into the local paper so it need not cost too much. The local pet shop might put out a dump bin for them too. People are more likely to adopt a dog if they see a toy in its pen even if the dog doesn't play with it - odd but true.
9. Put a brightly coloured bandana on a dog that is being overlooked by adopters. Those nice little black and tan mongrels often need help to sell themselves. Make it a pink bow for a Staffie. Teach the dog to do a little trick and put a label saying he will do this. This will make him more appealing. Give savage looking Staffies a nice name like Bubbles or Poochy or Tippytoes.